Study to Learn; Learn to Do
Bechukotai - בחקתי : "In My Statutes"
Torah : Leviticus 26:3-27:34
Haftarah : Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
Gospel : Luke 23-24
Thought for the Week:
In Torah the distinctions between physical and spiritual are not so clear. The whole physical world is spiritual because God created it. The physical world was created out of the spiritual, and the spiritual is inherently present in all physical form and action. Therefore, in Torah thought, it is a false dichotomy to separate the physical from the spiritual.
Commentary:
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out ... (Leviticus 26:3)
This week's Torah portion begins by saying, "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out ... " (Leviticus 26:3). Isn't that a bit redundant? What is the difference between (1) walking in the statutes, (2) keeping the commandments and (3) carrying them out? In his classic commentaries on the Torah, Rashi wondered about this too and proposed a solution. He suggested that "walking in the statutes" refers to intensive study of the Torah. "Keeping the commandments" refers to learning how the commandments of Torah are properly kept. "Carrying them out" refers to actually doing what the commandments say to do. In other words, we should study Torah for the purpose of learning it, and we should learn it for the purpose of doing it.
This approach to Torah may seem obvious. It isn't. Sometimes we study the Bible simply for the sake of learning the Scriptures, but we never get around to doing what the Bible tells us to do. We often hear the Word of God and learn its message but fail to put it into practice. This is especially true in regard to the laws of Torah. In some Christian schools of thought, the laws of Torah are believed to have spiritual meanings instead of literal meanings. That suggests that the laws of Torah were never meant to be kept; they were only meant to be understood as spiritual lessons. Early church writings spoke about the spiritual meanings of the Torah's commandments while discouraging people from actually practicing the Torah. That kind of thinking resulted from the influence of philosophical thought in the early church. In the philosophical worldview, the acquisition of knowledge is a worthy goal in and of itself.
In Jewish thought, the purpose for studying is more than simply the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge and learning are regarded only as means for better serving God. Therefore, in Jewish thought, we study to learn and we learn to do.
http://ffoz.org/resources/edrash/bechukotai/study_to_learn_learn_to_do.php


Learn even more!

"..they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..." (parapharse)

knowing and saying VS doing

It is impossible to "DO" the (10)Commandments, even though the Pharises thought they did, so Jesus expanded them to include even dwelling on them in thought, and if you break one you break them all. This makes it impossible to escape condemnation and forces one to look for a Savior instead of trying to attain by good works.

Knowledge is indeed good, but doing better; and when we do from the heart without the "studied knowledge" we do better.

"What are the Ten Commandments?"

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

The Ten Commandments are ten laws in the Bible that God gave to the nation of Israel shortly after the exodus from Egypt. The Ten Commandments are essentially a summary of the 600+ commandments contained in the Old Testament Law. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The second six commandments deal with our relationships with one another. The Ten Commandments are recorded in the Bible in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 and are as follows:

(1) “You shall have no other gods before me.” This command is against worshipping any god other than the one true God. All other gods are false gods.

(2) “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” This command is against making a idol, a visible representation of God. There is no image we can create that can accurately portray God. To make an idol represent God is to worship a false god.

(3) “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This is a command against taking the name of the Lord in vain. We are not to treat God’s name lightly. We are to show reverence to God by only mentioning Him in respectful and honoring ways.

(4) “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” This is a command to set aside the Sabbath (Saturday, the last day of the week) as a day of rest dedicated to the Lord.

(5) “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” This is a command to always treat our parents with honor and respect.

(6) “You shall not murder.” This is a command against the premeditated murder of another human being.

(7) “You shall not commit adultery.” This is a command against have sexual relations with anyone other than your spouse.

(8) “You shall not steal.” This is a command against taking anything that does not belong to us without the permission of the person to whom it belongs.

(9) “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This is a command against testifying against another person falsely. It is essentially a command against lying.

(10) “You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” This is a command against desiring anything that does not belong to you. Coveting can lead to breaking one of the commandments listed above: murder, adultery, and theft. If it is wrong to do something, it is wrong to desire to do that same something.

"What are the Ten Commandments?"

Not one of them requires anything above the use of our own powers, and nothing which goes beyond the dictates and approval of our own reason. The precepts of the law and of the gospel are identical in spirit and in general character, neither requiring of us anything more than we can do, nor anything not in harmony with our reason.
God's law does not require us to undo anything we have done that is wrong--in the season of putting it back to its position before being done. This might be, and usually would be, impossible. God only requires us to undo our present wrong purposes and states of mind; the wrong deeds of the past. He has provided a way to forgive; the present wrong of our heart he makes our concern.
He does not require us to make satisfaction for the wrong done, either by atonement, or by making up for the wrong we have done.
He does not require us to save ourselves and secure the salvation of our own souls, without his aid and grace. He neither requires or expects that we shall save anybody else by our own wisdom or efforts. He knows this is naturally impossible.
He does not ask us to work out a legal righteousness for the future. He does not make perfect obedience to law the condition of our salvation. This, if required, would be grievous, inasmuch as we have entirely broken the law and forfeited all hope in that direction.
Nor does He require us to fulfil the law in the future without reference to his grace, and without his aid, presented in the gospel. Nor does he demand that we shall bear our own burdens, overcome our temptations, and fight our spiritual battles--without his grace, guidance and strength. He does not expect us to be our own guide, to find our own way, and to create our own success.
Again, God requires nothing that will in the least mar our own happiness, or interfere with our true interests. Nothing inconsistent with our highest progress in true improvement; nothing that naturally retards our rapid advancement in all that is good.
He does not require us to love him above our ability.
The law specifies--"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength." With whose mind--and whose strength? Only thine own. And with how much of this mind and strength? Only with all. Nothing more. It were simply absurd to say that this is impossible; and therefore it is impious to think or speak of it as grievous.
GOD'S COMMANDMENTS NOT GRIEVOUS

I agree and disagree....

you referenced what was supplied as an answer by the scribe to the question of the greatest commandment:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength." With whose mind--and whose strength? Only thine own. And with how much of this mind and strength? Only with all. Nothing more. It were simply absurd to say that this is impossible; and therefore it is impious to think or speak of it as grievous.


Jesus went on to expound that the 2nd is to love your neighbor as yourself, and that upon these hinge all the commandments. The first has to do with your relationship to God (false idols, etc) and the second in your relationship to mankind (false witness, killing, etc).these summarize the 10 commandments and are the reverse side of the same coin. Instead of "heads and tails" we have "Thou shalt not" and "Thou shalt."

He (Jesus) said that if you look upon a woman with lust in your heart you have committed adultry already (one of the 10 commandments)and if you break one you have broken them all.

The point...Pharises tried to live up to the 10 commandments in their own strength which caused them to reject the need of a Saviour (I can do it myselt!). Jesus expanded them to include even thinking about breaking on in order to show the Pharisees the hopelessness of their (and all mankinds) situation. If we can do it all on our own strength...why did Jesus die on the cross...for what purpose..

If you can do it on your own strength you have reason to boast, but there will be no boasting in heaven...just glory to the Lamb who made it possible for us to be forgiven vicariously.

There is nothing vicarious about it!!

We are the children of God!! He is in us, and we are in Him. Jesus was of of God, God was in Him and He was in God.

Therefore we are in them, and they are in us!!

We can rebell, and we are rebellious arrogant children in our dealings with one another, and with God. As you have said we, all of us, have the stupid idea that we can do it on our own, when nothing could be further from the truth.

We are incapable of living a sinless life and, as you have also said, we require a method of salvation, outside of ourselves and above our ability to turn off, or discard. BUT!! We must avail ourselves of it for it to be given and even then we, some of us, refuse to bend our stiff necks and partake of the greatest gift, next to that of life itself.

Do I have any answers?? Only those which you have already given and, they are frought with the same questions you have asked.

Be well friends................Tawodi

quote:

Originally posted by cib101abn:
"..they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..." (parapharse)

knowing and saying VS doing

It is impossible to "DO" the (10)Commandments, even though the Pharises thought they did, so Jesus expanded them to include even dwelling on them in thought, and if you break one you break them all. This makes it impossible to escape condemnation and forces one to look for a Savior instead of trying to attain by good works.

Knowledge is indeed good, but doing better; and when we do from the heart without the "studied knowledge" we do better.

cib101abn,
I have some questions
a) Is G-d a cruel G-d? How can someone explain the following: (1) G-d gives the Torah KNOWING that nobody can keep it, (2) He lies to people because He said the Torah can be kept, (3) He punishes people for breaking Torah, (4) If Jesus is human and humans cannot keep Torah, how did Jesus keep Torah (notice that the Torah was given to perfect men. G-d is perfect already)? Why would someone who keeps the Torah all the time should die for these that don't? Wouldn't it be easier not to give the Torah to beging with?

b) Let's say that you (G-d forbid) gossip in your office about your boss (doesn't matter if the info you provide is accurate or not). Therefore, you are breaking the commandment that says: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Now, according to your statement since you broke one commandment, you broke them all. This means not only you are a gossiper; you are also an idolater, an adulterer, a blasphemer, a thief, a murderer, etc. Is that so?

Ixcatzin

quote:

Originally posted by ixcatzin:

quote:

Originally posted by cib101abn:
"..they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..." (parapharse)

knowing and saying VS doing

It is impossible to "DO" the (10)Commandments, even though the Pharises thought they did, so Jesus expanded them to include even dwelling on them in thought, and if you break one you break them all. This makes it impossible to escape condemnation and forces one to look for a Savior instead of trying to attain by good works.

Knowledge is indeed good, but doing better; and when we do from the heart without the "studied knowledge" we do better.

cib101abn,
I have some questions
a) Is G-d a cruel G-d? no.How can someone explain the following: (1) G-d gives the Torah KNOWING that nobody can keep it,.it is a guide to a better life. (2) He lies to people because He said the Torah can be kept,Yah does not lie. (3) He punishes people for breaking Torah,.how hard is it to love YHWH and your neighbor. (4) If Jesus is human and humans cannot keep Torah, how did Jesus keep Torah (notice that the Torah was given to perfect men. G-d is perfect already)?.yes Yahshua is perfect. Why would someone who keeps the Torah all the time should die for these that don't? Wouldn't it be easier not to give the Torah to beging with? your ways are not His ways...

b) Let's say that you (G-d forbid) gossip in your office about your boss (doesn't matter if the info you provide is accurate or not). Therefore, you are breaking the commandment that says: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Now, according to your statement since you broke one commandment, you broke them all. This means not only you are a gossiper; you are also an idolater, an adulterer, a blasphemer, a thief, a murderer, etc. Is that so?

Ixcatzin

Ixcatzin you have already asked these questions...b)If there were a Temple you would offer an animal...there is no temple...but there is Yahshua...

quote:

Originally posted by whtetiger:

quote:

Originally posted by ixcatzin:

quote:

Originally posted by cib101abn:
"..they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..." (parapharse)

knowing and saying VS doing

It is impossible to "DO" the (10)Commandments, even though the Pharises thought they did, so Jesus expanded them to include even dwelling on them in thought, and if you break one you break them all. This makes it impossible to escape condemnation and forces one to look for a Savior instead of trying to attain by good works.

Knowledge is indeed good, but doing better; and when we do from the heart without the "studied knowledge" we do better.

cib101abn,
I have some questions
a) Is G-d a cruel G-d? no.How can someone explain the following: (1) G-d gives the Torah KNOWING that nobody can keep it,.it is a guide to a better life. (2) He lies to people because He said the Torah can be kept,Yah does not lie. (3) He punishes people for breaking Torah,.how hard is it to love YHWH and your neighbor. (4) If Jesus is human and humans cannot keep Torah, how did Jesus keep Torah (notice that the Torah was given to perfect men. G-d is perfect already)?.yes Yahshua is perfect. Why would someone who keeps the Torah all the time should die for these that don't? Wouldn't it be easier not to give the Torah to beging with? your ways are not His ways...

b) Let's say that you (G-d forbid) gossip in your office about your boss (doesn't matter if the info you provide is accurate or not). Therefore, you are breaking the commandment that says: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Now, according to your statement since you broke one commandment, you broke them all. This means not only you are a gossiper; you are also an idolater, an adulterer, a blasphemer, a thief, a murderer, etc. Is that so?

Ixcatzin

Ixcatzin you have already asked these questions...b)If there were a Temple you would offer an animal...there is no temple...but there is Yahshua...

WT,
What is the sacrifice for murder? What about adultery or idolatry? Did you know that there are NOT prescribed sacrifices for these 3 transgressions? NOBODY could bring a sacrifice for murder, adultery or idolatry to the temple. No lamb or bull or bird could be used as sin offering for these transgressions. So, how would Jesus as a sacrificial lamb atone for these sins, where there is NO sacrifice for them? If you say that as a perfect lamb he could, because he was the Savior, why didn't G-d provide a parallel sacrifice in the Torah? Is the sacrifice of Jesus for these sins a novelty, in other words, an addition to Torah?

Just answer these question for me, please.
Cheers,

Ixcatzin, the one that torments you with questions!

quote:

Originally posted by ixcatzin:

quote:

Originally posted by whtetiger:

quote:

Originally posted by ixcatzin:

quote:

Originally posted by cib101abn:
"..they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..." (parapharse)

knowing and saying VS doing

It is impossible to "DO" the (10)Commandments, even though the Pharises thought they did, so Jesus expanded them to include even dwelling on them in thought, and if you break one you break them all. This makes it impossible to escape condemnation and forces one to look for a Savior instead of trying to attain by good works.

Knowledge is indeed good, but doing better; and when we do from the heart without the "studied knowledge" we do better.

cib101abn,
I have some questions
a) Is G-d a cruel G-d? no.How can someone explain the following: (1) G-d gives the Torah KNOWING that nobody can keep it,.it is a guide to a better life. (2) He lies to people because He said the Torah can be kept,Yah does not lie. (3) He punishes people for breaking Torah,.how hard is it to love YHWH and your neighbor. (4) If Jesus is human and humans cannot keep Torah, how did Jesus keep Torah (notice that the Torah was given to perfect men. G-d is perfect already)?.yes Yahshua is perfect. Why would someone who keeps the Torah all the time should die for these that don't? Wouldn't it be easier not to give the Torah to beging with? your ways are not His ways...

b) Let's say that you (G-d forbid) gossip in your office about your boss (doesn't matter if the info you provide is accurate or not). Therefore, you are breaking the commandment that says: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Now, according to your statement since you broke one commandment, you broke them all. This means not only you are a gossiper; you are also an idolater, an adulterer, a blasphemer, a thief, a murderer, etc. Is that so?

Ixcatzin

Ixcatzin you have already asked these questions...b)If there were a Temple you would offer an animal...there is no temple...but there is Yahshua...

WT,
What is the sacrifice for murder? What about adultery or idolatry? Did you know that there are NOT prescribed sacrifices for these 3 transgressions? NOBODY could bring a sacrifice for murder, adultery or idolatry David commited all three when he took another mans wife...he was the apple of G-d's eye... to the temple. No lamb or bull or bird could be used as sin offering for these transgressions. So, how would Jesus as a sacrificial lamb atone for these sins, where there is NO sacrifice for them? If you say that as a perfect lamb he could, because he was the Savior, why didn't G-d provide a parallel sacrifice in the Torah? Is the sacrifice of Jesus for these sins a novelty, in other words, an addition to Torah?...he did...

Just answer these question for me, please.
Cheers,

Ixcatzin, the one that torments you with questions!

get behind me Satan...

quote:

get behind me Satan...

quote:

Originally posted by ixcatzin:

quote:

get behind me Satan...

Psalm 51:14-17
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Have you studied anything besides religious stuff? Quick... which of the following circles the earth:

Sun
Moon
Venus
Mars

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2059144953028219634&hl=en

I don't want to hear any more about how stupid people are when they leave American schools.

quote:

Originally posted by billbright:
Have you studied anything besides religious stuff? Quick... which of the following circles the earth:

Sun
Moon
Venus
Mars

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2059144953028219634&hl=en

I don't want to hear any more about how stupid people are when they leave American schools.

billy I prided myself in my job...I did study some... Subroc…Tomahawk……MK 14...SLMM…MK 36...MK 48...Limpet Mines…Claymore…LAW… .45...9mm…M14...M15...M16...M60...M79...
K-BAR…Hapkido…Ironpalm…should I go on…
Before I studied and taught men to kill…now I study and teach so they might live…

quote:

Originally posted by whtetiger:

quote:

Originally posted by billbright:
Have you studied anything besides religious stuff? Quick... which of the following circles the earth:

Sun
Moon
Venus
Mars

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2059144953028219634&hl=en

I don't want to hear any more about how stupid people are when they leave American schools.

billy I prided myself in my job...I did study some... Subroc…Tomahawk……MK 14...SLMM…MK 36...MK 48...Limpet Mines…Claymore…LAW… .45...9mm…M14...M15...M16...M60...M79...
K-BAR…Hapkido…Ironpalm…should I go on…
Before I studied and taught men to kill…now I study and teach so they might live…

Did you notice in that video that 57% of the French audience thought the Sun revolved around the earth?

quote:

Originally posted by cib101abn:
"..they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..." (paraph****)

knowing and saying VS doing

It is impossible to "DO" the (10)Commandments, even though the Pharises thought they did, so Jesus expanded them to include even dwelling on them in thought, and if you break one you break them all. This makes it impossible to escape condemnation and forces one to look for a Savior instead of trying to attain by good works.

Knowledge is indeed good, but doing better; and when we do from the heart without the "studied knowledge" we do better.

cib101abn,
So, why would G-d give commandments knowing nobody could keep them? In addition, why would HE send you to hell for not keeping something impossible? Isn't that a cruel G-d? Why would a loving G-d trick you that way? Think about it: He gives the commandments and tells you that they are easy to keep, but in reality HE KNOWS that is not true. That is a horrible lying G-d, don't you think? Who were the Pharises? How do you know they did not keep the commandments? How do you know Jesus did (after all he was a man and 'no man can keep the Law')? The explanation that could suggest Jesus keeping the commandments because he was God, does not apply because the commandements were given to humans not gods, so humans cannot be measured at the same level of G-d.

Ixcatl

quote:

Originally posted by ixcatzin:

quote:

Originally posted by cib101abn:
"..they honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..." (paraph****)

knowing and saying VS doing

It is impossible to "DO" the (10)Commandments, even though the Pharises thought they did, so Jesus expanded them to include even dwelling on them in thought, and if you break one you break them all. This makes it impossible to escape condemnation and forces one to look for a Savior instead of trying to attain by good works.

Knowledge is indeed good, but doing better; and when we do from the heart without the "studied knowledge" we do better.

cib101abn,
So, why would G-d give commandments knowing nobody could keep them? In addition, why would HE send you to hell for not keeping something impossible? Isn't that a cruel G-d? Why would a loving G-d trick you that way? Think about it: He gives the commandments and tells you that they are easy to keep, but in reality HE KNOWS that is not true. That is a horrible lying G-d, don't you think? Who were the Pharises? How do you know they did not keep the commandments? How do you know Jesus did (after all he was a man and 'no man can keep the Law')? The explanation that could suggest Jesus keeping the commandments because he was God, does not apply because the commandements were given to humans not gods, so humans cannot be measured at the same level of G-d.

Ixcatl

ixcatzin the question is why did he...