Beginners guide to Torah Living - Amazon S3guide+to+Torah+Living.pdf · A Beginner's Guide to Torah Living Trust in YHVH with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding

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A Beginner's

Guide to

Torah Living

Trust in YHVH with all

thine heart; and lean not

unto thine own

understanding. In all thy

ways acknowledge Him

and He shall direct thy

paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

By Heidi

Cooper

A Beginner's Guide to Torah Living

by Heidi Cooper

Copyright 2016 by Heidi Cooper


First, I'd like to say thank you for finding us and joining our email

list. We are honored to be a part of your journey. Allow me to

introduce us. We are the Coopers. My husband Doug and I have been

married since 2000, and at the time of this writing we have seven

children. We also have Gramma living with us for a large part of each

year. We homeschool and operate a small family farm. My husband

flies a plane to pay the bills, and I spend my spare time writing about

Torah and homeschooling.

Speaking of Torah, we have been learning about and trying to

apply Torah since late 2006. We attended a Baptist church that

effectively kicked us out when we began teaching about Hebrew, feast

days, and Shabbat. We have much to learn, but we are so grateful that

YHVH showed us that all of Scripture still applies. His words are

eternal and we can count on Him. So that's us in a nutshell. By the

way, my name is Heidi, and I'm delighted to share with you what I

have learned about Torah living.


Here's an outline of what I plan to share.

Forgive those who miss taught you in the past.

Realize you have much to learn.

Learn from many others.

Realize Torah living is lifelong.

Become a student of the Word.

Always come back to application.

Meditate on Torah day and night.

Compare the rest of Scripture to Torah.

Focus on the two greatest commandments.

Relearn who our God really is.

Don't forget to share the joy of what you are

learning with your children.


Forgive those who miss taught you in the past.

I don't know where you are coming from, but if you are learning

about Torah now, it's likely that you were taught something wrong in

the past. Perhaps you were taught to keep Sunday holy, rather than

Saturday. Perhaps you were taught that the Old Testament was just for

the Jews. I would also imagine that you are feeling a bit of bitterness

towards those teachers.

I'll be blunt here. You've got to let it go. You've got to forgive. I

know what they are teaching is wrong. I've been there. But any

bitterness you hold in your heart will only destroy you. Don't cloud the

joy of new discoveries with the darkness of bitterness. Start your new

journey into truth with a clear conscience and a joyful heart. Yeshua

himself teaches us that we are to forgive others as we have been

forgiven.

It is also important to remember that the lies being taught have

been passed down for centuries. The person that miss taught you was

miss taught by somebody else. These lies have been taught for so long

that most people have lost the ability to recognize the truth. They need

our prayers, not our unforgiving attitudes.

It is also helpful to focus on the truths we were taught. I am

grateful that I was taught from a young age that I was created by a

loving God. I was taught to value life. I was taught that right and

wrong is absolute. I was taught to value the Scriptures as my guide for


life. I was taught that there are consequences for my actions, either

good or bad. Focus on the truths that you were taught and build from

there.

Again, do not hold bitterness in your heart against past teachers.

Can you brag on yourself and your Torah observance if you harbor an

unforgiving spirit? Surely not. Take the time today to forgive those

who misled you, and purpose to keep that forgiving spirit in the future.


Realize you have much to learn.

I remember when I first realized that the Sabbath had not been

changed to Sunday. My sister and her husband had listened to a

teacher discuss topics like the seventh day Sabbath, and she and her

husband were trying to follow it. I thought she was insane. I even felt a

bit irate about it. My husband found the whole thing rather amusing at

the time, and challenged me to prove her wrong. I went in on our

computer to use our Bible study software. Ten minutes later, I

emerged, humbled as I realized that Sabbath had always been on the

seventh day and had never changed. That was an amazing moment for

me.

But how quickly our new found knowledge turns into arrogance.

We suddenly have all the answers and can correct everyone else. My

friends, this should not be. In the years we have been studying Torah,

we have realized over and over again how much we still don't know.

Our understanding has been carefully honed. We have realized that we

still had things wrong and needed deeper understanding. Just when

we thought we could be dogmatic on something, YHVH showed us

that we weren't quite right.

We must remember that our journey has been rather short. There

are many that have gone before us and have studied longer. There are

those that, due to a different life journey, understand truths that we do


not. We must trust YHVH to give us the understanding we need when

we need it. We must be humble enough to learn from others and listen

to their perspective. Not everyone's perspective will turn out to be

right, and that includes ourselves. But we should be willing to learn

from others.

I do not advocate listening to anyone and everyone and taking

their word at face value. I do advocate being humble enough to realize

that we don't have it all figured out. Learning about Scripture and how

to obey YHVH takes time. We are told to build precept upon precept,

line upon line. YHVH gives us truth as we are ready, and we are in no

position to claim that we have it all now.


Learn from many others.

The beautiful thing about YHVH's creation is that there are no

duplicates. Snowflakes are an obvious example, but when you look

around, you can see that all creatures are unique. No two zebras have

the same stripe pattern. You can't even find two identical rocks. YHVH

loves variety. He purposely made each of us unique as well. We each

have followed a different life path. We each have our own personality,

talents and interests. We each have something to offer.

As we look around and see more and more people learning about

Torah, we also see a wide variety of people from a wide variety of

backgrounds. We can choose to fight that and only listen to people

that are just like us and think like us, or we can embrace the variety

and learn from many different people. I highly recommend that we do

the latter.

Yeshua prayed that we would be a united people. But I think we

have mistakenly equated united with all alike. Yeshua wants us to be a

variety of people united in our love for and obedience to YHVH. Once

we embrace this concept, we begin to fulfill Yeshua's desire for unity.

Don't just pick one teacher to listen to. Don't just read one

author's books. Learn from many people! Be a true Berean, and as you

listen to and learn from a variety of people, compare everything to

Scripture. You will find that some people are not teaching truth. Feel


free to move on. But be thankful that you had the opportunity to

listen, learn and evaluate their teaching. After careful study, you now

know why they aren't teaching truth and can defend that position with

Scripture. On the other hand, you will find those that are spot on with

Scripture. They will share insights that help you to grow and serve

your Master better. What a blessing! You may find that a certain

author is writing about a topic that meets your needs right now. Then,

in a few months, YHVH shows you another area where you need to

grow, and at the same time brings along someone teaching about that

topic.

Don't forget to learn from yourself. The days of being spoon fed

by someone else are long gone. You must be responsible for yourself.

My husband and I have gone through times where we had no one to

help us. We learned to study the Scriptures for ourselves. We learned

to pray for guidance and lean not on our own understanding. YHVH

will show us truth when we seek it. We'll talk about that a bit more

later.

Again, learn from many people. There is a danger in only

listening to one person. There is also danger in trusting one person

with our spiritual education. Spread out, evaluate carefully, and learn

to study for yourself.

Pro 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an

abundance of counselors there is safety.


Realize Torah living is lifelong.

Following YHVH is a journey. It is not a destination. You don't

arrive at Torah living, but rather learn as you go. YHVH teaches us

about an area of our life where we need to improve. He shows us a

hidden sin. He gives us opportunity to share what we have learned

with others. He gives us bright days and dark shadows. It's all part of

the journey, and that's what it's all about. Learn to live in today, and

obey YHVH by obeying Torah today. Tomorrow, He'll have more for

you to learn.

The tricky part about this journey is that we don't all travel down

the same road and encounter things in the same order. We are all in

different places handling different things. Right now, I may be

focusing on being the best manager of my home that I can be. You may

be grappling with a deeper study of the origins of holidays. While it is

tempting to look down on people that haven't “figured out” what I

have, it is far better to simply remember that they haven't reached

“that point” in their journey yet. On the flip side, they have dealt with

and learned from things that I have not.

So hang on for the long haul! You have discovered that Torah is

the foundation of all Scripture. Start with what you know, begin

obeying, and do your best to embrace what YHVH has for you each

day. Focus on living in today, and try to help others on their journey,


rather than looking over your shoulder at them.

Enjoy the journey! Torah observance in thankful service to your king

is a wonderful way to live!


Become a student of the Word.

If you are like me, you spent most of your life learning under a

series of Sunday School teachers, pastors, authors, and Bible study

leaders. Now, you may suddenly be in a position where you are no

longer in a church or group setting. You don't have anyone preparing a

lesson to teach you every week. You may not even have a local group of

people that also believe in observing Torah. My husband Doug and I

have not had anyone locally beyond our immediate family until

recently. What do you do now?

Become a student of the Word. Now is the time to learn to study

Scripture for yourself. When I began to study Torah, I quickly realized

that even though I had read through the entire Bible, I was constantly

stumbling upon verses that I didn't recognize. I kept saying, “I don't

remember that being in there!” Obviously there were a lot of holes in

my spiritual education, and there probably are in yours as well. I

recommend that you start at the beginning and learn Torah, the first

five books of the Bible. The Jews have followed a Torah reading cycle

for centuries, and it is very helpful. You can find more info about the

Torah reading cycle at Hebrew 4 Christians. If you have children or

are brand new to the Torah portions, you might consider reading My

First Torah. This book covers every Torah portion in simple terms for

young children. It's an excellent way to get familiar with Torah. Each


week, you will be reading approximately 4-6 chapters. Many people

provide studies on the Torah portions to help you get started. You will

also want to make use of some simple reference tools. E-sword is a

wonderful free software program that enables you to read several

translations, look up words, cross reference, and access others

resources like maps and cultural info.

Once you have begun to get a good grasp on each of the Torah

portions, it is a good idea to look at them from a different angle.

Studying the 613 commandments can be very helpful. This list was

compiled over time to show the actual commands in Torah as opposed

to just the time-line of events. It helps you to keep an action based

perspective of Torah, rather than simple fact collection.

Keep in mind that much of the information you will come across

on the internet and in books is based on tradition rather than

Scripture. It is important to be well grounded in what is actually found

in Scripture, so you will be able to sort out tradition and truth.

Keep learning and studying. Just like obeying Torah is a lifelong

journey, so is studying it.

Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that

they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the

scriptures daily, whether those things were so.


Always come back to application.

In my years of learning Torah, I have seen lots of emphasis put

on historical and cultural studies. These can be fascinating. Did David

pick up 5 stones to take care of Goliath's brothers? How did the ten

plagues specifically attack the gods of Egypt? We seem naturally

drawn to these types of discussions. While there is nothing wrong with

this type of study, we don't want to remain here.

As we study Torah and the rest of Scripture, we need to learn to

personally apply it. It is the living out of Torah that brings change in

our lives. As we learn the cultural and historical background behind

Scripture passages, we understand the context and meaning better.

But we cannot be satisfied with head knowledge. We must move from

facts to a change in our thinking and behavior.

Let's take our previous example of the ten plagues specifically

attacking Egyptian gods. I found this fascinating when I first

discovered it. It demonstrates that YHVH is very specific in His

judgment. When personally applied, it showed me that I needed to

evaluate my own life for any idolatry. It instilled a bit more healthy

fear of YHVH as well. I also learned that YHVH is keenly aware of my

specific and sometimes hidden sins. I was once again reminded of the

importance of true repentance, not only turning from the sin, but

replacing it with obedience.


As you study Scripture, enjoy learning the background of the

history and culture. Just be sure to apply Scripture to your life and

begin to act on it. That is an integral part of Torah living.


Meditate on Torah day and night.

Psalm 1 describes a lifestyle of constant meditation on Torah. It

brings about prosperity and blessing. It helps us to make wise choices

as to who we include in our lives. But how do we meditate on Torah?

There are several ways. Be creative and pick some methods that

work for you. Try posting verses around your home where you will see

them often, such as the bathroom mirror or on the edge of your

computer screen. You might consider hanging Scripture artwork on

the wall. You can also try Scripture journaling to help you get beyond

just reading the Scripture. We have a series of posts about starting a

Bible notebook to help you record Scripture in a visual way. Begin

memorizing Scripture. As you practice your verses, think about what

they mean. Think about how you can live them out in your life. Listen

to verses set to music. This is a wonderful way to not only meditate but

memorize Scripture. Win, win! I'm sure there are many more ways to

meditate on Scripture night and day. What methods have you tried?

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the

ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of

the scornful.

Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth

he meditate day and night.


Compare the rest of Scripture to Torah.

The first five books consisting of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,

Numbers and Deuteronomy are collectively called the Torah. They

explain the early history of Israel and YHVH's covenant with them.

They give us YHVH's rules to live by. The rest of Scripture builds on

this Torah foundation. Much of the Old Testament continues the

history of Israel. Books like Psalms and Proverbs give us an emotional

and poetical look at Torah. The New Testament gives us the life of our

Messiah, Yeshua, and demonstrates how He perfectly kept Torah.

With this in mind, we need to compare all other Scripture to the

first five books. If the verse or passage seems to disagree with Torah,

then your interpretation is probably askew. Remember that YHVH

never changes. What He said in the beginning will still stand at the

end. This is one of the fundamental reasons that we still obey Torah.

He doesn't change the rules mid history. He doesn't change the rules

mid Scripture either.

This is a good reason to study Torah consistently alongside other

Scripture. The Torah portions are an excellent way to do this. If you

are unfamiliar with the Torah portions, they are weekly readings of

about 4-6 chapters. All around the world, people are reading and

studying the same chapters. Many studies are also made available

each week to help you deepen your studies. As you learn Torah better,


you will better be able to compare other Scriptures to Torah.


Focus on the two greatest commandments.

“He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read

it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your

heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all

your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You

have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."” Luke 10:26-28

ESV

The two greatest commandments are to love YHVH, and love

your neighbor. Everything else in Scripture is an explanation and

elaboration on those two concepts. Even the ten commandments can

be divided into two groups: How to love YHVH, and how to love our

neighbor. If we keep our focus on these two ideas, we will do well. If

we don't, we will end up like the Pharisees that kept the letter of the

law, but failed miserably because they lost the love for each other.

For example, we can get so excited about keeping Shabbat. We

are very careful to never light a candle, and watch our family like a

hawk to make sure no one is violating the Sabbath. While we should

be careful to guard the Sabbath, we also need to remember that the

Sabbath is a divine appointment. It's our weekly time with our

Heavenly Father. Are we spending time with Him, learning to love

Him better? Are we showing love to our family on this special day? Or

has it simply become a list of dos and don'ts? We need to learn and

obey the commands, but always with the understanding that the


commands are there to help us love our Creator better, and help us

love people better. If the commands become an end unto themselves,

they are not serving their purpose.

Focus on love first, then work out the details of the

commandments. Remember, if we don't have love, all our efforts are

simply vanity.


Relearn who our God really is.

Many of us that grew up in church were presented with a God

that was mean and harsh in the Old Testament and then magically

transformed into a merciful and loving God in the New Testament.

However, our God never changes. This concept of radical change can

take some time to unlearn.

As you are reading, take special note of how YHVH is described,

so you can get to know Him all over again. How does He describe

Himself? How does He want to be worshipped? How does He deal

with mankind, and His children specifically?

I found that prayer was particularly difficult at first. I wasn't sure

how to approach Him, and the way I had always prayed just didn't

seem appropriate anymore. My husband and I began praying the

Amidah as well as our own personal prayer, and it helped us

tremendously. The Amidah, a traditional Jewish prayer, is full of

Scriptures and helps you to see and focus on YHVH's amazing

attributes. I highly recommend that you either pray the Amidah, or try

praying through the Psalms. They will help you get to know your

Elohim again.


Don't forget to share the joy of what you are learning

with your children.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your might.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them

when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and

when you lie down, and when you rise.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as

frontlets between your eyes.

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your

gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

One of the most important parts of this journey is the sacred act

of passing truth on to our children. So many times in Scripture, the

Children of Israel got in trouble when they failed to teach their

children about YHVH. Even King David had trouble with his children

because he did not take the time to pass his faith on to them. Let us do

better.

There are so many ways to teach your children about Torah and

Yeshua's redeeming work on our behalf. You can make it part of your

school day if you homeschool. You can read Scripture together in the


morning or the evening or at lunch. You can have a special time of

teaching on Shabbat, either at home or with a group of other families.

You can redirect your children with Scripture when they make bad

choices and need discipline. The best approach would be to do all of

the above.

Torah Family Living is here to help you bring Torah right into

the center of your home. I hope you will spend some time exploring

around the site. Here are some links to get you started.

How to homeschool Torah

Teaching our children to fess up

Focus on today

Prep day checklist

And here is a list of the resources we have available to help you.

My First Torah – the Torah portions for young children

The Children's Ketubah Project – my book on commitment parenting

Bible Science Copywork – copywork for your science lovers

Torah Portion Copywork – a passage to copy from each Torah portion

Psalm 119 Copywork – learn Hebrew as you copy

Torah Portion Writing Prompts – writing ideas based on Torah

I look forward to getting to know you better. Shalom, Heidi Cooper


Documents

Beginners guide to Torah Living - Amazon S3guide+to+Torah+Living.pdf · A Beginner's Guide to Torah Living Trust in YHVH with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding