The book of Jonah – the end of the Day of Atonement

Posted by Eli Dahan on November 8, 2009 under Biblical Hebrew | Be the First to Comment

The book of Jonah is one of the fascinating books in the bible. Jonah the prophet tries to escape his mission to tell the people of Nineveh that the end is near, that they have made so many sins that the Almighty decided to destroy them. The question that always arises to me when I am reading the book is what is the main theme of the book, because it is really understood that Jonah realized that his prophecy wouldn’t be correct, and this is the reason that he tried to escape from God.

Jonah the prophet

When I am speaking about the incorrectness, I mean off course, that the message that Jonah will bring to people of Nineveh is destruction but at the end of the book the city was still standing because they decided to regret and The Lord forgave them as written

In Jonah 3:8-10-

" וְיָשֻׁבוּ, אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה, וּמִן-הֶחָמָס, אֲשֶׁר בְּכַפֵּיהֶם.  מִי-יוֹדֵעַ יָשׁוּב, וְנִחַם הָאֱלֹהִים; וְשָׁב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ, וְלֹא נֹאבֵד.  וַיַּרְא הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת-מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, כִּי-שָׁבוּ מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָעָה; וַיִּנָּחֶם הָאֱלֹהִים, עַל-הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת-לָהֶם–וְלֹא עָשָׂה"

"Let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger that we perish not?’ And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, which He said He would do unto them; and He did it not"

In order to answer the question we need to see the answer in the end of the book

When god is making Jonah to realize that he has pity for everyone, even the sinners, like Jonah had a pity to the castor-oil plant.

castor-oil plant

The Day of Atonement is the day that The Lord has pity for all the sins that we have made in the last year, and hopefully that he will spare us like he did to the people of Nineveh! The end of the book is the end that we wish for!

Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

            Hebrew

Transcription

Translation

חָס

hās

Spared

קִיקָיוֹן

qîqāyôn

Castor-oil plant

חָזַר בִּתְשׁוּבָה

Hāzar bitšûbāh

Repent

יוֹנָה

yônāh

Jonah

נָבִיא

bî’

Prophet

 Eli@eteachergroup.com

[smartads]

who the hell is Azazel?

Posted by Eli Dahan on June 30, 2009 under Bible, Biblical Hebrew, Jewish Folklore | 2 Comments to Read

Who was Azazel?

According to the scriptures, Azazel was the evil spirit in the wilderness to whom a scapegoat was sent on the Day of Atonement. The ceremony commenced when the high priest cast lots over two goats: one was designated to the Lord and offered as a sin offering, while the other was for Azazel and outcast in the desert as part of Yom Kippur

the two goats for the ceremony

The high priest symbolically placed the iniquities and transgressions on the head of this goat which was banished into the wilderness, thereby removing the sins to a distant desolate place. Leviticus 16:8-10

“וְנָתַן אַהֲרֹן עַל-שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִם, גֹּרָלוֹת–גּוֹרָל אֶחָד לַיהוָה, וְגוֹרָל אֶחָד לַעֲזָאזֵל. וְהִקְרִיב אַהֲרֹן אֶת-הַשָּׂעִיר, אֲשֶׁר עָלָה עָלָיו הַגּוֹרָל לַיהוָה; וְעָשָׂהוּ, חַטָּאת. וְהַשָּׂעִיר, אֲשֶׁר עָלָה עָלָיו הַגּוֹרָל לַעֲזָאזֵל, יָעֳמַד-חַי לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו–לְשַׁלַּח אֹתוֹ לַעֲזָאזֵל, הַמִּדְבָּרָה.”

“And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for Azazel . And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for the LORD, and offer him for a sin-offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before the LORD, to make atonement over him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.”

Also in Leviticus 16:26:

“וְהַמְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת-הַשָּׂעִיר, לַעֲזָאזֵל–יְכַבֵּס בְּגָדָיו, וְרָחַץ אֶת-בְּשָׂרוֹ בַּמָּיִם; וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן, יָבוֹא אֶל-הַמַּחֲנֶה.”

“And he that letteth go the goat for Azazel shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.”

What does “Azazel” meanas?

Azazel is an enigmatic name from the Hebrew Scriptures and Apocrypha The name Azazel is a combination of the words Azaz (“rugged”) and El (“God”).

azazel

Jewish rabbis, interpreting “Azazel” as Azaz and el, refer it to the rugged and rough mountain cliff from which the scapegoat was cast down on Yom Kippur when the Jewish Temples in Jerusalem stood. A few modern commentators have suggested that Azazel was the name of a desert demon.

In the kabbalistic and midrashic literature, Azazel is considered to be a composite name for two fallen angels, Uza and Azael, who had come down to earth at the time of Tubal Cain and had become corrupted in their ways.

In Modern Hebrew slang “go to Azazel” means “go to hell.I wish you all to go to heaven!!!

main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Hebrew

Transcription

Translation

עֲזָאזֵל 

Ăzā’zēl

Azazel

יוֹם כִּפּוּר 

Yôm kippûr

The day of atonement

כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל 

Kohēn gādôl

High priest

עֵז

ēz

Goat

לַעֲזָאזֵל 

Ăzā’zēll

Damn! , Hell!

Eli@eteachergroup.com

[smartads]