ARAMAIC STUDY – LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE – NANOOHAR NOOHARKVA
ננהר נוהרכו Nun Nun Hei Resh Nun Vav Hei Resh Kap Vav
Matthew 5:15-16: “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Today I was feeling sorry for myself because I just do not have the opportunity to speak to live audiences. Speaking to a live audience has so many dynamics that speaking into a recording or doing a live Facebook or Zoom meeting do not have. I not only love to speak, but everyone who hears me tells me how good I am at it. Yet, here I am just writing and doing my Facebook and Zoom thing. Over and over I ask God why but then today I reflected on an old song or hymn made popular around 1910 – 1920 by Billy Sunday.
Back at the turn of the 20th Century a brilliant young woman named Ina Duley Ogdon was selected to be on the Chautauqua Circuit. This was back in the early 1900’s before radio and television and people had little opportunity to attend colleges or listen to an educated lecture. Thus, the Chautaugua Circuit was created as a traveling college so to speak and became an extremely prestigious lecture circuit supported by President Theodore Roosevelt himself..
Those chosen to lecture and teach would travel all over the United States, set up tents and speakers would deliver lectures on many subjects including Christianity. Young Ina was a gifted orator and this was her life dream to travel and lecture. But just before leaving her father was injured in an accident and she felt obligated to turn down this chance of a life time to remain with her father and care for him. Although she did not begrudge her duty to care for her father she was confused as to why God gave her such an opportunity to spread his Gospel and the gift of oratory to deliver that message and then just snatch it away.
One day as she cried her heart out to God as to why she could not use her gifts in such a prestigious manner she read Matthew 5:16: “Let you light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” She suddenly realized her only duty was to let her light shine through any venue God gave her even if only in her own community. She found peace in her calling soon wrote these words: “Here for all your talent you may surely find a need, here reflect the Bright and Morning Star. Ever from your humble hand the bread of life may feed brighten the corner where you are.”
These are the initial words to the song that she wrote: “Brighten the Corner Where You Are.” Billy Sunday picked it up and it became like his theme song, like “How Great Thou Art” became with Billy Graham.
But what does that mean to let your light shine. I remember as a child in Sunday School we would hold up our index finger and sing: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, shine shine.” But I never really understood what that meant. For one thing why would you hide a light in the first place? Some commentators suggest that this was the Chanukah Menorah which was kept out of sight from the Romans for fear of persecution. Maybe. More than likely it was a reference to homes which in that day had only one room and no place to hide any valuables if someone should visit. So, they would extinguish the light and invite the guest to step outside into the sunlight or moon light to talk, if they feared this visitor was casing the joint.
The word light in Greek in lycnnian which means a physical light or lampstand. It’s meaning is limited but the metaphoric implication is clear. However, the word used in the Aramaic is noohra which is a word with extremely broad meanings and would have great significance to those Semitic Aramaic speaking people listening to Jesus. Noohra means light but is has many many possible usages to the Semitic mind. Here are just a few usages of Noohra and what might have been going through the listener’s mind when Jesus said to let your light or noohra shine – teaching, enlightenment, brilliance, intelligence, the Torah, God’s presence, faith, forgiveness, humility, meekness, peace, justice, love and purity of heart.
What was happening to the Jewish people of Jesus’s day (and to Christians today) is that Israel’s Light as is the Light of the Christians has been buried under some many commentaries and teachings beyond Biblical study that their and our Light cannot shine through. Not only that Jewish teachers and leaders as with many Christian teachers and leaders focused their attention on matters that so interest people that they seek to build a platform rather than build the spiritual lives of the people they teach. There were many aspiring teachers who were never chosen to be discipled by a master teacher and so figured that would never have the chance to expressed their talents that God gave them as they had no real audience or platform. They did not have the right credentials like Peter, James, John and the other disciples, so they buried their talents.
Jesus was saying to let your noohra, your gifts, your teaching, enlightenment, brilliance, intelligence, Torah, God’s presence, faith, forgiveness, humility, meekness, peace, justice, love and purity of heart shine in your bita, you house. He did not say the temple, the synagogue, the city, nation or the world, He said your bita, you house.
In other words, brighten the corner where you are. So, I have a little corner, I drive a disability bus, I write for a blog and a subscription site. I have no major platform, no great following, I have only what God has given me but He expects me to brighten or spread my noohra in that little corner.
Oh, I just love your teachings. I have shared a few of them in my little corner of the online world on Facebook and I am sharing them with my family.
I have been struggling lately because I feel called by God to be a speaker and to partner with him as a healer but I have also been called to homeschool my children and my youngest is only 10. I have at least 7 more years of homeschooling before I am released from that and I’m actually feeling like I may be called to mentor other homeschooling moms in some capacity when my own journey is over… I feel pulled in so many directions and yet I have no doubt what you have written here is what I need to hear right now.
“Jesus was saying to let your noohra, your gifts, your teaching, enlightenment, brilliance, intelligence, Torah, God’s presence, faith, forgiveness, humility, meekness, peace, justice, love and purity of heart shine in your bita, you[r] house. He did not say the temple, the synagogue, the city, nation or the world, He said your house, you[r] house.”
A while back I found a beautiful painting of a butterfly and a flower in a thrift store. I picked it up because of it’s beauty, but was already struggling with feeling pulled in different directions. As I studied my painting, the thought came to me that I am like that flower in that I am to bloom where I am planted. I keep that painting where I see it everyday and yet, I needed the reminder from your writing here as confirmation of what I have been feeling – that God will open doors in His timing if my voice is to move beyond my home (and fb :) )
you shine light into my journey with the Lord. i can not bear to be in church or sit under someone else idea of what i should be hearing or doing. spending a lot of time learning to listen to my Father. i don’t always have time to listen to the FB bits you put out, but i have learned so much. don’t think at 58 i will be able to learn torah speak but having it explained to me lights up so many things in scripture i thought i knew or wondered about. a whole good deep light. thank you.
This is a wonderful post. I would like to take some of the ideas here and amplify them on my own blog, if that’s OK with you. I would, of course, cite you.
You are unique
You are true seeker of God
Majority wants to hear what they are used to and like
That is the reason you are not followed by millions
And it is truly precious what you are doing
I live in Northern Ireland and have been receiving your emails for quite a while now. I love your insight and revelation of the scriptures from the ancient Jewish perspective. Your daily writings have truly opened my eyes to truths I have never seen before throughout my journey walking with God from the age of eight years old. I just want to thank you and encourage you to continue to lighten this little corner of the world for in so doing I’m also shining in my little corner also.
Hello Chaim. Thank you for shining on those of us who enjoy your daily newsletter. I am kind of busy most days so I use your daily message as my daily devotional. My wife and I share it with each other and friends who will listen.
Regards, Stephen and Diane Ray
There have been many a morning when your insights have brightened the little corner of the world where I live as well as in corners of the lives I have shared them with. Please be blessed to know that just because you don’t receive comments doesn’t mean that you don’t touch many a life unbeknownst to you. Many times over.
I so love the light you shine here! I often share your insightful writings with others. Thank you for what you bring to this space and to the body of Christ!
You may not see the impact your little light has because you dont see it on many faces, as in a big audience, but it impacts ME, and I in turn let mine impact my little corner, my bita, and on it goes….like a tsunami!! Keep shining, please.
Thank you Chaim. This keeps it all in perspective. I feel on my bus I do the little I can (there are an awful lot of lonely broken people out there). I only said to my wife yesterday these people don’t need great theological expoundings, they need love care and acceptance for starters.
Your audience may be small but God is using you to speak and minister to me, to keep me firmly grounded, which is a real blessing from God to me.
God bless You!!!!
And….what you’ve shared reached Outback Queensland Australia this week and I shared it with a friend in NZ whose work touches people across the world……thank you.
That’s wonderful, and thank you for sharing!
Wonderful! I am experiencing this right now. This has been what God is teaching me in the season.
You certainly brighten the corner for me Chaim Bentorah! Love what you write. God has gifted you.
Well. I am only one small person, but your writing truly gives me understanding and really good help and encouragement, as in today’s lesson. For me, you are fulfilling God’s purpose. Please continue
From your corner to mine you shine. Thank you. Lots of us feel like we are not using our gifts, we forget to shine where we are.
Your teaching today is a lesson some believers have failed to learn yet. Some scripture to go along with it came to my mind.
Philippians 4:11
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Colossians 1:11
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
What an encouraging message today when there seems to be so much darkness! Just want to let you know how much your messages brighten the corners of my world with your insights into Gods word. Thanks much for you faithfulness.
Your exposé enlightened my concept of brighten the corner. Thank you so much for providing added clarity to an otherwise dimmed perception.
And you do spread your gift…