Tag Archives: Psalm 145

The Letters of Creation (Video)

Why does the Hebrew alphabet begin with an Aleph? Why does the Torah begin with a letter Beit? What role did the divine Hebrew letters have in Creation? What is God’s “seal of truth”, and what is God’s “sceptre”? Why do we find pagan death cults in countries and cultures all over the world? And what is the missing “nun” verse in Psalm 145? Find out in this class as we unravel a fascinating ancient Midrash about the letters of the Hebrew alphabet presenting themselves before God at the start of Creation. Also: Did God really command Abraham to sacrifice his son, and did Abraham pass the test? What really happened with the Tree of Knowledge? And why does evil exist?

For a brief written summary, see here.

The summary chart at the end of the video:

Understanding Names of God #4: Shaddai, Elyon, Ehyeh

What is the true meaning of the name El Shaddai? What did the Ark of the Covenant actually look like? Who is El Elyon? Adam Kadmon? What are the 41- and 72- and 216-Letter Names of God? And what are the secrets hidden in the name Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (“I Will be What I Will Be”)? Find out in this eye-opening concluding installment of the series. Also: What is the esoteric meaning of Jacob’s sheep? Is the Torah text we have today identical to the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient manuscripts? And which name of God is most-associated with the forthcoming Final Redemption?

Secrets of Pi

This week’s conjoined Torah portions of Vayak’hel and Pekudei conclude the description of the Mishkan’s construction. The Haftarah for Pekudei is a passage from the seventh chapter of I Kings (the exact verses vary by community) describing King Solomon’s construction of the Jerusalem Temple. One of the most breathtaking structures standing in front of the Temple was the “Molten Sea”, a large bathtub for the kohanim to immerse in (as per Rashi and II Chronicles 4:6). The Tanakh describes that the bath was circular, sitting upon a base of twelve oxen statues, and had a total depth of five cubits, roughly ten feet. It held a volume of alpayim bat, “two thousand baths” of water (I Kings 7:26). In fact, the Hebrew bat (בת) is likely the etymology for the English word “bath”!

Illustration of the First Jerusalem Temple, or Solomon’s Temple, with the Molten Sea on the right.

What’s most perplexing in the description is that we are told the diameter of the circular tub was 10 cubits, yet its circumference was 30 cubits. Throughout history, many have pointed out that this seems to be an error! We all know that the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter is π or Pi, which is 3.1415926 (and so on). So, the Tanakh should have said that the diameter was 10 cubits and the circumference was 31 or 31 and a half cubits. How do we solve this puzzle, and what deeper significance does Pi hold in the Torah?

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