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The Earliest Form Of Hebrew Writing

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muman613:

--- Quote from: Sefardic Panther on November 26, 2009, 07:47:42 PM ---The hilonim in charge of the museum called the inscription on the pomegranite a forgery.

--- End quote ---

So what? Who cares what chilonim say... It is definately possible that during the period of the 1st Beit HaMikdash there may have been vessels which contained Ktav Ivrit script... I am looking for a reference to this particular artifact.

muman613:
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Siloam_inscription

Here is an artifact from the 1st temple period in Ktav Ivri:

The inscription records the construction of the tunnel in the 8th century BCE. It is among the oldest extant records of its kind written in Hebrew using the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet. Traditionally identified as a "commemorative inscription", it has also been classified as a votive offering inscription.

Sefardic Panther:
I want to make it clear that I am certainly not saying we should change all writing back to Ktav Ivri or Proto-Sinaitic. Since Ezra changed the font of the Torah to Ktav Ashurith (literally “Aramaic writing” the Hebrew font everyone today is familiar with) the halakha is that if a Torah is not written in Ktav Ashurith it is not Kosher. We need to study examples of early Hebrew writing to understand the origin and meaning of the language. And to make it clear that there is a big distinction between the Hebrew alphabet (Ktav Ivri or Proto-Sinaitic) and the Aramaic alphabet (the alphabet that all Hebrew must now be written with).

That may seem rather ironic that all Hebrew must be written with the Aramaic alphabet. I think the significance of Aramaic is that it is a direct channel to Hashem. When anyone prays in Hebrew the Malakim say to Hashem why are you listening to that rasha. But they cannot understand prayers said in Aramaic. That is way the Qadish must be said in Aramaic. The “angels” in Judaism are nothing like the angels in christianity/western culture. They are not children sitting on clouds playing harps they are terrifying and mischievous and they think all humans are lower than drek.

muman613:
I would not make such a statement concerning ALL the Melachim... While it is true that they argued against Hashem making Humanity in the first place, and they argued against giving the Jews the Torah at Sinai, but they are not All terrifying, nor are they all mischevious.

I can state for you a couple of good examples.... How are the three melachim which visited Abraham all terrifying and mischevious? Each one was on a separate mission, one to inform Abraham and Sarah they would have Yitzak, one to destroy Sdom, and one to heal Abraham. In this case two of the three were on missions of goodness (if not all three, because destruction of Sdom was for the good).

Also on Shabbat we have the custom of singing Shalom Alechem on Friday night. This song discusses the angels which we create on Shabbat, if we create a good Shabbat we create good Melachim, if we create a bad Shabbat a bad Malach is created. So this reveals that we believe that there are good angels.

References:

http://www.torah.org/advanced/sfas-emes/5765/vayishlach.html


--- Quote ---    

Parashat Vayishlach
By Dr. Nosson Chayim Leff
Sfas Emes, Zechuso Tagein Aleinu, Parashat Vayishlach, 5631/37/38


...

But there is a difference between Shabbos and yemei hama'aseh. During the week, we encounter HaShem in the form of forces of nature -- i.e., mal'achim ('angels'; messengers; agents). By contrast, on Shabbos -which HaShem blessed -- all creation is elevated, enabling us to have a closer relationship with Him. (Note an implication that follows from the Sfas Emes's formulation. To facilitate the closer relationship with HaShem on Shabbos, we abstain from contact with 'mal'achim' on that special day. Hence, to avoid engagement with the world of action (asiya), on Shabbos, doing melacha is prohibited.)

Understanding the connection between Shabbos and the weekdays is crucial. To aid our understanding on this subject, we go to the ma'amar of another year (5638), where the Sfas Emes sums up on the connection. During the week, we deal with Teva (i.e., the mal'achim, the forces of Nature). Doing mitzvos in the world of Nature requires action; in particular, actions in accordance with HaShem's will. Hence, by doing mitzvos, we subordinate the world of Nature and human actions to HaShem. Chazal express this mastery over the mal'achim by saying, in figurative term, that by performing mitzvos, we create 'mal'achim tovim' ('good angels').

More generally, by going about our daily lives in full recognition that Nature is HaShem's handiwork (and not vice versa), we can achieve what the Torah (Shemos, 20, 9) has in mind (in the Sfas Emes's non-pshat reading): " Six days shall you work, ve'asisa kol me'lachte'cha". That is, on the six workdays, we can "create all of our angels". Then, having achieved this "Tikun Ha'ma'asim", we can come close to HaShem on Shabbos. We return now to the text of the Sfas Emes in the year 5637.
--- End quote ---

Sefardic Panther:
Yes the 3 Malakim who visited Avraham were on a mission from Hashem as you said. When ever Hashem orders the Malakim to carry out a mission they will do it happily. But the Malakim themselves still do not care much for humans.

The Malakim we create when we do Mitzvos are a completely different type of Malakim. I was talking about the heavenly hosts in Hashem’s throne room - the Keruvim, the Serafim, the Hashmalim etc.   

I would love to know is there anyone on this forum that can speak Aramaic fluently from studying the Gemara.

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