Hebrew Bible

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Learning Hebrew in a Hassle Free Manner

If one was to request a Jewish individual what the most important piece of Jewish
literature would be, they'd undoubtedly respond that it's the Bible. The Bible is
Known as Torah in Hebrew. The Bible, as known by Jewish people, refers to the entire
Bible, the written segment as well as the oral part that's found in the Talmud.

What's the Written Torah?

The Written Torah is what Christians refer to as the Old Testament (Jewish people
don't understand the New Testament). The Written Torah is divided into three
segments, Torah (can be loosely translated as Law), Nevi'im (Prophets) and Ketuvim
(Writings). Torah has five sub-sections, Nevi'im eight and Ketuvim eleven. An
acrostic of the 3 parts of the Torah is Tanach and this title is usually used to refer to
the Written Torah.

What is the Oral Torah?

Oral Torah is the Jewish tradition on How Best to understand the Written Law.
Orthodox Jews believe that G-d taught the Oral Law to Moshe (Moses) that taught
this to the Elders of the country, who taught it to others, and so on before this very
day. The Oral Torah was solely oral only until the second century of the frequent Era
when it was written down in the Mishnah. As time passes the Mishnah was also
commented on in the Gemara. Together, the Mishnah and Gemara make up the
Talmud which was compiled in the fifth century of the Common Era.

The Mishnah is made up of six sections which then contain tractates. Overall there are
sixty-three tractates in the Mishnah.

What is the Chumash?

Chumash is the first five books of the Torah which have been divided into weekly
readings. Each Saturday, which is the Jewish Sabbath day, Jewish men and women
gather in Synagogues to pray special Sabbath day prayers and to hear the weekly
Torah reading. The community will adhere to the reading in a Chumash but it is read
aloud from a scroll made from parchment.

What is a Torah scroll?


A Torah scroll is what is used to read aloud from in Synagogue, as described above.
They are written by hand in Hebrew calligraphy. The parchment might not be touched
by hands and a special pointer referred to as a Yad (which means "hand" in Hebrew) is
therefore used. The parchment scroll is covered with fabric and is frequently
decorated with silver crowns that sit perched on top of the handles on the scrolls and
with a silver breastplate that's hung off the handles.

If you're interested in purchasing a Bible, Torah scroll or accessories for a Torah


scroll, be sure to check out Judaica sites online that provide competitive prices on
these special objects.

In this article, I would love to help you take a look at the somewhat limited options
when it comes to locating a Hebrew-English interlinear Bible. I'm a doctoral student
in Biblical languages and am fairly familiar with what's available. First, you could try
one of the free online versionsnonetheless, the websites that have these are often
cumbersome to work with and contain links to Strong's Concordance. I have been
studying Hebrew for a considerable number of years now and have never found
Strong's to be very beneficial. You also have to install fonts on your own which can
occasionally cause problems.

Another option is to purchase a software package containing a Hebrew-English


interlinear Bible. Just like most things, putting some money into it gets you something
much better than you would get for free. My favorite computer-based version is the
Lexham Hebrew-English interlinear Bible available through LOGOS Bible software.
The text has not just the Hebrew and English, but also has translation notes in
hypertext, scrollover functions, and transliteration. Here you would get a great
Hebrew interlinear Bible, but the problem is cost.

It comes as a component of the Original Languages Library that runs around $415. If
you have the funds, this would be my highest recommendation. It is what I use in
English based classes that I teach so as to demonstrate a point from a Hebrew text. If
not, then read on for more cost effective options.

You might also buy a paper-based copy of a Hebrew-English interlinear Bible of


which there are two key products available, one by Jay P. Green and one put out by
Zondervan. They are both relatively expensive, but I would far more highly
recommend the Zondervan version. I actually have the Lexham computer-based
interlinear so I have very little demand for these; however, I have looked over these
texts. The Zondervan version is apparently a great deal more user-friendly. In fact,
user-friendliness Appears to Be a major emphasis in many of Zondervan's products
(i.e. Greek for the Rest of Us and How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth).
In the end, in case you have some facility with Hebrew, there's another option
available. It is technically not an interlinear, but there is a side-by-side Hebrew-
English Tanakh put out by the Jewish Publication Society. It's far more cost effective
and I like the translation better than the Zondervan NIV interlinear. This is what I use
if I want a paper-based text with the Hebrew and English in close proximity to one
another.

Hebrew has been an influential language in the past. The Bible was also written in
Hebrew. However, the Hebrew language used in the Bible is referred to as Biblical
Hebrew. Biblical Hebrew is very different from everyday Hebrew used in today's
world.

Today around seven million people around the world communicate in Modern
Hebrew which was developed and improved by Eliza Bin Yehuda so that the language
could be restored and used by the Jews on a daily basis. When there are countless
individuals who opt for learning Modern Hebrew, a great many also choose to learn
Biblical Hebrew that lets them understand the religious scriptures and Bible to the
fullest. Gone are the days when people had difficulty in finding educational
institutions that offered them opportunities to learn Hebrew.

In the present time, students do not even need to travel long distances in search of
these institutions as they may make use of the internet courses that are offered by
various colleges, schools and universities, enabling students to learn this language.
Not only basic Hebrew learning courses but also advanced online Hebrew learning
courses are taught through Purchase authentic Hebrew books the World Wide Web
to students who wish to learn this language. Those people who do not wish to attend
normal classes are always able to register in online Hebrew diploma courses that are
offered which allow those who work the advantage of their flexibility. Online Hebrew
learning courses offer countless advantages which may include but are not limited to:

1. Personalized schedules

Stay-at-home moms or those that are working can always augment their
understanding and qualification through these programs by learning Hebrew at their
own speed and developing their own patterns. It follows that even if the students are
busy during the day, they even have the liberty of learning during the evening or
whenever they are free and they can then submit their assignments through internet
tools like mails etc. rather than visiting the campuses to doing so.

2. Online Hebrew learning courses are a cost effective choice


Not everyone can afford the on-campus expenses. Thus, these individuals may gain
from learning at home without worrying about the expenses related to purchasing
stationery, transport and lunch etc.. Additionally, the fee charged against the online
programs is normally very reasonable when compared with the typical programs or
classes.

However, it is usually suggested that students that are taking the advance Hebrew
learning courses make certain that you get guidance from a specialist in the field so
they learn the right usage of vocabulary, grammar and sentence structuring.

The Hebrew tattoo trend is in full bloom and people around the world are looking for
the ideal mixture of exotic, unique and meaningful, for their tattoo. The most popular
current trends are a good place to start the search.

So what are the most popular Hebrew Tattoo trends?

1. A name - The idea of tattooing your name or that of a loved one is gaining
popularity. Some Prefer getting, if possible, the Hebrew origin of the name hence
making their tattoo much more uncommon.

2. 1 Word - Another trend of is that of placing empowering words in Hebrew: love,


power, unity and elegance are a few examples. Some choose a couple of empowering
words to put side by side.

3. "I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me" - Following the Beckhams, a lot of
people decide to acquire a similar or an even exact copy of the famed tattoo. The most
popular request is for a vertical tattoo to be placed down the spine.

4. "Live Laugh Love" - Though many people choose this tattoo, there are still a few
decisions to produce the will make this tattoo unique. Some choose the longer phrase,
that says "Live well, laugh often, love much", but some decide to address the phrase
to a single person, as speaking to themselves. This choice is not available in English
buy in Hebrew it adds another layer of private touch to the tattoo.

5. Bible Verses - Although Bible verses are quite common with Hebrew tattoos, most
men and women find a phrase that they relate to. Some tattoo an entire Bible verse,
others a portion of it and some go with the reference alone.

Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not
wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy
navel, and marrow to thy bones.
1. Read in Context - This includes reading previous and latter verses and/or chapters,
understanding the characters involved, the setting, in addition to the audience. I.e.
Paul is sometimes speaking to Jews, and sometimes both Jews and Gentiles are in the
audience.

2. Strong's Concordance - This will show us where a word, such as Spirit, is elsewhere
in scripture. Additionally, it gives a number that is connected to the Hebrew word (Old
testament) or Greek word (New Testament). Note: Sometimes the exact same word
will have different meanings.

3. Strong's Lexicon (definitions) - This is in my top five tools. This is a must in my


opinion. It gives the definition of the Hebrew and Greek words. But what's more, we
will see via the Strong's concordance that some words have 2 meanings. Unless we
have this information, we may not understand the scripture correctly.

4. Numerous Bibles - I am always asked, "What is a good bible to buy?" I say more
the merrier. I am partial to the KJV and NKJV. Those 2 together have done me well.
When something in the KJV can't fully be grasped, I'll check it in the NKJV (or vice
versa). Sometimes, I'll open up a 3rd and 4th version too. There are some parallel
bibles out there that have 2-4 versions in the exact same book. The easier to read
bibles, in my humble opinion, change meanings too much. They are extremely great
for those that are having difficulty with the KJV, but they should not be our only bible.

5. Study the Bible (not 'reading') - There is a difference between studying the bible
and reading it. Sometimes I catch myself reading the bible to receive my everyday
read in. But then I get done, and I have no idea what I just read. It's because I am
reading as it's the correct thing to do (works). 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth. Note: It is quite dangerous to preempt our reading with wanting an
answer on something. When doing this, we'll almost always discover the answer we
would like to hear. Yes, God definitely will speak to us via His word. Just be very
watchful on this. Sometimes we'll find exactly that which we want to find. It might be
ourselves answering and not necessarily be God speaking to us.

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