A Word to The Wise (Chokmah)

Who is wise and understanding among you?

1 Thessalonians 5:23 – And may the G-D of shalom Himself set you apart for special use fully and completely [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to G-D]; and may your spirit and mind and body be tended to carefully in all respects and completely [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Proverbs 9:10 – NAS – The reverential, worshipful fear of YHWH is the beginning of chokmah (wisdom), And the da’at (knowledge) of (with) the Holy One is biynah (understanding).

 Proverbs 9:10 – BHS – תְּחִלַּ֣ת חָ֭כְמָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים בִּינָֽה׃

In yesterday’s Beit Midrash (House of Study), I assigned the task of studying the phrase ‘wisdom, knowledge and understanding’.  It is G-D’s will and my prayer that we have this in great measures.

Give to us, ADONAI ELOHEINU, Your Ruach of chokmah, biynah, and da’at.

I suggested that these three attributes correspond nicely to the entirety of our beings.  These lend life-giving insight into what’s required of me for maturing in His Ruach.

Chokmah – Wisdom for the Physical me (body) – Are my behaviors AND words in agreement with His?  Do I treat others by extension of my physicality with KINDNESS (facial expressions included)?   I either DO or I DO NOT.  Again, ought my behavior be imitated?  Don’t simply ask yourself…ask someone you encounter often. (Be open to receive admonishment!)

Biynah – Understanding for the Mental me (mind) – Am I thinking upon and agreeing with His High Counsel, attaining this NEW way of thinking (the Mind of Mashiach)?

Da’at – Knowledge/Intimacy/Oneness for the Spiritual me (spirit/ruach) – Do I allow my emotions to be continually satisfied in His Enveloping Presence?   Do I seek that which my spirit ultimately longs for in HIM, the Only One able to fulfill this seemingly endless chasm?

How must I allow myself to be navigated in order to get ‘There’?

 We talked about the Great Purposes of G-D in brokenness and oppression.

Psalms 51:17 – NAS – The sacrifices of G-D are a broken (shabar/broken down/shattered) spirit; A broken (shattered) and a contrite (dakah/oppressed, pressed by a crushing back and forth motion) heart [mind], O G-D, You will not despise.

Psalms 51:17 – BHS – זִֽבְחֵ֣י אֱלֹהִים֮ ר֪וּחַ נִשְׁבָּ֫רָ֥ה לֵב־נִשְׁבָּ֥ר וְנִדְכֶּ֑ה אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לֹ֣א תִבְזֶֽה׃

Isaiah 57:15 – NAS – For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite (dakka/oppressed) and lowly of spirit In order to revive (make ALIVE!) the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart [mind] of the contrite.

Isaiah 57:15 – BHS – כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֜ר רָ֣ם וְנִשָּׂ֗א שֹׁכֵ֥ן עַד֙ וְקָדֹ֣ושׁ שְׁמֹ֔ו מָרֹ֥ום וְקָדֹ֖ושׁ אֶשְׁכֹּ֑ון וְאֶת־דַּכָּא֙ וּשְׁפַל־ר֔וּחַ לְהַחֲיֹות֙ ר֣וּחַ שְׁפָלִ֔ים וּֽלְהַחֲיֹ֖ות לֵ֥ב נִדְכָּאִֽים׃

Isaiah 66:2 – NAS – “For My hand made all these things Thus all these things came into being declares YHWH. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite (nakeh/crushed, lame/’spice’ through rubbing seeds) of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’

Isaiah 66:2 – BHS – אֵ֙לֶּה֙ יָדִ֣י עָשָׂ֔תָה וַיִּהְי֥וּ כָל־אֵ֖לֶּה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶל־זֶ֣ה אַבִּ֔יט אֶל־עָנִי֙ וּנְכֵה־ר֔וּחַ וְחָרֵ֖ד עַל־דְּבָרִֽי׃

Additionally, we have looked intently at what it means to ‘lean not on our own understanding’.   Consider what it might look like when we DO ‘stumble in our own understanding’ (‘common nonsense’, for that is what it is)?  Today, I’d like for us to consider just one word:  chokmah

There is an ART to Becoming ONE with G-D’s Ruach:   It includes an intentional and necessary setting apart of  TIME/SPACE in order to BE SET APART in TIME and SPACE.  So, not only is the ACT of prayer/meditation/praise HOLY (set apart), but what PROCEEDS is (1) greater HOLY.

It is the will of The Most High to mature you with chokmah, biynah and da’at.  At the very least, we must comprehend that anything less is leaning on our own ‘common nonsense’.

The Scriptures tie chokmah to our ACTIONS, not merely mental assent.  

We can’t ‘AMEN!’ the preacher when we aren’t agreeing with The Ruach actively.  Yeshua’s Brother Ya’akov admonishes the languishing soul:

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him demonstrate it by his good way of life, by actions done in the humility that grows out of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don’t boast and attack the truth with lies! ¹⁵ This wisdom is not the kind that comes down from above; on the contrary, it is worldly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there will be disharmony and every foul practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, kind, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And peacemakers who sow seed in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Have you considered ‘The Eight’ above that make a wise, understanding peacemaker?

It is a TRUTH of vital importance that we cannot have ‘ONENESS with His Ruach’ while REFUSING oneness with our sister/brother.

There is no chokmah in one who speaks harshly to, or treats with contempt another soul (Remember Sarai?).

Will I be intentional with each day to look after, care for and make sure that the entirety of my being is BEING sanctified [body-mind-spirit]?

In accordance with His Mirror of Truth, I hope you choose WISELY and thus, encourage others to do so as well!

Shabbat Shalom, Wise Mereas and Baruch HaSHEM!

(1) Luke 11:13