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Whenever I read Solomon’s advice to lazy people, I wonder how much good it has ever actually done. After all, if a person is too unmotivated to work, he’s likely too unmotivated to hunt for ants to study.

But that’s not what I want to talk about.

It’s the last bit of the verse – “…and be wise” – that interests me. What is wrong with us humans? Why do we require ants to teach us? I am puzzled that becoming wise is so difficult. How is it that ants are more successful at being ants then we are at being human beings?

This is the sixty-four-dollar question.

Think about it. No one needs to teach a cow how to succeed as a cow. A cow doesn’t need to be taught how to walk, reproduce, feed its young, and live out a perfectly normal cow life. It did not have to read a manual on “cow”-ness to know how to be a cow. The same applies to squirrels, badgers, whales, and houseflies.

But not humans

I think this dilemma arises from something we have that animals do not – free will. Sure, a rabbit may decide to eat this bunch of grass instead of that bunch. But, it can’t decide to live celibate, or mate with a porcupine. (Ouch!) A rabbit will always operate according to its onboard programming.

But our humanness is not so clearly defined. Our programming is missing some lines of code and without proper outside instruction we will fail as human beings.  Even Adam and Eve required instruction from their Creator on the day He made them. What’s up with that?! He had to instruct them on what they were permitted to eat and what was forbidden and He had to instruct them as to what their duties were in the garden. But no such instructions were given to the fish, birds and cattle.

This is the predicament in which we find ourselves. God intentionally created us with gaps in our programming. God designed us with a need to live in constant fellowship with Him.

But along with this need to live in constant fellowship with Him, God gave us free will so we could choose not to. In spite of my innate need for God I my life, I can choose to live life my own way… as an incomplete human being. In other words, as a fool – a person who is missing some vital programming.

My will, being free as it is, can lead me into all sorts of devious (and deviant) behavior. I require an operator’s manual – like the one that came with my weed whacker (or “string trimmer” if you are a stickler for nomenclature) which includes the following Table of Contents includes the following:

• Guide to Using the Manual
• Safety Precautions
• Fuel & Fueling
• Operating Instructions
• Cleaning & Adjustment
• Inspection & Maintenance
• Repairs
• Warranty

If only we had such a manual for how to be a healthy fully functioning human being! A manual that would provide instruction on how to safely use, operate, fuel, clean, adjust, inspect, maintain, and repair one’s life, soul and body?

Oh, and don’t forget the replacement warranty!

Well, I have good news. Such a manual does, indeed, exist and is readily available. It is a manual that will help you troubleshoot the malfunctions in your life and how to resolve them. There is even information in it about how to quash laziness. (This part involves ants.)

According to this manual, wisdom (which is the knowledge I need to live as a human being) begins with humility (which is the recognition that I need an owner’s manual). This manual, of course, is the Bible. One of its staff writers explains that the manual’s contents were specifically created by the original Inventor and promises that proper study of the manual will provide each operator with the complete functioning, troubleshooting, repair, and operational information needed to guarantee peak performance for many years.[1]

But why did God create humanity with such an obvious lack of wisdom? Was this an oversight on the Creator’s part?

The answer, quite simply, is this: God desires an intimate relationship with us. And what better way to accomplish this than to create us with a need that only He can fill?

“For Adonai gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding…For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” [2]

If a person has enough of a spark of wisdom to realize that he needs more wisdom, then he is off to the races – the human race, that is. Being a human being does not come naturally. It comes supernaturally through the Word of God. The wisdom we lack can only be found in God’s living Word, and the more we encode His Word into our minds and hearts, the more fully human we become.

I am guessing you have already recognized this need in your life or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. So, the next step is to pick up the manual, discover the amazing wisdom it offers, and continue the adventure of learning how to live a full and complete human life.

Oh, and I almost forgot! The user manual provides information for contacting the 24-hour customer support line.

“For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her.”[3]

[1] 2 Timothy 3:16-17

[2] Proverbs 2:6, 10

[3] Proverbs 8:11

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What do Bethlehem, the birth of David, and the birth of the Son of David have to do with Shavuot? What do they have to do with the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai? And what do they have to do with what would later happen on Pentecost in Acts chapter two when God empowered His people with His spirit?

Let me tell you something that is unique about Shavuot. Of the seven moedim described in the Torah, Shavuot is the only one that doesn’t have a specific date. Each of the other moedim has a month and a day when it occurs, but not Shavuot.

Shavuot is tethered to Passover. Passover takes place each year on the 14^th of Nissan, then the next day we begin counting – day one, day two, day three – for a full seven weeks – 49 days. Then the next day (whatever date that may be) is Shavuot. Passover and Shavuot are a package, and what happens between Passover and Shavuot is a journey. So we count each day as we draw closer to the goal and move further from where we started.

We know that the Israelites left Egypt on Passover, and each day’s travel brought them closer to the goal until finally they arrived at Mount Sinai. Likewise, each day after Yeshua is born in our hearts, after we embrace what He did on the cross and make that part of who we are, we too begin a journey. We must remember something: God didn’t just save us from something; He saved us for something. And so the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot are a journey, and this journey begins for us at the cross.

The events recorded in the book of Ruth take place during these 49 days, and she, too, took a journey, but her journey was the opposite of the journey taken by the Israelites. I want you to think about this for a moment.

According to Jewish tradition, Ruth was born into a very wealthy family in Moab. She had plenty of money. She was born into a family where there was leisure, there was ease. But when she decided to take the journey with Naomi, she left all of that behind. She left wealth to go into poverty. (The people who gleaned the fields behind the reapers are the people who have nothing.) She also left a life of ease to enter a life of hard labor.

But the Israelites left a life of crushing, difficult labor to enter a life of ease. They didn’t have to work anymore – every morning there was heavenly bread right there on the ground. Their clothing and shoes didn’t wear out. Water came from the rock. They had shade by day and fire at night. Though they were poor during their years in Egypt, they left wealthy.

Ruth’s journey was a journey that took place during the same season of the year – between Passover and Shavuot. But it was a journey in the opposite direction. The Israelites were going into the wilderness. Ruth was leaving from the wilderness (Moab) to come to Israel – to Bethlehem.

Another difference is the Israelites went out as a massive group of many thousands, but Ruth made her journey alone. True, she was with Naomi, but Naomi was going home, back to the familiar. Ruth, however, was journeying into the unknown.

What is God trying to teach us by these two journeys? I think it is this: the Israelites left Egypt not because they loved God. They left because they hated Egypt. They hated slavery. They hated the tyranny. They hated the persecution. But they hadn’t learned to love God or to trust Him yet. And when He brought them to Sinai (and the commentators all agree on this; and Jeremiah confirms it) it was a wedding where God was taking His people Israel as a bride, as a wife to Himself.[1] But as we know, it was a loveless marriage. God loved them, and everything that occurred to them was due to His love. But they did not love Him back. And, I dare say, sitting in the seats here today there are probably some of you who have a relationship with God, but it is a loveless one. You are grateful that God saved you, and that He has redeemed you, but you really don’t love Him. Loveless marriages are a dime a dozen, and loveless believers are too. But everything Ruth did—her individual journey from the wilderness to Israel, was based on one thing and one thing alone: love.

She loved Naomi. But why? What was it about Naomi? Even in her bitterness and her loss and her belief that God had abandoned her, there was something about Naomi, even in her grief, that Ruth thought, ‘I want to be a woman like that.’

I can tell you what she saw.

She saw God in her.

Whether Naomi could see it in herself or not, Ruth saw it. Whereas Ruth’s sister-in-law kissed Naomi and returned home, Ruth clung to her. She said, “I am not letting you go. I’m going with you, and you can’t stop me. And your people are going to be my people. I am leaving my people behind. I’m leaving the familiar behind. I’m leaving my gods behind. Your God will be my God. I’m leaving my home behind because I am going to live with you.” (This is probably the only case where someone wanted to live with their mother-in-law!) “I’m going to live with you, and nothing is going to separate me from you except death. And where you are buried, that’s where I’m going to be buried when I die.”

Israel’s journey from Egypt to Sinai is also our story. It’s a story of what God has done for all of us. He loved the world so much that He gave His son. There on Passover He brought redemption to the world. But Ruth’s journey is a journey that God invites each of us to take, spiritually, with Him. But you take it by yourself, and if it is not based on love, you (like Ruth’s sister-in-law) may merely kiss the Lord, turn your back on Him, and go home.

When you love someone, you give them gifts, and throughout history, when a woman married, she brought a dowry to her bridegroom – she brought her wealth as a gift for husband.

But what do we have that we can give to God? Two things. These are the only two things we truly have. They are the same two things that God gave Israel at Passover, and the same two things that Yeshua provided us through His crucifixion. Through the blood and body of the lamb, God passed the Israelites from death to life, and from slavery to freedom. When Yeshua “the Lamb of God” was crucified, He, too, passed us from death to life and from slavery to freedom.

Life.

Freedom.

These are the only two things we have to give.

In Exodus 21, God begins to give his commandments and reveal His mishpatim – his rules for living with one another, and the first of these rules is: “If a man owns a slave, the slave will work for him for six years, and then at the end of the six years the slave is to go free.” Simple enough, but then it goes on. It explains that if the slave says clearly to his master, ‘I love my master. I will not go free,’ then he becomes his master’s slave for life.

Now think about what is happening here. The slave has been set free. He now is in possession of his life and his freedom. But the next thing he does as a free moral agent is to give them both away. And who does he give them to? He gives them back to the one who had just gifted them to him. Then, the Torah tells us, his master would take him to the doorpost – the mezuzah – and pierce his ear with an awl. From then on there would be a blood stain on the doorpost and a hole in the servant’s ear.

This man who was once a slave, is now a slave again. Not because he had to be, but because he chose to be. Through Yeshua, God has given us both life and freedom, and we can hold on to our life, if we wish, but if we do, He says we will lose it. But if we let go of our life for His sake, we will find it. Only by returning it to God, can we truly safeguard it forever.

God has given us freedom. But ask yourself, what am I using my freedom for? To do things my way? Or to do things His way? The only things we can offer to God are the things He gave to us – these two precious gifts – our life and our freedom.

If you call yourself a believer yet have not formally given your life and your freedom back to the One who gave them to you, then you are a miserable person. You are an unfulfilled, unhappy, frustrated believer. I know what that is like and I never want to go back there. So I urge you on this Shavuot to take the personal journey that Ruth took – a journey that is not based on “this is what I have to do” or on trying to escape something, but on choosing to love God freely.

I invite you to say with intensity, “I love the One who gave Himself for me so that I might have life and freedom. And now that these two precious gifts are mine to give, I freely give them to God from a heart that overflows with love.”

I promise. You will never regret it!

In Acts chapter 2, after God empowered His people with His spirit, what did they do? They went out and changed the world. They decided to give their lives completely to God. Many of them died as martyrs. They decided not to use their freedom for what they wanted but for what He wanted, and they died as truly free men. And now we laud them, and we read about them, and we want to emulate them even today.

If you want your life to count, then choose to love the One who chose you and gave you everything – life and freedom – because that is all you have to give back. But you must be a Ruth to do that. Ruth is the only woman in the Bible called an Eishet Chayil – a woman of valor – the only one.[2] Think about that. She is the kind of soul that Yeshua wants for a bride. She was filled with love, with courage, and with fearlessness to move into the unknown because there was something that she couldn’t put her finger on inside of her Jewish mother-in-law.

What Ruth did was utterly illogical. It was foolishness by man’s measure. But we read about Ruth every year at Shavuot, and her story ends with her becoming the great grandmother of King David. This gentile woman from Moab became one of the ancestors of Messiah Himself.

Don’t play games anymore. If your relationship with God has been a loveless one, it is in your power to change that.

Do it today, on this Shavuot.

[1] Jeremiah 31:31-32

[2] Ruth 3:11. (Read Proverbs 31:10-31 for a description of a woman of valor.)

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Widowed at 30 and divorced at 33, Kimberly House is now a single mother to six beautiful children whom she homeschools. She loves spending her days with her most favorite people in the world and thanks God for every day she has with them. Her mornings are sacred hours of quiet, reserved to connect with her King and sometimes she just can’t help but write from the overflow of her heart. 

 Raised in a home that valued God and His Word above all else, she has always had a desire to know God and to make Him known to others. Since embracing a Torah lifestyle in her early twenties, she longs for other believers to discover what a treasure it is to take God at His Word. 

As a single mother and sole leader of my family, I have several times reevaluated my conviction to seek to live a Torah lifestyle. Just recently I made a “pros and cons” list, and I still couldn’t think of a single “con” about following Torah. I even asked my children if they wanted to stop observing the feasts or stop keeping Shabbat. They said “No way! We love Shabbat and we love the feasts.”

When I met my first husband, he didn’t eat pork for health reasons, so I stopped eating pork, as well. When a friend introduced a Torah lifestyle to us, it wasn’t a big issue. We just found it amazing that the Creator wrote out this instruction for us so we would know what the Bible does and doesn’t consider food. That increased my faith in God’s Word that it truly was given to us as an instruction manual for life.

I knew about Passover from attending Seders growing up. My parents had also hosted a few Seders in our home, so when I heard that there are six other biblical holy days that believers are still celebrating, that was exciting to me! I remember as a kid being so hungry through the Seder, but I was enraptured with the spiritual connections being made. I remember being taught how the matzah is pierced like Yeshua, our Bread of life, was pierced for our transgressions. And the matzah is striped with the brown spots all up and down like Yeshua, as “by His stripes, we are healed.” Passover brought the Bible to life so there was no question about whether I wanted to keep the feasts or not. I wanted and needed this deeper connection with God.

However, Shabbat is really what sold me on Torah. I wrestled for a year with conviction about Torah. When I heard a teaching on the seventh day being the only day God declared as set apart, like a divine appointment that the Creator has scheduled to meet with us, that was when I went all in. And Shabbat has been the anchor for my faith as well as an anchor in our family that has strengthened our bonds. No matter how busy we get, we all know Shabbat is coming soon and we will have time for one another. As we grew accustomed to keeping Shabbat, I noticed … this feels like Christmas. I found that strange because it wasn’t always winter, and we weren’t buying presents. I realized what I had held so dear about Christmas was that it was this special time when our family was off school, off work, and we feasted and spent time together. The focus in my family at Christmastime was always about God and family, resting and really good food. I realized that with Shabbat, it’s like having the best parts of Christmas at the end of every week!

Having grown up Christian, I sought to live my life according to the Ten Commandments, so I was already accustomed to a good chunk of The Book. The last fifteen years have been about cycling through the appointed times and learning how to love both God and my neighbor better because that is the heart of Torah. Yeshua said the whole Torah is about loving God and loving our neighbor. People were trying to keep Torah without love when Yeshua came, so we see Him calling people back to the heart of what the Torah is all about.

But Yeshua didn’t just preach Torah, He also lived it perfectly. He is the Living Torah. How can we say Torah is bad or irrelevant in our lives when it’s what the Master made His whole mission on earth? And how amazing that He accomplished this mission even under extreme temptation and resistance. If He had failed in even one aspect of keeping Torah, our hope for salvation would go out the window. But because He succeeded, all of us who die with Him and are raised with Him are counted as having succeeded as well. So amazing!!

When Moses and Joshua were alive, God was happy with the people’s keeping of Torah. Under King David and Solomon for a while, Israel was keeping Torah and there were many people who pleased God with their obedience to the Scriptures. John the Immerser’s parents, Zechariah and Elisabeth, come to mind as examples of people who were called righteous. Not perfect; only Yeshua did everything perfectly. What I see through these people, though, is that Torah is not the problem. The problem is when people twist and distort the Torah for their own personal gain. We see it happen in Scripture and we see it still today. So Torah leaves this bad taste in people’s mouths and then they think that the Torah is the problem.

But when you read the Torah, it’s all about instructions for life and getting along with one another. The tabernacle was a means to commune with God, and now we’re called temples in whom God has deposited His Spirit so we all have equal access to Him.

What Torah has done for me is to provide a map so I can be oriented to the ways of God. It’s this divine invitation to dance with the King of Kings, with the Lover of my soul. But we don’t always get the steps right. As we cycle through the feasts year after year, we humbly seek His face day after day; we dance with Him and let Him lead as we dwell on His Word. His Word is then written on our hearts, showing us the way to walk in all areas of life. He is a good Father. He has not left us without tools. He has given us His Word and His Spirit so we can worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Our Master Yeshua, the Word made flesh, has called us to deny ourselves, carry our cross, and follow Him. So if Torah is what He did, then Torah is what He has called us to do. And when we follow in His ways, living by the Word in spirit and in truth, He makes Himself manifest with us and in us.

The feasts are like necessary built-in revivals because we’re such a busy and forgetful people. I know I need the feasts to help keep me on track spiritually – to uplift my spirit, to have time set apart for God and my family. They are also fun and we always learn a ton.

You know, everyone has their own love language – one or two main ways that make them really feel loved most strongly. Well, since we are made in God’s image it begs the question, what is God’s love language? The Scriptures provide the answer:

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)

Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. (1 John 3:24)

So if you have a negative view of Torah, I challenge you to reevaluate and make sure you are not letting your own bias distort the Creator’s instructions. Ask yourself where your bias came from. Is there a problem with the way Yeshua kept Torah? What commandment do you find in the first five books of the Bible that is so difficult to keep? Remember, His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)

If Yeshua was the only example of Torah you had, would you then embrace it?

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But that’s not all! We have also released a second album that contains only the instrumental score. So if you want some beautiful background music for your daily prayer and study, try The Siddur Project – Instrumental album. You may access either album at any one of 150+ online music stores, including the links shown below:

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This booklet was created in response to numerous requests for a smaller, more user-friendly Messianic siddur for weekday use. It does not contain the Sabbath prayers, nor prayers for use during the moedim.  Neither does it contain the afternoon and evening prayers (Minchah and Ma’ariv) nor does it incorporate any Hebrew. This little siddur contains only an abbreviated English version of the morning prayers (Shacharit) and the bedtime Shema. If you have ever started and ended your day by praying these ancient words, then you know what a life-changing activity this can be. If you have not experienced an established pattern of prayer, then may the contents of this little siddur aid you in deepening your walk with our wonderful and beneficent God.

Prayer is more than just conversation with our Creator. It is also an exercise in broadening our thoughts to make a more spacious home for His character and essence in our hearts and understanding, and these ancient and beautiful prayers were designed with that purpose in view.

Prayer makes the yoke of Torah more beautiful, and the path of Messiah straighter and smoother. Remember that God’s thoughts and God’s ways are grander and higher than ours, and if we wish to know them then we have a lifetime of spiritual work to do.

God never changes.

We do.

We must.

 Let us pray…

On waking

I thank You, living and eternal King, for returning my soul to me in mercy. Great is Your faithfulness.

  Donning the Tallit

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments and has commanded us concerning tzitzit.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They satisfy themselves with the abundance of Your house; You give them to drink of the stream of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life. By Your light do we see light. Extend Your lovingkindness to them that know You and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

 Donning Tefillin

On placing the phylactery on the arm, say: Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments, and has commanded us to put on the Tefillin.

On placing the phylactery on the forehead, say: Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments, and has commanded us concerning Tefillin. Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.

The strap is wound three times around the middle finger, and the following is said: And I will betroth You to Me forever. I will betroth You to Me in righteousness, judgment, kindness, and mercy. I will betroth You to Me in faithfulness; and You shalt know the LORD.

How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! As for me, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness I will come into Your house: I will worship toward Your holy temple in awe of You. O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells. I will worship and bow down: I will bend my knee before the LORD, my Maker. May my prayer to You, O LORD, be at an acceptable time: O God, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness, answer me with the truth of Your Yeshua.

 Adon Olam

LORD of the world, who reigned alone

Before the beginning of creation,

When by His will all things were called into existence,

Even then His sovereign Name was exalted.

And when all things shall cease to be,

He shall continue to dwell in majesty.

He was, He is, and He shall remain

In eternal splendor.

For He is one, there is no second,

Alone, unique, beyond compare.

Without beginning and without end,

All strength is His, all sway He bears.

He is my God and living Redeemer,

My enduring Rock in time of sorrow,

My banner and my stronghold sure,

My cup and my portion when I cry out.

I place my soul within His hand

When I awake and when I sleep,

God is with me, I shall not fear;

Spirit and body He will safely keep.

  Avinu

 Our Father, who dwells in Heaven, holy is Your Name. May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done on earth just as it is done in Heaven. Give us today our daily food and forgive us for our sins just as we forgive those who sin against us. Do not lead us into testing but deliver us from the evil one’s influence. Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory now and forever.

My God, the soul You placed within me is pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me, and You guard it within me. One day You will take it from me and restore it to me in a time to come. As long as the soul is within me, I will thank You, O LORD my God and God of my fathers, Master of all works, Lord of all souls. Blessed are You, O LORD, who restores souls to dead bodies.

  Morning Blessings

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who has given to the mind understanding to distinguish between day and night.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who has not made me a heathen.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who has not made me a slave.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who has made me according to Your will.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who opens the eyes of the blind.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who clothes the naked.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who sets free them that are bound.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who raises up them that are bowed down.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who spreads forth the earth upon the waters.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who provides my every need.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who has made firm the steps of man.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who girds Israel with might.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who crowns Israel with glory.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who gives strength to the weary.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who removes sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids.

And may it be Your will, O LORD our God and God of our fathers, to accustom us to walk in Your Torah, and to make us cleave to Your commandments. Lead us not into sin, or transgression, iniquity, temptation, or disgrace; let not the evil inclination have sway over us; keep us far from a bad man and a bad companion: make us cleave to the good inclination and to good works: subdue our evil inclination so that it may submit itself to You: and let us obtain this day, and every day, grace, favor, and mercy in Your eyes, and in the eyes of all who behold us; and bestow lovingkindness upon us. Blessed are You, O LORD, Who bestows lovingkindnesses upon His people Israel.

May it be Your will, O LORD my God and God of my fathers, to deliver me this day, and every day, from arrogant men and from arrogance, from a bad man, from a bad companion and from a bad neighbor, and from any mishap or evil hindrance; from a harsh judgment, and from a harsh opponent, whether he is a son of the covenant or not a son of the covenant.

 Accepting the Sovereignty of Heaven

 At all times let a man revere God in private and in public, acknowledge the truth, and speak the truth in his heart; and let him rise early and say: Master of all worlds! Not because of our righteous acts do we lay our supplications before You, but because of Your abundant mercies. What are we? What is our life? What is our piety? What is our righteousness? What is our ability to save? What is our strength? What is our might? What shall we say before You, O LORD our God and God of our fathers? Are not all the mighty men as nothing before You, the men of renown as though they had not been, the wise as if without knowledge, and the men of understanding as if without discernment? For most of their works are vanity, and the days of their lives are empty before You, and the pre-eminence of man over beast is nonexistent: for all is vanity…

But we are Your people, the children of Your covenant, the children of Abraham, Your friend, to whom You made an oath on Mount Moriah; the seed of Isaac, His only son, who was bound upon the altar; the congregation of Jacob, Your firstborn son, whose name You called Israel and Yeshurun by reason of the love wherewith You loved him, and the joy wherewith You rejoiced in him. It is therefore our duty to thank, praise and glorify You, to bless, to sanctify and to offer praise and thanksgiving to Your Name. Happy are we! How goodly is our portion, how pleasant our lot, and how beautiful our heritage! Happy are we who, early and late, morning and evening, twice each day, declare:

HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.

Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.

You existed before the world was created; You have been the same since the world has been created; You are the same in this world, and You will be the same in the world to come. Sanctify Your name upon them that sanctify it. Sanctify Your name throughout Your world; and through Your Yeshua raise up and uphold our strength. Blessed are You, O LORD, who sanctifies Your name before the whole world.

 The Coming of His Kingdom on Earth

You are the LORD our God in heaven and on earth, and in the highest heavens. Truly, You are the first and You are the last, and beside You there is no God. Gather them that hope in You from the four corners of the earth. Let all the inhabitants of the world perceive and know that You are God, You alone, over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them. And which among all the works of Your hands, whether among those above or among those beneath, can say to You, what are You doing? Our Father who is in heaven, deal kindly with us for the sake of Your great name by which we are called; and fulfill for us, O LORD our God, that which is written, “At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, says the LORD.”

 Half Kaddish

May His great name be magnified and sanctified in the world which He created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom during our lifetime and during our days, and during the lifetime of all the house of Israel, even quickly and soon, Amen. Let His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity. Blessed, praised and glorified, exalted, extolled and honored, magnified and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed is He, though He is high above all the blessings and hymns, praises, and consolations which are uttered in the world, Amen.

 Pesukei D’Zimrah

These passages of praise may be included at this point:

• 1 Chronicles 16:8-36
• Psalm 145-150
• 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
• Nehemiah 9:6-11
• Exodus 14:30-15:19
• Romans 8:31-39

May Your name be praised forever – our King, the God, the great and holy King – in heaven and on earth. Because for You is fitting – O LORD, our God, and the God of our forefathers – song and praise, lauding and hymns, power and dominion, triumph, greatness and strength, praise and splendor, holiness and sovereignty, blessings and thanksgivings from this time and forever. Blessed are You, O LORD, God, King exalted through praises, God of thanksgivings, Master of wonders, who chooses musical songs of praise – King, God, Life-giver of the world.

  Blessings of the Shema

With an abundant love have You loved us, O LORD our God, and great and overflowing tenderness have You shown us. Our Father, our King, for the sake of our forefathers who trusted in You, and whom You taught the statutes of life, be also gracious to us and teach us. O our Father, merciful Father, ever compassionate, have mercy upon us. Put it into our hearts to understand and to discern, to listen, learn and teach, to heed, to do and to fulfill all the words of instruction in Your Torah with love. Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah, and may our hearts cleave to Your commandments, and unify our hearts to love and revere Your name, so that we may never be put to shame. Because we have trusted in Your holy, great and awesome name, we shall rejoice and be glad in Your Yeshua. *Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth, and make us walk upright into our land, for You are a God Who works salvation. You have chosen us from all peoples and tongues and have brought us near to Your great name forever in faithfulness, that we might give thanks to You and proclaim Your unity with love. Blessed are You, O LORD, who has chosen His people Israel in love.

*Gather the four tzitzit in the left hand.

 The Shema

God, faithful King

HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.

Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart: and you shalt teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be tefillin between your eyes. And you shalt write them upon the doorposts of your house, and upon your gates.

 Reward and Punishment

And it shall come to pass, if you indeed heed My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will provide rain for your land in its season, the early and the late rain, that you may gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil. And I will give grass in your field for your cattle, and you shalt eat and be satisfied. Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land not yield its fruit, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD gives you. Therefore set these words of Mine on your heart and soul; and you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be tefillin between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house, and upon your gates: that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, as the days of the heavens upon the earth.

Transfer the tzitzit to the right hand. Kiss the tzitzit at each (*).

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them a tzitzit* upon the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the tzitzit* of each corner a cord of blue: and it shall be to you for a tzitzit*, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them: and that you not explore after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you go astray: that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the Land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

You have been the help of our fathers from long ago, a Shield and Savior to their children after them in every generation. Your habitation is the heights of the universe, Your judgments and Your righteousness reach to the furthest ends of the earth. Happy is the man who attends to Your commandments and lays up Your Torah and Your Word in his heart. True*, You are indeed the first and You are the last, and beside You we have no King, Redeemer and Savior.

Who is like You, O LORD, among the mighty? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders?           (Release the tzitzit)

Rock of Israel, arise to the help of Israel, and deliver according to Your promise, Judah and Israel. Our Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts is His Name, the Holy One of Israel. Blessed are You, O LORD, who redeems Israel.

  The Amidah

O LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.

Blessed are You, O LORD our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, the most high God, who bestows lovingkindnesses, and is Master of all things; who remembers the pious deeds of the patriarchs, and in love will bring a Redeemer to their children’s children for Your name’s sake. King, Helper, Savior and Shield. Blessed are You, O LORD, the Shield of Abraham.

You, O LORD, are mighty forever, You resurrect the dead, You are mighty to save. You sustain the living with lovingkindness, resurrect the dead with great mercy, support the fallen, heal the sick, free the bound, and maintain Your faith to those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, O Master of mighty deeds? And who compares to You, O King, who causes death and restores to life, and makes salvation to spring forth? Faithful are You to resurrect the dead. Blessed are You, O LORD, who resurrects the dead.

You are holy, and Your name is holy, and holy ones praise You every day. Blessed are You, O LORD, the holy God.

You favor man with knowledge and teach understanding to mortal men. Favor us with knowledge, understanding and discernment. Blessed are You, O LORD, gracious Giver of knowledge.

Insert prayers for wisdom.

Cause us to return, Our King, to Your service, and bring us back in perfect repentance to Your presence. Blessed are You, O LORD, who delights in repentance.

Forgive us, Our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed. But You pardon and forgive. Blessed are You, O LORD, the gracious One, who abundantly pardons.

Insert prayers of confession.

Look upon our affliction and plead our cause and redeem us speedily for Your Name’s sake; for You are a mighty Redeemer. Blessed are You, O LORD the Redeemer of Israel.

Insert prayers for those who need redemption.

Heal us, O LORD, and we shall be healed; save us and we shall be saved; for You are our praise. Grant a perfect healing to all our wounds;* for You, almighty King, are a faithful and merciful Physician. Blessed are You, O LORD, who heals the sick of Your people Israel.

*Personal prayers for the ill may be inserted here.

Bless this year on our behalf, O LORD our God, together with every kind of produce of its crops, for our good; (in winter, include: give dew and rain for a blessing upon the face of the earth.) Satisfy us with Your goodness and bless our year like the best years. Blessed are You, O LORD, who blesses the years.

Insert prayers for financial success.

Sound the great shofar for our freedom; raise the banner to gather our exiles and gather us from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You, O LORD, who gathers the dispersed of Your people Israel.

Restore our judges as in former times, and our counselors as at the beginning; remove from us sorrow and groaning; reign over us, O LORD, You alone, in lovingkindness and compassion, and justify us in righteousness. Blessed are You, O LORD, the King who loves righteousness and judgment.

Insert prayers for the government.

To the righteous and the pious, the elders of Your people the house of Israel, the remnant of their scribes, true converts, and to us also may Your tender mercies be stirred, O LORD our God; grant a good reward to all who faithfully trust in Your name; set our portion with them forever, so that we may not be put to shame; for we have trusted in You. Blessed are You, O LORD, the stay and assurance of the righteous.

And to Jerusalem, Your city, may You return in mercy, and dwell there as You have spoken. Rebuild it soon and in our days as an everlasting structure, and soon establish the throne of David within it. Blessed are You, O LORD, who rebuilds Jerusalem.

Speedily cause the offspring of David, Your servant, to flourish, and lift up His glory by Your divine help because we wait for Your Yeshua all the day. Blessed are You, O LORD, who causes the strength of Yeshua to flourish.

Hear our voice, O LORD our God; spare us and have mercy upon us and accept our prayer in mercy and favor; for You are a God who hears prayers and supplications: from Your presence, our King, turn us not away empty; for You listen in mercy to the prayer of Your people Israel. Blessed are You, O LORD, who hears prayer.

Insert prayers for Israel.

Accept, O LORD our God, Your people Israel and their prayer; restore the service to the inner sanctuary of Your house; receive in love and favor both the offerings of Israel and their prayer; and may the worship of Your people Israel be ever acceptable to You. And let our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are You, O LORD, who restores Your divine presence to Zion.

We gratefully thank You, for You are the LORD our God and the God of our fathers for ever and ever; You are the Rock of our lives, the Shield of our salvation in every generation. We will give thanks to You and declare Your praise for our lives which are committed to Your hand, and for our souls which are in Your charge, and for Your miracles, which are with us every day, and for Your wonders and Your mercies, which are performed at all times, evening, morning and afternoon. You who are utterly good, whose mercies never fail; You, merciful One, whose lovingkindnesses never cease, we have always hoped in You. For all these Your Name, our King, shall be continually blessed and exalted for ever and ever. And everything that lives shall give thanks to You forever, and shall praise Your name in truth, O God of our salvation and our help. Blessed are You, O LORD, whose Name is the utterly good One, and to whom it is fitting to give thanks.

Insert prayers of thanksgiving.

Establish peace, goodness, blessing, grace, lovingkindness and mercy to us and to all Israel, Your people. Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance; for by the light of Your countenance You have given us, O LORD our God, the Torah of life, lovingkindness and righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace; and may it be good in Your sight to bless Your people Israel at all times and in every season with Your peace. Blessed are You, O LORD, who blesses Your people Israel with peace.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

And may the God of our Master Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of glory, give us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened, so that we will know what is the hope to which He has called us, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Messiah, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies. And may He grant us, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His spirit in the inner man, so that Messiah may dwell in our hearts through faith; and that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Messiah which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Conclusion

My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully. To those who curse me let my soul be silent, and let my soul be like dust to everyone. Open my heart to Your Torah, and let my soul pursue Your commandments. If anyone designs evil against me, speedily make their counsel of no effect, and frustrate their designs. Act for the sake of Your name, act for the sake of Your power, act for the sake of Your holiness, act for the sake of Your Torah. In order that Your beloved ones may be delivered, save by Your power, and answer me. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. He who makes peace in His high places, may He make peace for us and for all Israel. Amen.

May it be Your will, O LORD our God and God of our fathers, that the temple be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah. And there we will serve You with awe, as in the days of old, and as in ancient times. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the LORD, as in days of old, and as in ancient times.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the redeemed community in Messiah Yeshua to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

The Bedtime Shema

 Ribono shel Olam

Master of the universe, I hereby forgive anyone who angered or antagonized me or who sinned against me –whether against my body, my property, my honor, or in any other matter relating to me; whether accidentally, willfully, carelessly, or purposely; whether through speech, deed, thought, or notion, I forgive them. May no one incur punishment because of me. May it be Your will, LORD, my God and the God of my forefathers, that I may sin no more. Whatever sins I have done before You, may You blot out in Your abundant mercies, but not through suffering or difficult illnesses. May the expressions of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before You, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Blessed are You, O LORD, our God, King of the universe, who casts the bonds of sleep upon my eyes and slumber upon my eyelids. May it be Your will, O LORD, my God, and the God of my forefathers, that You make me lie down in peace and arise in peace. May my imagination, bad dreams, and troubling thoughts not overwhelm me. May my bed be pure before You. Enlighten my eyes lest I die in sleep, for it is You who enlightens the pupil of the eye. Blessed are You, O LORD, who gives light to the entire world in His glory.

The Shema

God, faithful King

HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.

Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart: and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be tefillin between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house, and upon your gates.

May the pleasantness of my Lord, our God, be upon us – our handiwork, may He establish for us; our handiwork, may He establish.

Psalm 91

Whoever sits in the refuge of the Most High, he shall dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, I will trust in Him.”

For He will deliver you from the ensnaring trap, from devastating pestilence. With His pinion He will cover you, and beneath His wings you will find shelter. Shield and armor is His truth. You shall not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destroyer who lays waste at noon. Let a thousand encamp at your side and a myriad at your right hand, but to you they shall not approach. You will merely look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

Because you said, “The LORD is my Refuge,” you have made the Most High your shelter. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent, for He will command His angels for you, to protect you in all your ways. They will lift you in their hands, lest you stumble on a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the viper. you will trample the young lion and the serpent. “For he has yearned for Me and I will deliver him. I will elevate him because he knows My Name. He will call upon Me and I will answer him, I am with him in distress, I will release him, and I will honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and I will show him My salvation. With long life will I satisfy him, and I will show him My Yeshua.”

Hashkiveinu

Help us lie down to sleep in peace, O LORD, our God; and rise up, our King, to life. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace. Direct us well with Your good counsel and save us for Your name’s sake. Shield us, remove from us foe, plague, sword, famine, and sorrow. Remove the adversary from before us and behind us. Shelter us in the shadow of Your wings, for You, God, are our Protector and Rescuer. You, God, are the gracious and compassionate King. Safeguard our going and coming – for life and peace, from now to eternity.

Blessed is the LORD by day; Blessed is the LORD by night; Blessed is the LORD when we retire; Blessed is the LORD when we arise. For the souls of the living and the dead are in Your hand. [As it is written:] “In His hand is every living soul, and the spirit of all mankind.” Into Your hand I shall entrust my spirit; You redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth. Our God who is in heaven, bring unity to Your Name; establish Your kingdom forever, and reign over us for all eternity.

May our eyes see, our heart rejoice, and our souls be glad in Your Yeshua, when Zion is told, “Your God has reigned!” The LORD reigns, the LORD has reigned, the LORD will reign for all eternity. For the kingdom is Yours and You will reign for all eternity in glory, for we have no king but You!

May the LORD bless you and safeguard you. May the LORD illuminate His countenance for you and be gracious to you. May the LORD turn His face toward you and establish peace for you.

Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.

For Your Yeshua do I long, O LORD. I do long, O LORD, for Your Yeshua. O LORD, for Your Yeshua do I long.

In the name of the LORD, God of Israel; may Michael be at my right, Gabriel at my left, Uriel before me, and Raphael behind me; and above my head the presence of God.

Amen.

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I don’t remember why I started the project. I think it was motivated by questions from my congregation concerning the Zohar. But I already had enough questions of my own to justify the project that would consume five years of my spare time. So I ordered two editions of the Zohar (totaling 27 volumes) and set out to read through the entire stack in order to see for myself what all the hubbub was about.

As I began the project, I felt a degree of trepidation fueled by warnings about all the occult mumbo jumbo I would find in the Zohar. But I also felt it my duty to protect my congregation should there be a legitimate need to warn them against this material. However, my respect for the many great rabbinic commentators who frequently cited the Zohar equipped me with the resolve to look into this material for myself. When the volumes arrived, I began my slow but deliberate reading while keeping a journal of my findings.

Before I go on to describe what I found in the Zohar, let me first tell you what I did not find in it. I did not find a single spell or incantation. Nor did I find instructions for making talismans, good-luck charms, red strings, holy water, or little hands with eyeballs in the palms. I found nothing in the Zohar that deserves the negative press that seems to surround it. I believe that much of the silliness that has arisen in pop culture (and some occult circles) under the misuse of the term Kaballah has been undeservedly attributed to the Zohar. After reading the complete Zohar for myself, the most critical thing I can say about it is that it can be mind-numbingly boring for long stretches. Very long stretches.

What I did find in the Zohar was a whirlwind of allegorical commentary on the Torah and Judaism, as well as parables and principles for living, all couched in imaginary conversations held by imaginary rabbis taking an imaginary journey. Much of what I read was extremely difficult to understand and seemed nearly meaningless … at least to me. This is due in part, I am sure, to my own deficiencies and also in part to the Zohar’s archaic style of language and its extensive use of a form of symbolism to which I was uninitiated. However, the rambling narrative of the Zohar was occasionally punctuated by strikingly beautiful passages and others very similar to teachings that I had thought were found only in the Apostolic scriptures. These are the passages that caught my attention and found their way into my journal. I discovered more than one hundred occasions where the Zohar directly explained a question I had concerning the New Testament. I am not saying that these are the correct or the only explanations, but their direct correlation to the Apostolic scriptures was undeniable. The more I read, the more obvious it became that the New Testament authors were familiar with the material contained in the Zohar. Or, and this is a distinct possibility, the authors of the Zohar were aware of the material contained in the New Testament.

Before taking a look at five sample passages from the Zohar, there are two points we must consider. First, we should not be surprised when the New Testament quotes source material outside the Tanach. This is not news to most of you. The New Testament writers frequently cite the Midrash Rabbah and other rabbinic and extra-biblical sources, such as when Jude cites a prophecy from The Book of Enoch.[1] Therefore it would not be unusual for some of the material in the Zohar to find its way into the New Testament scriptures.

Second, there is an ongoing debate over the age and authorship of the Zohar. Is it truly the product of the 1st-century rabbi Shimon bar Yochai as it claims to be? Or did the Jewish mystic Moshe de Leon author it in the 13th century? Or was it written in the Middle Ages by an author who had access to 1st-century material? Could it be a bit of all the above? I don’t know. But regardless of when the content of the Zohar was first committed to writing, it is certain that much of the material was already quite ancient and had been passed down orally. Again, the purpose of this article is simply to share with the reader the apparent connections between our Apostolic Scriptures and this oft-cited Jewish text. With that, let’s begin.

Example 1

Consider this question by Paul: Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life? [2]

Note that Paul assumes the reader would know that we humans will someday judge angels. But how could Paul assume this? Nothing in the Tanach informs us that we will someday judge angelic beings. However, the Zohar addresses the topic in this way:

When God thought of making man, He said: “Let us make man in our image, etc.” i.e. He intended to make him head over the celestial beings, who were to be his deputies, like Joseph over the governors of Egypt. The angels thereupon began to malign him and say, “What is man that Thou shouldst remember him, seeing that he will assuredly sin before Thee.” Said God to them, “If ye were on earth like him, ye would sin worse.” [3]

The passage proceeds to cite the sins, fall, and punishment of the Nephilim who left their exalted status to cohabit with human women as recorded in Genesis 6:1-4.

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