Parsha T'tzaveh (Sh'mot (Exodus) 27:20-30:10)

Parsha T'tzaveh (Sh'mot (Exodus) 27:20-30:10)

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Weekly Stick of Joseph Torah Study (2/27/21)
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Torah Parsha T'tzaveh:  Ex. 27:20-30:10
Haftorah: Ezekiel 43:10-27
Stick of Joseph: Moshiyah 5:13-14; 12:3  (8:13-19; 28:11-20 LDS) 'Eter 1:15-16 (3:21-28; 4:1-7 LDS)

 

In this weeks Torah parsha we read about the "breastplate of judgement" which contained two stones called the Urim and Thummim (Ex, 28:30) These two stones are mentioned several times in the Tanak (Lev. 8:8; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33:8; 1Sam. 28:6; Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65). These stones were used in some way to receive some type of revelation (Mum. 27:21; 1Sam. 28:6), but their exact function is not revealed in the Tanak.

A fragmentary document found among the Dead Sea Scrolls (1Q29; 4Q376) seems to give a detailed description of the manner in which the Urim and Thummim actually functioned. Unfortunately only tantalizing fragments survive, but these fragments speak of “tongues of fire” coming from the stones, and say “the Priest shall interpret”.

The first century Jew Philo of Alexandria ties the Urim and Thummim to language saying:

(119) “And you shall put manifestation and truth (the Urim and the Thummim), in the oracle of judgment, and it shall be on the breast of Aaron when he comes into the holy place before the Lord” (Ex. 28:30). Now by the oracle is here meant the organs of speech which exist in us, which is in fact the power of language.

The Talmud says of these two stones:

 Why are they called “Urim and Thummim” “Urim” because they made their words enlightening.
“Thummim” because they fulfill their words.”
(b.Yoma 73b)

And the Zohar says:

The term “Urim” signifies the luminous speculum, which consisted of the engravur of the divine Name written in the forty two letters by which the world was created, whereas the Thummim consisted of the nonluminous speculum, composed of the divine Name manifest in twenty two letters. …we read, “In the beginning Elohim created the (ET) heaven and the (ET) earth” (Gen. 1:1), where the particle ET (spelled Alef-Tav) is a summary of the twenty-two letters by which the land is nourished.
(Zohar 2:234b)

The Zohar also tells us that the Urim and Thummim were connected to the “permutations” or “combinations” of letters with which Elohim created the world, and by which Bezalel and Moses created the Tabernacle and its furnishings:

Observe that the world has been made and established by an engraving of forty-two letters, all of which are the adornment of the Divine Name. These letters combined and soared aloft and dived downwards, forming themselves into crowns in the four directions of the world, so that it might endure. They then went forth and created the upper world and the lower, the world of unification and the world of division. … These forty-two letters thus constitute the supernal mystical principle; by them were created the upper and the lower worlds, and they indeed constitute the basis and recondite significance of all the worlds. Thus is explained the verse, “The secret of the Lord is to them that fear him; and his covenant to make them know it”, the first part alluding to the undisclosed engraven letters, whereas the latter speaks of the revealed. Now, it is written: “And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim” (Ex. 28:30). The term “Urim” (lit. Iight, illumination) signifies the luminous speculum, which consisted of the engravure of the Divine Name composed of forty-two letters by which the world was created; whereas the Thummim consisted of the non-luminous speculum made of the Divine Name as manifested in the twenty-two letters. The combination of the two is thus called Urim and Thummim. … Thus we read, “In the beginning God created the (eth) heaven and the (eth) earth” (Gen. I, 1), where the particle eth (consisting of Aleph and Tau) is a summary of the twenty-two letters by which the earth is nourished. Now, the same letters were the instruments used in the building of the Tabernacle. This work was carried out by Bezalel for the reason that, as his very name (Bezel-EI = “in the shadow of El”) implies, he had a knowledge of the various permutations of the letters, by the power of which heaven and earth were created. Without such knowledge Bezalel could not have accomplished the work of the Tabernacle; for, inasmuch as the celestial Tabernacle was made in all its parts by the mystical power of those letters, the lower Tabernacle could only be prepared by the power of the same letters. Bezalel was skilled in the various permutations of the Divine Name, and for each several part he employed the appropriate permutation of the letters. But when it came to the rearing up of the Tabernacle it was beyond his power, for the reason that the disposition of those letter-groups was entrusted to Moses alone, and hence it was by Moses that the Tabernacle was erected. So Scripture says: “And Moses reared up… and he laid… and put in…” (Ex. 40:18) Moses, but not Bezalel.’
(Zohar 2:234a-235a)

This practice is described in the Talmud:

Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: Bezalel knew how to combine (TZIRUF) the letters by which the heavens and earth were created. It is written here, And He hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding, and in knowledge (Ex. 35:31), and it is written elsewhere, The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens (Prov. 3:19), and it is also written, By His knowledge the depths were broken up (Prov. 3:20).
(b.Ber. 55a)

And in the Zohar:

R. Eleazar began here with the verse, “Ask thee a sign [Hebrew: OT “sign” or “letter”] of the Lord thy God, ask it either in the depth or in the height above” (Isa. 7:11). He said: ‘We have compared the former with the latter generations, and found that the former were conversant with a higher wisdom by which they knew how to combine (TZIRUF) the letters that were given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and even the sinners of Israel knew a deep wisdom contained in the letters and the difference between higher and lower letters, and how to do things with them in this world. For every letter that was transmitted to Moses used to ascend as a crown upon the heads of the holy celestial Hayyoth,
who with them flitted through the ether which is under the refined and unknowable supernal ether. There were large letters and small letters; the large letters came from the most high and hidden Temple (hekhal) and the smaller letters from another lower Temple; and both kinds were transmitted to Moses on Sinai, along with their hidden combinations.
(Zohar 3:2a)

These permutations of letters maybe tied the practice Paul mentions when he says:

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries (1Cor. 14:2 KJV)

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. (1Cor. 14:14 KJV)

And of which the Besht (founder of Chasidism) said “When I wield my spirit to Elohim, I let my mouth say what it will, for then all my words are bound to their root in Heaven”

So it appears that the ancient Hebrews understood the Urim and Thummim to be connected to the manifestations of the gifts of tongues and interpretations of tongues, and to the interpretation of languages.

According to the Stick of Joseph, Moshiyah had two such stones, which the Stick of Joseph calls "interpreters":

Now Ammon said unto him, I can assuredly tell you, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has that with which he can look and translate all records that are of ancient date, and it is a gift from Elohim. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer. And behold, the king of the people who are in the land of Zerach’mla is the man that is commanded to do these things, and who has this high gift from Elohim. And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet. And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also. And a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of Elohim, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from Elohim. But a seer can know of things which have passed, and also of things which are to come. And by them shall all things be revealed, or rather shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known. Thus, Elohim has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles. Therefore he becomes a great benefit to his fellow beings.  

And now when Ammon had made an end of speaking these words, the king rejoiced exceedingly and gave thanks to Elohim, saying, Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates; and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men. Oh how marvelous are the works of YHWH. And how long does he bear with his people. Yes, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men, for they will not seek Wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them. Yes, they are as a wild flock which flees from the shepherd, and scatters, and are driven, and are devoured by the beasts of the forest. (Moshiyah 5:13-14 (8:13-19 LDS)

...And now he translated them by the means of those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow. Now these things were prepared from the beginning, and were handed down from generation to generation, for the purpose of interpreting languages. And they have been kept and preserved by the hand of YHWH, that he should uncover to every creature who should possess the land the iniquities and abominations of his people. And whosoever has these things is called seer, after the manner of old times. (Moshiyah 12:3 (28:11-20 LDS)

And the  Brother of Yered, likewise, held two such stones:

And it came to pass that YHWH said unto the brother of Yered, Behold, you shall not allow these things which you have seen and heard to go forth unto the world until the time comes that I shall glorify my name in the flesh. Wherefore, you shall treasure up the things which you have seen and heard, and show it to no man. And behold, when you shall come unto me, you shall write them and shall seal them up that no one can interpret them, for you shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. And behold, these two stones will I give unto you, and you shall seal them up also with the things which you shall write. For behold, the language which you shall write I have confounded. Wherefore, I will cause, in my own due time, that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which you shall write. And when YHWH had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Yered all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be. And YHWH withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth. For YHWH had said unto him in times before that if he would believe in him, that he could show unto him all things, it should be shown unto him. Therefore, YHWH could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that YHWH could show him all things.

And YHWH said unto him, Write these things and seal them up, and I will show them in my own due time unto the children of men.  And it came to pass that YHWH commanded him that he should seal up the two stones which he had received and show them not until YHWH should show them unto the children of men. And YHWH commanded the brother of Yered to go down out of the mount from the presence of YHWH and write the things which he had seen. And they were forbidden to come unto the children of men until after that he should be lifted up upon the Tz’lav. And for this cause did king Binyamin keep them, that they should not come unto the world until after Mashiach should show himself unto his people. And after that Mashiach truly had showed himself unto his people, he commanded that they should be made manifest. ('Eter 1:15-16)

While the Tanak does not reveal the operation and function of the Urim and Thummim, ancient Jewish sources, which would have been unknown to Yosef ben Yosef, reveal that the ancient Hebrews knew that they were connected to the gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues, that these two stones were "interpreters" and were "for the purpose of interpreting languages".  

 

Parsha T'rumah (Sh'mot (Exodus) 25:1-27:19)

Parsha T'rumah (Sh'mot (Exodus) 25:1-27:19)

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Weekly Stick of Joseph Torah Study (2/20/21)
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Torah Parsha T'rumah:  Ex. 25:1-27:19
Haftorah: 1Kings 5:26-6:13
Stick of Joseph: 2Nefi  4:3 (LDS 5:16)

 This weeks parsha deals with the Tabernacle and it's furnishings which were "made after a pattern" shown to Moshe (Ex. 25:9, 40).  The haftorah reading deals with Solomon's Temple, which was modeled after the Tabernacle. And the Stick of Joseph reading deals with the Temple built by the people of Nephi, which was constructed "after the manner of the temple of Solomon" (2Ne. 4:3 (5:16 LDS).

Of particular interest is the Torah's description of the Ark of the Covenant:

[17] And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
[18] And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
[19] And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
[20] And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
[21] And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
[22] And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
(Ex. 25:17-22 KJV)

We know that the Ark was "made after a pattern" of the heavenly Ark, and we read in the Stick of Joseph that the elements of Torah have topological or symbolic meaning:

And now ought you not to tremble and repent of your sins? And remember, only in and through Mashiach can you be saved. Therefore, if you teach the Torah of Moshe, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come. Teach them that redemption comes through Mashiach YHWH, who is the very Eternal Father. Amen (Moshiyah 8:15 (16:13-15 LDS)

The first Century Jew Philo of Alexandria wrote some very interesting comments on the symbolism of the opposing Cherubim on the Mercy Seat of the Ark:

(97) But the ark is the depository of the laws, for in that are placed the holy oracles of God, which were given to Moses; and the covering of the ark, which is called the mercy-seat, is a foundation for two winged creatures to rest upon, which are called, in the native language of the Hebrews, cherubim, but as the Greeks would translate the word, vast knowledge and science. (98) Now some persons say, that these cherubim are the symbols of the two hemispheres, placed opposite to and fronting one another, the one beneath the earth and the other above the earth, for the whole heaven is endowed with wings. (99) But I myself should say, that what is here represented under a figure are the two most ancient and supreme powers of the divine God, namely, his creative and his kingly power; and his creative power is called God; according to which he arranged, and created, and adorned this universe, and his kingly power is called Lord, by which he rules over the beings whom he has created, and governs them with justice and firmness; (100) for he, being the only true living God, is also really the Creator of the world; since he brought things which had no existence into being; and he is also a king by nature, because no one can rule over beings that have been created more justly than he who created them.
(Life of Moses II)

(57) Why God places a cherubim in front of the Paradise, and a flaming sword, which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life? (Gen. 3:24). The name cherubim designates the two original virtues which belong to the Deity, namely, his creative and his royal virtues. The one of which has the title of God, the other, or the royal virtue, that of Lord. Now the form of the creative power is a peaceable, and gentle, and beneficent virtue; but the royal power is a legislative, and chastising, and correcting virtue.
(QA1Gen)

(27) I have also, on one occasion, heard a more ingenious train of reasoning from my own soul, which was accustomed frequently to be seized with a certain divine inspiration, even concerning matters which it could not explain even to itself; which now, if I am able to remember it accurately, I will relate. It told me that in the one living and true God there were two supreme and primary powers–goodness and authority; and that by his goodness he had created everything, and by his authority he governed all that he had created; (28) and that the third thing which was between the two, and had the effect of bringing them together was reason (the LOGOS), for that it was owing to reason that God was both a ruler and good. Now, of this ruling authority and of this goodness, being two distinct powers, the cherubim were the symbols, but of reason the flaming sword was the symbol. For reason (the LOGOS) is a thing capable of rapid motion and impetuous, and especially the reason of the Creator of all things is so, inasmuch as it was before everything and passed by everything, and was conceived before everything, and appears in everything. (29) And do thou, O my mind, receive the impression of each of these cherubims unadulterated, that thus becoming thoroughly instructed about the ruling authority of the Creator of all things and about his goodness, thou mayest receive a happy inheritance; for immediately thou shalt understand the conjunction and combination of these imperishable powers, and learn in what respects God is good, his majesty arising from his sovereign power being all the time conspicuous; and in what he is powerful, his goodness, being equally the object of attention, that is this way thou mayest attain to the virtues which are engendered by these conceptions, namely, a love and a reverential awe of God, neither being uplifted to arrogance by any prosperity which may befall thee, having regard always to the greatness of the sovereignty of thy King; nor abjectly giving up hope of better things in the hour of unexpected misfortune, having regard, then, to the mercifulness of thy great and bounteous God. (30) And let the flaming sword teach thee that these things might be followed by a prompt and fiery reason combined with action, which never ceases being in motion with rapidity and energy to the selection of good objects, and the avoidance of all such as are evil.  (31) Do you not see that even the wise Abraham, when he began to measure everything with a reference to God, and to leave nothing to the creature, took an imitation of the flaming sword, namely, “fire and a Sword,” being eager to slay and to burn that mortal creature which was born of him, that so being raised on high it might soar up to God, the intellect being thus disentangled from the body.
(On the Cherubim 27-31)

XXXIV. (165) And he apportioned cold and heat, and summer and spring, the different seasons of the year, divided by the same dividing Word. And the three days which passed before the creation of the sun, are equal in number to the three days of the first week which came after the creation of the sun, the number six being dissected equally in order to display the character of eternity and of time. For thus God allotted three days to eternity before the appearance of the sun, and those which came after the sun he allotted to time; the sun being an imitation of eternity, and time and eternity being the two primary powers of the living God; (166) the one his beneficent power, in accordance with which he made the world, and in respect of which he is called God; the other his chastening power, according to which he rules and governs what he has created, in respect of which he is further denominated Lord, and these two he here states to be divided in the middle by him standing above them both. “For,” says he, “I will speak to you from above the mercy-seat, in the midst, between the two Cherubims;”(Exodus 25:22). that he might show that the most ancient powers of the living God are equal; that is to say, his beneficent and his chastising power, being both divided by the same dividing Word.
(Who is the Heir of All Divine Things )

XIX. (100) These, then, are the six cities which Moses calls cities of refuge, five of which have had their figures set forth in the sacred scriptures, and their images are there likewise. The images of the cities of command and prohibition are the laws in the ark; that of the merciful power of God is the covering of the ark, and he calls it the mercy-seat. The images of the creative power and of the kingly power are the winged cherubim which are placed upon it. (101) But the divine word which is above these does not come into any visible appearance, inasmuch as it is not like to any of the things that come under the external senses, but is itself an image of God, the most ancient of all the objects of intellect in the whole world, and that which is placed in the closest proximity to the only truly existing God, without any partition or distance being interposed between them: for it is said, “I will speak unto thee from above the mercyseat, in the midst, between the two Cherubim.” (Exodus 25:22). So that the word is, as it were, the charioteer of the powers, and he who utters it is the rider, who directs the charioteer how to proceed with a view to the proper guidance of the universe.
(On Flight and FInding)

The symbolism Philo of Alexandria ascribes to the opposing Cherubim on the mercy seat of the Ark, reminds one of Lechi's words to Ya'akov:

7 Wherefore, the ends of the Torah which HaKodesh has given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement — for it must necessarily be that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad; wherefore, all things must necessarily be a compound in one. Wherefore, if it should be one body, it must necessarily remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. Wherefore, it must necessarily have been created for a thing of nothing; wherefore, there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must necessarily destroy the wisdom of Elohim and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of Elohim. And if you shall say there is no Torah, you shall also say there is no sin. And if you shall say there is no sin, you shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness, there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness, there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not, there is no Elohim. And if there is no Elohim, we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.
8 And now my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is an Elohim and he has created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man — after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, and in short, all things which are created — it must necessarily be that there was an opposition, even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life, the one being sweet and the other bitter. Wherefore, AdonaiYHWH gave unto man that he should act for himself; wherefore, man could not act for himself except it should be that he were enticed by the one or the other. (2Nefi 1:7-8 (2:12-14 LDS)

These words are very much like those of Philo's expatiation of the symbolism of the opposing Cherumbim on the Ark.  The two cherubim represent Elohim's opposing virtues of mercy and justice, and the space between combines the two into one compound "power" of Elohim towards the ends of atonement, the Messiah who is the incarnate the Word (Logos).  

 

Parsha Mishpatim (Sh'mot (Exodus) 21:1-24:8)

Parsha Mishpatim (Sh'mot (Exodus) 21:1-24:8)

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Weekly Stick of Joseph Torah Study (2/6/21)
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Torah Parsha Mishpatim Ex. 21:1-24:8
Haftorah: Jer. 34:8-22; 33:25-26
Stick of Joseph: Moshiyah 3:1-4:1 (LDS 5:1-6:2)

 In this weeks reading I will concentrate on Sh'mot (Ex.) 21:12-14 which  sheds some light on one of the controversial accounts in the Stick of Joseph. Sh'mot 21:12-14 reads:

[12] He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
[13] And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
[14] But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
(Exodus 21:12-14 KJV)

 Now one of the most controversial accounts in the Stick of Joseph records how Nefi killed Lavan.  According to the account, Nefi encounters a drunk Lavan by chance in the nighttime streets  of Jerusalem and kills him (1Ne 1:16-18 (LDS. 4:5-19)).  Many are shocked by this account and accuse Nefi of murder.  However according to our Torah Parsha, this was not a case of  Murder.  Nefi's account makes it clear that this killing fit the circumstances described by Sh'mot 21:12-14 perfectly.  To fit this mitvah a killing must:
 

1. Not be done by design
2.  Come about by an act of Elohim
 

Nefi makes it clear that his slaying of Lavan was not by design, he says:"And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." (1Ne.1:16 (LDS 4:6))

 He also makes it clear that the slaying was "an act of God" saying:
  

And it came to pass, that the Spirit said onto me again:Slay him for YHWH has delivered him into your hands; Behold YHWH slays to bring forth his righteous purposes... And again, I knew that YHWH had delivered Lavan into my hands for this cause...
 (1Ne. 1:17  (LDS 4:12-13a, 17))

 It is very interesting that the the mitvah in the Torah goes on to say,  "I will assign you a place to which he can flee."  This generally refered to a city of refuge.  These cities were designated safe havens where these people would be safe from those who would pursue them for  revenge.  However in Nefi's case Elohim had another idea for a place that He would designate for Nefi to flee as expressed as Nefi's count continues/

 There is a clear connection between this mitzvah from this weeks Torah reading and the Stick of Joseph accoun in which Nefi kills Lavan.  According to the Torah. Nefi's killing of Lavan was not murder, it was not by design, but an act of Elohim, and Elohim fulfilled his promise in the Torah to provide Nefi with a place to flee.