Candlelighters
a place for women who cherish the TorahArchive for November, 2010
The Reason for Giving Thanks
by torahgirl
“Notice that the phrase, hodu la-donai ki tov, ki le’olam chasdo (“Give thanks to the L-RD for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever”) appears no less than five times in Scripture (1 Chr. 16:34; Psalm 106:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1,29; Psalm 136:1), and in each case it is clear that the Holy Spirit is emphasizing that G-d’s love for us — His chesed — is the primary reason for us to give Him thanks (in Psalm 136, the refrain, “ki le’olam chasdo” occurs no less than 25 times). Notice also that the verb hodu is the imperative of yadah (to confess or express gratitude) and therefore we can understand this verse to mean that we are to “confess” or “acknowledge” that the L-RD is good. Indeed, the Hebrew word todah, usually translated “thanks,” can mean both confession and praise.”
-John J. Parsons {you can read the full article here}
He IS good. I know this from the Scripture, from the testimonials of others, from what I observe around me, and from my own life. I was reminded today, in one of Jeremy Gimpel’s audio teachings, that our existence – in fact the world how we know it – is a miracle. It shouldn’t take a supernatural event, a disruption of nature, to be considered a miracle, since it is miraculous how HaShem continually sustains us. Baruch Hashem, for life. And today, for our homes, families, communities, and the great mercy of our G-d.
To those who are celebrating, a merry Thanksgiving. May we merit soon and in our days the ultimate reason to give thanks – the coming of our Mashiach.
=)
Identity & One Torah Review, Part 3
by torahgirl
“We show our identity not by elaborate descriptions but by our acts of obedience.”
-Tim Hegg
Session 3 (finally!) introduced the premise of Divine Invitation. Tim’s definition of DI is “a new theological teaching about how Jews and non-Jews have different ways of relating to G-d’s commandments, propounded by First Fruits of Zion, specifically.” DI combines positions of traditional Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism {from Judaism: having legal Jewish status means you must keep the Torah; from Christianity: non-Jews have no obligation to keep the Torah}, resulting in a comfortable middle ground where both Christians and Jews are happy.
Identity & One Torah Review, Part 2
by torahgirl
Tim Hegg defined the “One Torah” {One Law} position as one standard of righteousness for all people. Having two standards within one family results in chaos, and eventually, unacceptance. Discipline, a means of showing identity and love {as with children}, is based on a consistent standard. We know Torah is not a burden – the “rules” contained in it are G-d’s demonstration of love for us.
Identity & One Torah Review, Part 1
by torahgirl
I had the privilege to attend Tim Hegg’s “Identity and One Torah” seminar, held in Atlanta on November 14, 2010. The entire seminar was videotaped, and I believe Torah Resource plans to release the recording in January 2011. I strongly recommend getting it – Tim Hegg gave the best explanation of One Law vs. Divine Invitation I’ve heard yet. My personal belief in our Covenant Obligation to keep the Torah has been clarified and strengthened after going through this material.
If there’s a will, there’s a way
by torahgirl
This past Shabbat was unusual for me.
My fiancé and I were on a trip, which made our Shabbat observance somewhat different than usual. I wanted to share the story, in order to recognize G-d’s provision as well as to encourage others who might find themselves in a similar situation.
We arrived in Dallas, TX on Friday afternoon, well before sundown, and when it was time for candlelighting, we found a quiet place to perform kiddush {the “sanctification” of Shabbat} – a place that was out of the way yet still easily noticed, since the large group of people around us were not Torah-observant. We were able to bring Shabbat candlesticks, white taper candles, and matches with us, along with our kiddush card, but had to improvise the bread and wine with gluten-free crackers and apple juice {is this acceptable? Yes, although the blessing over wine should be changed from “borei p’ri hagafen/Who creates the fruit of the vine” to “shehakol nih’yeh bid’varo/Who made all things exist through His Word”}.
The Global Day
by torahgirl
I found the coolest website this morning! It’s http://theglobalday.com. People around the world are gathering and celebrating this Sunday, November 7 - the “Global Day of Jewish Learning!” Here’s the details:
On November 7, 2010, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz will complete his 45-volume translation and commentary of the Talmud in a Jerusalem ceremony (siyyum) celebrating the completion of a lifelong labor of love to make the Jewish texts, including the Talmud, accessible to all Jewish people (even those of us who cannot read it in its original Aramaic). The Global Day of Jewish Learning is scheduled to mark that momentous achievement and kick off a new era of Jewish learning and unity.
Jews all around the world will come together in their communities, homes, and online to celebrate our shared heritage. To be Jewish is to think, to study, and to learn, so that’s how we’ll celebrate!
-Global Day FAQs
torahgirl
eshetkayil
mashiki
Rachel Allison
Hergenreter
cndllighter
knitbyHim
talmeedahofyeshua
battzion12
seeandimprove
