Three rabbis were talking about life and death when the question came up: “When you’re in your casket, and friends and congregants are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?”
The first rabbi said: “I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader and a great family man.”
The second commented: “I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of G‑d who made a huge difference in people’s lives.”
The third rabbi thought for a moment and remarked: “I’d like them to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!’”
Friday, March 16, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Behold The Hand, Behold The Nail
Recently a friend asked me about the YHWH yud hey vav hey
Some translate as Yaweh.
Seen as Jehovah in Bible and is translated as Lord.
He asked me about the meaning of the name.
He asked if it is a picture of Jesus?
It is more than just He was He is and Is to come.
The actual Hebrew letters have meanings.
Hey means behold.
Yud means hand.
Vav means nail.
The name of God can be found in The Priestly Blessing, (Hebrew: ברכת כהנים; translit. Birkat Kohanim), also known in Hebrew as Nesiat Kapayim, (lit. Raising of the Hands)
It is based on a scriptural verse: "They shall place My name upon the children of Israel, and I Myself shall bless them."[2] It consists of the following Biblical verses (Numbers 6:24–26):
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
("Yivorekhekhaw Adonai v'yishm'rekhaw ...)
May the LORD make His face shed light upon you and be gracious unto you -
יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
("Yo'ayr Adonai pawnawv aylekhaw vikhoonekhaw ...)
May the LORD lift up His face unto you and give you peace -
יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
("Yisaw Adonai pawnav aylekhaw v'yasaym l'khaw shalom.")
These hands, as in the en:Priestly Blessing, are divided into twenty-eight sections, each containing a Hebrew letter. Twenty-eight, in Hebrew numbers, spells the word Koach = strength. At the bottom of the hand, the two letters on each hand combine to form יהוה, the name of God.
The position of each hand in this image forms the Hebrew letter shin ( ש ), the first letter in en:Shaddai ( שדי ), the name of God that refers to Him as a protector.
There are other meanings for the letters, but the ones presented here today are traced back to Ancient pictographic Hebrew.
Nail, tent peg, add, hook, to secure, connect, Messiah for “vav.”
Look, Behold, The, Reveal, breath, man for “hey”.
Arm, hand, work, thrust, deed, make, throw, worship for “yud”,
A “yud” looks like an arm and hand, while a “vav” looks like a nail with an open tob like a small y, and the hey looks like a man with his hands raised.
Getting back to my friend’s question:
Could we see this as a picture of Jesus?
It certainly looks like one.
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