Our congregation has decided to follow the three year cycle of Torah
study. Below is
a brief description of the triennial cycle.
“The Triennial cycle
of Torah
reading refers to the historical
practice in ancient Israel by which
the entire Torah was read in serial fashion over a three year period, or to the
practice adopted by many congregations in which the traditional weekly
Torah portions were divided into thirds, and in which one third of each
weekly "Parashah" of the annual system is read during the appropriate week
of the calendar.
According to the Jewish Encyclopaedia, the triennial cycle "was the practice in
Palestine, whereas in Babylonia the entire Pentateuch was read in the synagogue
in the course of a single year," As late as 1170 Benjamin of Tudela mentioned Egyptian congregations that took three years
to read the Torah”. (Wikipedia)
Blessing for the Torah:
Baruch atah YHVH,
Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan lanu eht Torah-to.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed
are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
you
have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.
Blessed
are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
Gen 4:1
And Aḏam knew Chawwah his wife, and
she conceived and bore Qayin, and said, “I have gained a man from יהוה.”
Another translation reads: 4:1 Now the man had
marital relations with his
wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Then
she said, “I have created a man just as YHVH did!”
א וְהָאָדָם, יָדַע אֶת-חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ; וַתַּהַר, וַתֵּלֶד אֶת-קַיִן, וַתֹּאמֶר, קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת-יְהוָה.
‘I have gotten or have created a man”
“Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of
the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this
spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8;22).
The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.”
“with or from YHVH.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the
preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in
the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with”
in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well
in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some
understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object
sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – YHVH.” They suggest that the woman
thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the Messiah who would bruise
the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable
allegorical interpretation of Gen
3:15 .” (it might not
be so fanciful)
I believe that it is possible that from the beginning
mankind realized that they were in some kind of serious trouble and needed
someone to rescue them. Men knew that they had sinned and they were facing the
terrible consequences of their sin.
Gen 4:2 And again,
she gave birth to his brother Heḇel. And Heḇel became a keeper of sheep, but
Qayin became a tiller of the ground.
The name Abel
is not defined here in the text, but the tone is ominous. Abel’s name, the
Hebrew word הֶבֶל (hevel), means “breath,
vapor, vanity,” foreshadowing Abel’s untimely and premature death.
“and
Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a worker of the ground.” The designations of the two occupations are expressed with active
participles, רֹעֵה (ro’eh, “shepherd”) and עֹבֵד (’oved, “worker”). Abel is occupied with sheep,
whereas Cain is living under the curse, cultivating the ground.”
May our destiny be like that of our father Yakov who
lived in tents studying the Torah and looking after sheep.
The name of Hevel or “Abel” reminds us of vanity of life.
The opening words of the book of Ecclesiastes/Kohelet states:
Ecc 1:2 “Futility! Futility!” says Qoheleth.
“Futility, futility, all is futile! (Futility in Hebrew is the same word we use
for Abel)
ב הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת, הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל.
The conclusion of this book gives us great comfort:
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the entire
matter: Fear Elohim and guard His commands, for this applies to all
mankind!
Ecc 12:14 For Elohim shall bring every work into
right-ruling, including all that is hidden, whether good or whether evil.
Then the Messiah came at the right time and really taught
us how to live and to give us life and life in abundance. Messianic life is not
just a life of prosperity but also a life of suffering.
Gen 4:3 And it
came to be, in the course of time, that Qayin brought an offering of the fruit
of the ground to יהוה.
Gen 4:4 And Heḇel
also brought of the first-born of his flock and of their fat. And יהוה looked to Heḇel and his offering,
Gen 4:6 And יהוה said to Qayin, “Why are you wroth? And why is your face fallen?
Gen 4:7 “If you do
well, is there not acceptance? And if you do not do well, sin1 is
crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should master it.”
Footnote: 1Sin (transgression of the law) was already then known, as
we also read in 39:9.
Gen 4:8 And Qayin
told Heḇel his brother. And it came to be when they were in the field, that
Qayin rose up against Heḇel his brother and killed him.
Gen 4:9 And יהוה said to Qayin, “Where is Heḇel your brother?” And he said, “I
do not know. Am I my brother’s guard?”
Here I believe we get to the heart of the whole matter,
the issue of worship. The issue of worship is perhaps one of the most
fundamental issues that runs through all of scripture and remains the defining
reason for our being.
Yoch/Joh 4:23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the
true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father
also does seek such to worship Him.
Worship of YHVH cannot be separated from offering to Him
a pleasing and acceptable offering.
Rom 12:1 I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through
the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart,
well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable worship.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good
and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.
It is clear that Hevel’s offering was acceptable and
Cain’s offering was unacceptable.
Cain offered what he thought was good and acceptable. He
cultivated the soil and produced vegetables. Cain offered what he could produce
through toil and hard work, Hevel offered YHVH only what YHVH could produce.
Let us consider this matter of worship a little further.
In the 10 sayings which were contained on two tablets, we find the first saying
corresponds to the sixth saying.
The first saying: Shemot/Exo 20:2
“I am יהוה your Elohim,
who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery.
The sixth saying: Exo 20:13 “You do not murder.
We can conclude that when YHVH is not recognized and
honoured for whom He is, DEATH begins to find its way in us and around us. This
death is not just a physical death; it is a separation from all that is set
apart and pleasing to YHVH.
Gen 4:10 And He
said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me
from the ground.
Gen 4:11 “And now
you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your
brother’s blood from your hand.
Gen 4:12 “If you
till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall be a
fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
Gen 4:13 And Qayin
said to יהוה, “My punishment is too great to bear!
Gen 4:14 “See, You
have driven me from the face of the ground today, and I am hidden from Your
face. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and it shall be that
anyone who finds me kills me.”
Gen 4:15 And יהוה said to him, “Well, if anyone kills Qayin, vengeance is taken
on him sevenfold.” And יהוה set up a sign for Qayin, lest anyone
finding him kills him.
Gen 4:16 So Qayin
went out from the presence of יהוה and dwelt in
the land of Noḏ on the east of Ěḏen.
Gen 4:17 And Qayin
knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Ḥanoḵ. And he built a city, and
called the name of the city after the name of his son, Ḥanoḵ.
Gen 4:18 And to
Ḥanoḵ was born Iraḏ. And Iraḏ brought forth Meḥuya’ĕl, and Meḥuya’ĕl
brought forth Methusa’ĕl, and Methusa’ĕl brought forth Lemeḵ.
Gen 4:19 And
Lemeḵ took for himself two wives, the name of one was Aḏah, and the name of
the second was Tsillah.
Gen 4:20 And Aḏah
bore Yaḇal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents, with livestock.
Gen 4:21 And his
brother’s name was Yuḇal. He was the father of all those who play the lyre and
flute.
Gen 4:22 As for
Tsillah, she also bore Tuḇal-Qayin, a smith of all kinds of tools in bronze
and iron. And the sister of Tuḇal-Qayin was Naʽamah.
Gen 4:23 And
Lemeḵ said to his wives, “Aḏah and Tsillah, hear my voice! Wives of Lemeḵ,
listen to my words! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man
for hurting me.
Gen 4:24 “For
Qayin is avenged sevenfold, and Lemeḵ seventy-sevenfold.”
Gen 4:25 And Aḏam
knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Shĕth, (appointed)“For
Elohim has appointed me another seed instead of Heḇel, because Qayin had slain
him.”
Gen 4:26 And to
Shĕth, to him also a son was born. And he called his name Enosh. Then it was
begun to call on the Name of יהוה1. Footnote: 1The first record of “calling on
the Name of יהוה”
This closing verse of
this teaching reminds us once again that there are two kinds of people or
nations on the earth; those who desire to manifest genuine Messianic life and
those who think they do but do not.
Many are called but
few choose to embrace authentic Messianic life.
In next week’s
teaching we see the beginnings of the Messianic line. There has been a
combining of the meanings of the different names in Beresheet 5 that read as
follows:
Meaning of
the names tell the good news story of YHVH's salvation.
1.
Adam - man
2.
Shet – placed/ appointed
3.
Enosh – mortal
4.
Kenan – condition/accomplishment (?) or sorrow
5.
Mahalal’el – praised by Eloha
6.
Yered – went down
7.
Chanokh – initiated/ teaching
8.
Metushelach – his death sends/brings
9.
Lamekh – miserable/despairing
10.
Noach – comfort
The earthly one is placed in a mortal condition.
The one whom Eloha praises went down, he is initiated. His death sends the
miserable one comfort.
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam,asher
natan lanu Toraht-emet,
v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the
Universe,
you have given us your Torah of truth,
and have planted everlasting life within our midst.
Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
Please note these notes
are under construction and are subject to correction and are in no way a final
authority on any subject.