What is the significance of the number 37 in Tanakh and holy texts from around the world, as well as in nature and the universe at large? Where does 37 appear in the Torah and in Kabbalah, in biology and the sciences, and in the lives of history’s greatest people? Find out in this eye-opening class where we also explore resurrection and immortality; DNA, mitochondria and aging; the two messiahs and the “lonely man of faith”, and many other cosmic mysteries.
Tag Archives: Messiah
Demystifying Daniel’s Prophecies
In the Torah portion of Ha’azinu, we read about the importance of “remembering the days of the world” and “understanding the years of past generations” (Deuteronomy 32:7). It is absolutely vital for each person to have a solid grasp of history. It is only when one knows history that they will be able to properly understand the Scriptures. Reading the Tanakh without its historical context is futile, and will lead to false faith.
Case in point is the Book of Daniel, perhaps the most misunderstood and abused book of Tanakh. Christians often use it to “prove” that Jesus was the Messiah. The reality is that Daniel’s prophecies undoubtedly point to someone else as the “anointed one”, and have nothing at all to do with Jesus, or Christianity, or even the destruction of the Second Temple or the Roman Empire. Once a person understands the historical context of Daniel, everything becomes abundantly clear.
Daniel’s “Vision of the Four Beasts” by Gustave Doré
The critical part of Daniel to understand is the three central prophetic chapters, 7 to 9. Chapter 7 starts with the famous Vision of the Four Beasts. Daniel beholds four great creatures emerge from the sea. The first is a lion with eagle wings and human features (7:4). The second is a bear with three fangs (7:5). Then a leopard with four wings and four heads (7:6). Then the most terrible beast of all, different than the others, with iron teeth and ten horns (7:7). Another little horn emerges from the head of this beast, and it was like a human that spoke arrogantly (7:8). Continue reading
How to Pronounce God’s Name
This week’s parasha, Va’etchanan, contains a second reading of the Ten Commandments. The third commandment is the prohibition to take the name of God in vain. Some people mistakenly believe that this means we are not allowed to ever pronounce the Tetragrammaton, יהוה, commonly transliterated as YHVH or YHWH. This is not true at all, though it is true that later in history the Sages instituted using other words to be used instead of the Tetragrammaton (such as “Adonai” or “Hashem”) so that people do not accidentally take the name of God in vain, or misuse this powerful name of God. Since the Tetragrammaton is so sacred, it was thought too holy to invoke on a regular basis. Today, no one invokes the proper name at all. It’s gone so far that many believe we have forgotten how to properly pronounce the name. This is false. How can we be God’s people if we don’t even know His name? Continue reading