Psalms 32:8

In an attempt to reconnect to the Hebrew Roots of our Faith, EDN is facilitating its Hebrew Academy: The quest for Hebrew roots may be unsettling to some. We all tend to be creatures of habit. No one likes to have long-held viewpoints challenged or established practices questioned. Change is often disturbing. However many believers are feeling that there is something missing and that there is more tor life. In many of the believer's walk, the missing link is Torah. Torah is not law as we know it. Torah is Yahweh's teaching and produces good fruit (blessings). Torah has nothing to do with religion; it teaches one how to relate to a Holy Father and how to relate to one another. The goal of this study is to strengthen the believers understanding of its foundations through both thought and action.

To explore and to understand the Hebrew roots of our faith is to expand and to enrich our experience. The roots of our faith run deep into Hebrew soil. Though the Hebrew heritage of the Church is rich and extensive, many believers are regrettably uniformed about it. Most of it has been treated both passively and superficially, or more often, it has simply been left unexplored.

Historically, theological information has been housed within libraries, seminaries, yeshivas and the minds of great religious scholars, For too long, an immense gap has existed between the world of the scholar (where most theological information is housed) and the general public (where this life-changing information is needed the most).

The four areas where the Torah affects the believer's life are spiritual, mental, physical and financial.

Spiritual
Yahweh (Creator, Father, I AM) is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Torah is the word of Yahweh spoken from the mouth of Yahweh to Moses to teach the children of Israel how to walk a redeemed life.

Mental
For who has known or understood the mind (counsels, and purposes) of Yahweh so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Yahweh and do hold the thoughts of His heart. When we study Yahweh's word (Torah) and apply it, He will cause our thoughts to be in line with His will.

Physical
Yahweh has given us instructions in His Torah about how to care for our (temple) body and keep it healthy. We are the temple of the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit). Yahweh gave us instructions on how to keep our temples clean and healthy (Lev. 11:2-47).

Financial
Blessings follow obedience to Yahweh's Torah. This book of the law(Torah) shall not depart our of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate in it day and night, that thou may observe and do according to all that is written therein; for then shall thy make thy way prosperous and have good success (Jos.1:8).

Yahshua (Jesus) teaches that the wise man builds his house upon a strong foundation.

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." (Matthew 7:24)

Life is filled with surprises some good and some not so good. We are living in explosive, violent, and turbulent times. We are daily assaulted with floods of information, winds of change, and storms of war. To withstand this daily assault we must build on a strong foundation. Therefore we at the EDN Hebrew Academy are dedicated to build a community that will help believers in Yahweh build upon a strong foundation. Contained within the Torah, the Self-Revelation of Yahweh, is everything we need to know to be prepared for whatever life may bring us. Unfortunately many of these revelations remain hidden to believers because they have been cut off from their Hebrew Roots. The purpose of our teaching material is to help and encourage believers to discover their Hebrew Roots, and to begin walking in the light of Yahweh's truth that they may build upon a strong foundation.

The Torah - A Way of Life

Contrary to what many believe, the Torah is not for those who are yet unregenerate. It is not a way of salvation. The only function it serves to the non-believer is to point out their sin and show the need of salvation. It is also clear the Bible teaches that Torah is to be the way of life for the redeemed community.
In Deuteronomy 30:14-15 we read;

"But the word is very near you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may observe it. See, I have set before you today life and prosperity."

Jeremiah 31:33 emphasizes for the believer:
"I shall put My Torah within them, and on their heart I will write it."

The words of Torah are our life (Deuteronomy 32:47), when we study Torah, we can learn a great deal about Yahweh and His eternal attributes. And when we practice Torah, we are therefore practicing that which is holy, righteous, and good. We are also participating in our new life - the life of Yahweh. Torah also serves as a book of reminders. Reminders, that we are the people of Yahweh, the "called out ones." The Torah describes a lifestyle of built-in daily, weekly, and yearly reminders.

Daily Reminder - The Tzitit

In Numbers 15:37-40, we read; "and you shall have the fringe, that you may look upon it and remember..." As we look upon the fringes of the garments we are reminded of whom we are and what Yahweh expects of us. They serve as reminders that we are called upon to be doers of the word and not merely hearers. They serve to remind us to behave in a manner consistent with our calling.

Weekly Reminder - The Shabbat

Yahweh has given us the gift of one day out of every seven - a day to remember who we are. He has given a day every week, a day without pressure. A day unrestricted by the regular demanding activities of the week. Yahweh speaks to us in His word about the wonderful gift that the Shabbat is in Isaiah 58:13-14. There we read:
"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and Yahweh's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in Yahweh, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."

Yearly Reminders - The Feast Days

Yahweh has given us in His Torah annual reminders through the yearly cycle of His appointed holy days or feasts in His Kingdom. These days were given by Yahweh to remember the great things He has done through the use of these yearly celebrations. Consider these days and what they teach us about Yahweh and our relationship to Him:

Why Should We Follow The Torah?

Much of the content of Torah is described using the word - Mitzvot - this word simply means "commandments." Many believers have problems with this concept found in the Tanakh (Old Testament).
They are quick to point out that we are under grace, not law. But this fails to take into consideration the fact that the New Covenant scriptures contain over 1,000 "commandments." Yahshua Himself said - "If you love me you will keep my commandments (mitzvot)."
What is the difference between the command to celebrate Yahweh's holy days and choosing elders to govern your fellowship? Both are commands. Who are we to judge which commands of Yahweh we are to obey?
Yahweh's word is not like a menu in a restaurant - where we can pick what we like, it is all His word!
Born For His Purpose,

Jerome and Alena Edmondson