09 Becoming Torah Literate: You Are Worthy and Capable
The Creator Is the Father of Our Soul
While our human parents may fall short concerning their parental duties, the Father of our soul cannot. We are designed to walk hand in hand with our Father.
One might say, "I would like to learn about God, but I can't imagine having a personal relationship with him. I don't feel that I am worthy of being in his presence, and I certainly cannot see myself as being capable of learning Torah or Hebrew."
How would one expect a loving Father to respond to such painful thoughts? Should one not have higher expectations of The Creator, the Father of our soul than that of our earthly parent? The mission of Avi Publications is to present my Father's Torah from his perspective, utilizing the numerical structure of the Torah. Our Father first introduced himself by the name Elohim (אֱ_ֹהִים). Five Hebrew consonants and three vowels comprise the word Elohim.
Scholars through the ages have provided many valuable insights concerning the divine name, Elohim. The name Elohim is linguistically connected with God, gods, judges, powers, and a sense of strict justice. However, let us lay aside the linguistic data and examine some of the numerical data concerning Elohim.
El (אל) is a name for the Creator. Our fathers, Abraham and Jacob, worshipped the Creator at a place called Beth-El (house-God). These two consonants are the first two consonants of the first recorded name of the Creator, Elohim; however, they are also used for the directional word “to.”
The Torah is instructing the listener that the Creator and the directional word “to” are numerically connected. The ordinal value of El (אל) is “thirteen,” with aleph being one and lamed being twelve. The numerical structure of the Torah is based on the ordinal value of the Hebrew consonants rather than the linguistical value as used in the study of gematria.
The Shema, Devarim 6:4, declares that the Creator is one (echad, אֶחָד), and the ordinal value of echad is thirteen. However, on the flip side, the Hebrew word for no or not is loh (לֹא), and it also has an ordinal value of thirteen.
To understand the difference between El or el (אל) and loh (לֹא), one must understand the meaning of the ordinal consonants. Aleph (א)is the first or foundational ordinal consonant. Likewise, the Creator is the first or foundational being; therefore, aleph, one, or first is related to the Creator. Lamed (ל)is the twelfth ordinal consonant, and in a base-ten numerical setting, twelve is the result of ten plus two. According to the numerical structure of the Torah, ten relates to command, covenant, or a test of command, and two relates to division, separation, or two aspects of a matter. Every Torah matter has two aspects, which is where the concept of choice comes into play.
Have you ever seen a cart pushing a horse? Wouldn’t that be clumsy? Well, that may illustrate the difference between אל and לא. In the first case, the initial focus is upon the aleph, which relates to the Creator, while in the second scenario, the focus is on the two aspects of the commandment. A commandment driven relationship is a matter of multiple opinions or focal points, while a Creator driven relationship has only one focal point, the person of the Creator.
Mankind should move “to” or “towards” the presence of the Creator as opposed to “from” or away from the presence of the Creator. This directional connection is verified in the first usage of the two consonants (אל) aside from their usage in the word Elohim.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place (אֶל-מָק?ם), and let the dry land appear; and it was so: Bereshiyt 1:9
El (אל) is a name for the Creator, and Makom (Place) is also a name for the Creator. Since both names are joined with a maqaph (hyphen), according to the rules of Hebrew grammar, the two words become one word. Therefore, El (אל) and Makom (מָק?ם) become the same. Note that makom is translated as “one place.” The Creator describes himself as “one” in Devarim 6:4.
In the name El, the consonants aleph and lamed are in ascending order. Interestingly, if the consonants are reversed in descending order the resulting meaning is no, or not(לא).
There is a numerical skill, which shall be fully explained later, that enables the researcher to determine the Creator’s perspective on any Torah matter. The results of that skill application for the two consonants (אל) are listed below, according to the first seven of the ten foundational numerical principles.
1. Foundation: to one place
2. Two Aspects: the side of Adam and the woman brought to the man
3. Encounter with The Creator: The Lord God called to Adam
4. Action: to the woman, her pain in childbirth would be greatly multiplied
5. Parental Honor and Respect: the woman’s desire shall be to her husband.
6. Related to Mankind: The Lord had respect for Abel
7. Completion/Cycle: and to you shall be his (sin’s) desire
Likewise, the results of that skill application for the two consonants (לא) are listed below.
1. Foundation: The Lord God had not caused
2. Two Aspects: it is not good that man should be alone
3. Encounter with The Creator: you shall not eat of it
4. Action: surely you shall not die
5. Parental Honor and Respect: you shall not eat of the tree of life
6. Related to Mankind: I know not, am I my brother’s keeper
7. Completion/Cycle: the dove did not return to him anymore
The first letter of Elohim Is Aleph (א).
· The first aleph in the Torah is the third letter of the Torah.
· The second aleph is the third letter of the second word of the Torah.
· The third aleph is the first letter of the third word of the Torah.
· Aleph can be understood as the Father’s initial.
The first three occurrences of the consonant aleph are all connected with three or third. Hence, the reader encounters the initial of the Creator at the three or third.
Mount Sinai Event
The people of Israel had to prepare themselves to meet the Creator on the third day.
The third word of those ten spoken words is:
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain:(Shemot 20:7)
The Here and the Now
Every person encounters the Creator at his words, whether he is aware of it or not. If one thinks that his commands are irrelevant or meaningless, then he has taken the name of the Creator in vain, and he shall not be considered innocent.
One Is Connected to Thirteen
Aleph begins Elohim, and mem (ם) completes Elohim. Aleph is the ordinal “one,” and mem is the ordinal “thirteen.”
The Shema
Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one (echad) Lord: Devarim 6:4
One is the translation of echad. The sum of the three ordinal letters of echad is thirteen.
The Core Meaning of Elohim
Since Elohim has five consonants, the core consonant would be the third consonant or heh (ה). Heh is the fifth ordinal consonant of the Hebrew alphabet. So, Elohim has five consonants, and the core consonant of Elohim is the fifth ordinal consonant of the alphabet. Well, what might the fifth word or command be?
Honor your father and your mother; that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you: (Shemot 20:12)
On the surface, the command is connected to one’s earthly parents, but the command is also related to the Creator, your Father. When considering all the earthly parents that have ever lived upon the earth, who amongst them could guarantee one long life? Only the Creator, our third parent, our loving Father, can fulfill that divine promise.
The fifth principle of the numerical structure of the Torah is honor and respect for one’s three parents, combined with a long life. These few marvelous numerical connections are minuscule in comparison to the innumerable connections embedded within the entire Torah.
But wait, there is more concerning the five, which is the core meaning of Elohim. The first verse of the Torah to have five words without and maqaphim (hyphens) is:
And Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord:(Bereshiyt 6:8)
Amid evil beyond one’s imagination, one man found “grace” in the eyes of the Creator. Noach did not take the words of the Lord in vain. He spent years of hard labor, testifying of his faithfulness to the commands of the Creator. Some feel that he was not successful because he did not win any souls, but what may be obscure is that judgment had already been passed by the Creator. Moses, also, had to watch an evil generation pass under the divine judgment. When the Creator says enough, that is final. If within one’s heart, there is a desire to serve the Creator, then there is also grace extended in the form of the ability to accomplish the task at hand.
Our Father, the Creator, is not biased in the preference of one child over another. Every child is precious, and he tries to guide each child; however the Creator is only one of three parents. The values of the other two parents play a large role in the child's outcome. When the values of all three parents and the child are in harmony, the goal of human existence is achieved. The Torah is the vehicle of such a harmonious relationship. All those who walk in harmony with the Creator's Torah become "choice" ones in his eyes.
One's worthiness is not a matter of biological heritage; it is a matter of turning towards your Father and not rejecting his instructions. Unlike our earthly fathers, he can endow one with skills that outweigh one's present limitations. His resources are unlimited, and his love is indivisible.
Our Father, the Creator, has provided a means through which everyone can discover the Creator’s perspective, concerning his Torah. No one who seeks the Father’s Torah is denied his voice. Come, seek, listen, and learn for yourself.