Audio Teaching

Notes

The Sweetness of God’s Word

Part of the blessing over Torah study is, “make the words of Your Torah sweet in our mouth.”

• 2 Timothy 3:16
• Heb. 4:12
• Psa. 119

An Interesting Portion

How do we, as Christians, find the “sweetness” of a portion that deals with a woman’s ceremonial impurity after birth and the laws of determining various skin diseases?

Lev. 12:1-8 NLT

• There is no direct reason for this instruction in the Torah or the Talmud. The Sages offer opinions, but there is no definitive reason.
  • A reason for the time difference between a boy and a girl is given on a mystical level: girls have a higher spirituality, so the purification process for the mother is longer.
  • The purification process, in general, is mystically linked to the child’s journey in life.
  • The Sages also state if a child is taken shortly after birth, it is because the child was such a hot holy spark that they crossed over before they even got to burn in this world.

The Reason for Obedience

• The question we can ask ourselves in general from this law is, am I willing to obey God even when He doesn’t give me a reason?
• By God not offering a reason for certain commands like this and kosher eating, He was and is inviting His people to an opportunity to trust Him on a higher level.
• Isa. 55:6-13
• Rom. 11:33-36

The Reason Behind Leprosy

Lev. 13:1-8 NLT

• Seven days and seven places Jesus shed His blood.
• The Sages say the reason behind the physical manifestation of the disease was primarily spiritual.
  • Num. 12:1-13
  • Lashan Hara – an evil tongue
  • Prov. 18:21 AMP
  • Matt. 12:34-37 AMPC
  • Lashan Hara is defined as “Information which is either derogatory or potentially harmful to another individual. A derogatory statement about someone is lashon hara, even if it will definitely not cause that person any harm. To focus on the shortcomings of another person is in itself wrong. A statement that could potentially bring harm to someone – be it financial, physical, psychological, or otherwise – is lashon hara, even if the information is not negative… even true statements which are derogatory or harmful.” – Chofetz Chaim, A Lesson A Day: The Concepts and Laws of Proper Speech Arranged for Daily Study (Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications), pg. 50
  • Psa. 141:3 AMP
  • Eph. 4:29 AMPC

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Resources and Recommendations

Unrolling the Scroll, Vol. 3, First Fruits of Zion

The Power of Your Words: Don Gossett and E. W. Kenyon