Photo: Israelis Dancing On A Kibbutz In The 1940's.
“As a child dances for joy, so we too should allow ourselves to be led of The Ruach/Spirit Of YHVH
all Biblical forms of Praise and Worship - including Dance…Rahkaid L'YAH! Dance unto YAH”
מחול
In Defense Of Biblical Dance In Praise & Worship Unto YHVH:
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that Praise and Worship in corporate/mixed-dance is not allowed between men and women in Judaism, and that it never has been allowed, and that it is universally forbidden. Or you’ll hear others say that dancing in a circle is pagan and that it was never done by Israel. This article disproves those false notions, and gives a source for you to be able to defend against these attacks…
Choreographed Corporate Dance In Praise & Worship…
First of all: The context is not dancing or holding hands at a bar; rather the context is choreographed dance, unto YHVH, in Praise and Worship with a team of men, women, children, and families that are dedicated in ministry to serve YAH in offering up their lives as a sacrifice of Praise unto Him.
Most Messianic Congregations do allow for men and women dancing together, such as in the Hora; but some will appeal to supposed ‘final word’ Orthodox halakha saying that it is forbidden to do so. However there were many Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Oriental Orthodox communities that did so up until more recent times, and some that still do, have dance during celebrations and events with both men and women together (more on this later).
I’ve heard tons of people in the 20+ years that have witnessed Messianic Dance in Praise and Worship unto YAH, being done by men and women and even whole families, say how much it ministered to them, and especially that the men would be humble enough to join in and also dance unto YAH. – Holiness is one of the standards taught in most Dance ministries, and that is what I’ve seen demonstrated by our local dance team, of both men and women, for many many years now. It is a ministry to YAH, and a blessing of being in one accord in corporate worship – even for whole families.
Scripture declares that YHVH inhabits the praises of His people. Praise and Worship unto YHVH Led of His Ruach/Spirit in our liberty from Messiah, I believe is one of the last areas in these End-Times that the enemy hasn’t been able to fully get an inroad to be able to manipulate and compromise, and so he is in a major assault on this area of our walk with YAH. We then need to be in diligent prayer and intercession for our Praise and Worship teams, that they be shielded and enabled by YAH to continue to move in His Will alone.
NOTE: But before we move on in this study, let me make the following observations….
With some Congregations and Churches attitudes today: I shudder to think what would have happened to the woman who dared to wipe Yeshua/(Jesus') feet with her hair and kiss His feet. And also in view of the attitudes I see today: I ponder how for 200 or so years in this country, small Church communities in the U.S., who by their actions obviously understood that we are now supposed to be brothers and sisters in Messiah, could possibly have come together on occasion for a pot-luck dinner after a hard week's work, and actually dared to hold a square-dance and not have their out of wedlock birthrate going through the roof like it is today ! -(Sarcastic? Or just putting things into perspective!)
Of course the context of what we are discussing in this article is not secular dancing, even amongst Believers 100 + years ago in more noble generations than we see today; rather the context is: Praise and Worship unto YHVH by those who have dedicated their lives to minister unto Him, even as being in the Heavenly Courtyard, walking in His Righteousness, apart from self.
There are those who’ve raised the contention that corporate/mixed-dancing is providing a temptation to enter into sin by one having any contact whatsoever with the opposite sex. – But my answer to that is: Messianic Dance in Praise and Worship unto YHVH is not entertainment, nor is it something to be done by those who are walking in the flesh apart from the Spirit. Rather: It is, like any other ministry, to be done by those who recognize that we are Brother’s and Sister’s in the Body of Messiah, one in the Spirit/Ruach of YHVH. Anyone who would be tempted by a brief contact with the opposite sex, such as a touching of hand or shoulder during a choreographed dance in Worship unto YHVH, doesn’t have their eyes on YHVH to begin with while they’re ministering unto Him. – This shows then that their walk remains to a degree in the flesh, and that they shouldn’t be on a Worship Dance Team to begin with. It is NOT that all possible accommodations should be made, so any person who has a personal problem in this area and might become tempted, be removed at their request so they can partake of the activity; rather it is that: Those who have a problem in this area need to first sanctify themselves unto YHVH in His Holiness, by putting Him first so their eyes are fixed on Him….In their then being so caught up in His Love while they minister in worship and fellowship with Him, that the world around them has become so dim, that they only have eyes for and are only beholding Him.
Likewise: Those couples then who have a problem with their spouse dancing in a corporate/mixed-dance, should work out any problems of trust and faithfulness in their family BEFORE committing to a dance ministry, not after they’ve joined - nor should they even be expecting the Dance Team to restrict all or ½ of its members in what they can/can-not do, of what they have been Led to do in praise and worship fellowship with YAH. One attempting to forbid upon the entire Congregation any contact whatsoever during corporate/mixed dancing in public Praise & Worship in Dance unto YAH, to avoid any possible temptation that may at some point arise, would in a very real sense be akin to: The jealous husband requiring his wife to remain in a constant state of having to drink the “bitter water that causeth the curse -(Num.5:18-22.)”, to perpetually be proving her faithfulness ! Such misplaced legalism might show instead that there’s a personal problem that those individuals themselves need to deal with.
All this was given in the context of a Praise and Worship Ministry Dance Team; but there are other occasions where the Body at large would have a corporate/mixed-dance, such as in the Hora-dance or the Congregation being invited to partake in a group dance during a particular song; but even in those situations: The individual families need to establish their OWN guidelines on how or if they’ll enter into this activity; but NOT be trying to impose their personal restrictions on the Body at large; because even in these cases while it is a group Praise dance, instead of Dance Ministry Team Worship in dance, it is still fellowship WITH YHVH, and is not to be just mundane interacting with one another…and so in this too the focus of all foremost must be on YHVH.
This can be extended by example to other ministries: When the music team is up front during scheduled Praise and Worship time, does whoever want to just jump up and grab one of the instruments and start playing? Should the music team make accommodations so whoever wants to can come up during scheduled ministry in song and grab the microphone? Should the music team be told they are forbidden to play certain songs unto YHVH, that a couple of the Congregations’ members might have a person objection to? Of course not!...as those who minister to YHVH on the music team must be made up of those who are sanctified unto Him to be in that ministry, who’s focus is putting YHVH first, and leading the Congregation to enter into Praise and Worship in music unto Him.
Part of the problem I believe then is that: There are some who view choreographed dance by the Dance Team during scheduled Praise and Worship as just a fun event that they should be allowed to enter into when and however they want to, and to be able to dictate to it as if it was a democracy, instead of a Ministry.
It is important to note here that in the Tabernacle, and in the 1st Temple (and in the 2nd Temple pre-Herod), there was no court of the Gentiles nor court of the women. There was only: The Outer Court, The Inner Court, and The Holy of Holies. And Messiah Yeshua/(Jesus) in His Word declares that we are now a Royal Priesthood, a nation of priests/priestess’, and that the middle wall of partition is now broken down. While many of the modern Orthodox in Judaism try to bring that partition back up with a rope down the center isle (and it seems that some Messianics would like to follow that same tradition), let’s look at earlier Orthodox Judaic beliefs and practices more closely….
A few references to Orthodox & Judaic practices, both old and modern, in regards to corporate/mixed-dancing:
{A brief overview}
1.) Oriental Jewry - [NOTE: The Sephardi-Oriental/Yemenite Judaic communities are considered the closest to Biblical practices in their culture, language–since they were the most isolated in their region, and separated from Ashkenazi European influence.]:“There are many communities, such as the Moroccans, Georgians, Libyans, and Ethiopians, in which spontaneous group folk dancing is important, yet the Jews of Yemen and Kurdistan Jewry are among the most prominent traditional cultures attributing dynamic importance to dance in the daily and festive life of the community. Dance among the Jews born in Yemen comprises stylistic diversity characteristic of urban and rural settlements as well as including women and men. Dancing usually takes place during ceremonies and celebrations…” *[Jewish Dance from the Bible to Hasidism / By Dvora Lapson-(director of the Dance Education Department of the Board of Jewish Education in New York, and was an instructor in Jewish dance education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.) and Amnon Shiloah-(Professor of Musicology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.) – {From Encyclopedia Judaica 22 Volume Set 2nd edition by Skolink, Fred (editor), 2006.} - http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=2694
2.) Kurdistan Jewry– “…The history of the community began well before the destruction of the First Temple and continued for many generations. Ancient tradition has it that Jews were settled in Kurdistan 2,800 years ago, part of the Ten Tribes dispersed by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser. Kurdish Jews identify themselves as amongst those described in the Prophets: “…the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deported the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, at the [River] Habor, at the River Gozan…” (2Kings 17:6), places which are in fact within the Kurdistan region…. During celebrations and parties there was no separation between men and women; holding hands, they danced folkloric dances together….”
*http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/kurdish-women
3.) European Jewry - On Hassadic customs of separation replacing the older mix-dancing practices: “…For Jews living in a Germanic, Slavic, or Hungarian ethnic environment, dancing became the focus of ethical strictures, unceasingly repeated by the rabbis…contra dance and couple dance formations, in some of which the partners of opposite sexes held one another by the hand or waist. In contra dances, the couple figures were distributed among a changing series of partners and at times combined line and couple formations….In Eastern Europe, the peasantry adopted these dances at various periods after the seventeenth century…. As Hasidism assumed its mature form in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, it ritualized and sacralized many aspects of Jewish life…Southern European non-Hasidic communities sometimes preserved the pre-Hasidic popular custom of dancing without handkerchiefs….”*[ http://www.yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Dance/An_Overview]
4.) Austro-Hungarian Transylvania Jewry – “…a Neolog wedding allowed for mixed-sex dancing. Gypsy musicians were hired for Jewish weddings, and played a few Jewish songs (usually "Belz" alongside various Yiddish theater songs and a few Sabbath zmiros) while providing csardas music for dancing….*[ http://www.dinayekapelye.com/jmromania.htm]
5.) U.S. & Great Britan / Orthodox mixed dancing 1960-1961: ”…by 1960, in Great Britain, like in the United States, the majority of Orthodox Jews saw nothing religiously wrong with mixed dancing at social events, even in the synagogue…the rabbis either saw nothing really wrong with it, or justified it as a lesser of evils or they saw nothing at all….finally - the Jewish Chronicle did the sensible thing and asked various British rabbis their view and found that "Ministers Divided on Mixed Dancing (January 13, 1961). They asked 11 United Synagogue rabbis (called Ministers). Eight said there was nothing wrong with mixed dancing, two declined to comment and only one said it was wrong….*[ http://onthemainline.blogspot.com/2011/06/great-mixed-dancing-controversy-of-1960.html]
6.) “Rabbi Senter acknowledged that "in the past" many Orthodox congregations had allowed social dancing at synagogue events….”*[Is Dancing Kosher? Jews Struggle to Define Orthodoxy – { http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/28/nyregion/is-dancing-kosher-jews-struggle-to-define-orthodoxy.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm}
7.) *Negiah(Hebrew: נגיעה),[1] literally "touch," is the concept in Halakha that forbids or restricts physical contact with a member of the opposite sex…”The laws of Negiah are typically followed by Orthodox Jews, with varying levels of observance….Adherents of Conservative and Reform Judaism do not usually follow these laws.” *[http://www.ask.com/wiki/Negiah?qsrc=3044]
*Regarding “Tznius” / Negiah (rulings based on interpretations of mainly one section at the close of one Tractate of Talmud),these only appears to be a “universal codified halakha in Judaism” in its present modern day form, because it was expanded and re-interpreted into a stricter application from the 19th century on by the Hassidic ultra-Orthodox community, starting in Europe (although it wasn’t adopted in South Europe for a long time by the Rabbinic Communities who disagreed with the Hassidim stricter interpretations.) These Frum/Hassidic rulings did not fully take place in the U.S. and England until 1960/61; and they never took effect in the ancient Rabbinic Judaic communities in the Oriental/Mid-East that were isolated from the European influence of this Hassidic movement. – Historical evidence shows that mixed-dancing for celebrations and events were permitted and considered proper including in Synagogues in Orthodox communities in various countries including Europe and elsewhere, until the later Hassidic rulings finally became widespread in more modern times.
Here is more on the earlier practices of Orthodox Judaism regarding this subject…
Historical understandings in Orthodox Judaism permitting corporate/mixed dancing, until the 19th century Hassidic strict re-interpretations of Tznius in Talmudic literature:
“…Decisors from among the Ahronim (later authorities) disagree regarding touching and are not of one mind even regarding embracing and kissing that are not in “an endearing manner.” ShaKh (R. Shabbetai ben Meir ha-Kohen, Lithuania, 1621–1662) maintained that “even Maimonides only prohibited when one embraces and kisses in a manner of sexual endearment, for we have found in the Talmud in several places that the Amoraim would embrace and kiss their daughters and their sisters” (Siftei Kohen, Yoreh De’ah 157:10). R. Moses Feinstein, a leading American posek, permitted using public transport in New York, even though “it is difficult to prevent touching and bumping against women,” for the reason that “this is not a lustful and endearing manner,” and therefore does not entail “even a Rabbinical prohibition” (Iggerot Moshe, Even ha-Ezer, vol. 2, para. 14). Contemporary poskim who seek to intensify gender separation tend to excessively stress the severity of this prohibition, to include it in the category of prohibitions connected with menstrual impurity, and thereby magnify the severity of the ban on mixed dancing. Dancing was conducted in various Jewish communities in medieval Europe. A noteworthy phenomenon was the institutionalization of dancing in Ashkenazic communities; special public buildings were erected for this purpose. The earliest testimony to the construction of such a building is from the late thirteenth century (1290), in the community of Augsburg (see Friedhaber 1984: 94). Many communities possessed dance houses, and some localities even engaged in mixed dancing, under the supervision and partial limitation of communal regulations; this activity was under the guidance and with the approval of the communal rabbis and sages…. In the first half of the twentieth century, the religious Zionist youth groups and the religious kibbutzim movement engaged in mixed horah dancing… Beginning in the early nineteenth century, this degree of flexibility generally waned in ultra-Orthodox circles… this trend intensified, beginning in the middle of the twentieth century, and resulted in many additional stringencies….The religious Zionist society in Erez Israel, before and after the establishment of the state, until the 1960s…This attitude was clearly influenced by a principle from the time of R. Eliezer ben Joel of Bonn, that, on the grounds of “regilut,” mixed activity by boys and girls or men and women would not necessarily result in sexual stimuli. The ideals of female equality and the participation by women in all spheres of life also aided in justifying the a priori reality of a mixed society….”*[ http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/modesty-and-sexuality-in-halakhic-literature]
NOTE: If once reads all the above citation, (along with the earlier ones I gave prior to this one above – and various other historical articles regarding this subject one can look up on the internet): One sees that ‘touching’ was not strictly forbidden, as we can see from the earlier records of Orthodox communities across the world that we have. Indeed even in the Talmudic commentaries on the portion itself there are differing interpretation as to the times that touching would be considered inappropriate. Corporate/mixed-dancing in a religious context, as in Synagogues during celebrations and events, was sanctioned by the Rabbi’s and Sages, was frequent, and was not considered a sinful event…Until the Hassidim came to power much later on.
In addition to the comments above, there is one more Rabbinic quotation I’ll give that shows even more clearly that the Hassidic 19th century demands of imposing their restrictions against all touching of women, as being universal and forbidden in Judaism, is incorrect….
First a little background….
The Pharisees, contrary to what the Talmudic Agada would like you to believe, did NOT originate in Elijah’s, or even in Ezra’s time, but as the P’rush sect during the Maccabeen period. This can be looked up in Ency. Judaica and etc.. They comprised a very tiny percentage of the Israeli population, less than 1%, and were only fully in power in the Sanhedrin it seems from the time of Hillel the 1st, from 50 years or so before Yeshua Messiah’s birth, until 70 A.D. – or for about only 120 years of Israel’s 2200 or so years existence, from Abraham’s circumcision until the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 A.D.. By the 1st century, many (all) of the Pharisees had adopted the practice of not touching, nor even hardly speaking to women in public. This was also done because they held the view that women were considered inferior. There are plenty of commentaries that show that was their view of women. When the Tznius laws were expanded and re-interpreted in order to be practiced in a stricter sense by the Hassidim in the 19th century, it was done so by demanding to include Rabbinic additions to the Niddah laws of Torah to justify their stricter application. Today it is taken so far that in many branches of the Ultra-Orthodox no touching is permitted whatsoever aside from one’s wife, and some even not being allowed to touch/approach ones wife for ½ of the month on either side of a wife being “Niddah”. What shows this is NOT universal nor forbidden in Judaism, is that for seven centuries we have documentation in many countries, some even going back at least to the 1200’s, of corporate-mixed-dancing being permitted in Orthodox communities, allowed even in Synagogues, during events and celebrations overseen by the Rabbis and Sages – prior to the 19th century Hassidic rulings (as well as continuing today in those ancient Judaic communities that were isolated from European Hassidic influence, and even in the U.S. & England, and Israel until the Hassidim finally won out in the rulings of 1960/61.)
Besides the contentions in the commentaries on Talmud itself (such as by Maimonides who only prohibited a hug and even a kiss if done in a sexual manner/motivation) we also have conflicting statements in Talmud itself to the “Tznius” portion that is in the end of one tractate. One important Talmudic quote, that shows the modern Hassidim’s contentions are false and misleading, is quoted in full following….
This is by Rabbi Aha, who was quoted more often in the Jerusalem Talmud (which was finished some 200 years before the Babyl. Talmud) than he is in the Babylonian Talmud. - In Ketubot 17a we see: ‘Rabbi Aha took the bride on his shoulder and danced. The Rabbis asked him: “May we do the same?” He answered: “If the bride be on your shoulder like a beam, you may; otherwise not.”’ (i.e.: if apart from sexual motivation, yes, otherwise not.) – Hardly universal forbidding of all touching! And this is from one of the very Rabbi’s quoted in Talmud itself!
~
Choreographed & Round/Circle Dance: Hebrew Words & Historical Quotes Concerning Choreographed Dance…
Another argument one will sometimes hear is that the round or ‘circle dance’/(dancing in a circle) is only a pagan practice, and that it was never done by Israel in Praise and Worship unto YHVH; the following research shows that notion is not the case.
In looking at articles that are against any Dancing in Worship unto YHVH in Churches, I noted in particular authoritative-looking efforts by the Seventh Day Adventists to write against the use of Dance in Worship. At first glance they looked like they indeed had various proofs for their stance, until one looked closer at what they were actually saying, and at what their methods of arriving at their wrong conclusions were…
First of all their starting premises were invalid, and then they were backing those up using incomplete citations; such as in their dismissing the vast majority of sound scholarship on key points by making statements such as: ‘There is dispute among translators what this word means’…or…‘Different versions of Scripture vary as to what <this-or-that> actually means’. - So basically what they were doing in making a straw-man argument is: Taking what almost 100% of sound and valid scholarship agreed were proper understandings of certain key issues, and then they would re-state those majority views in brief making it appear as though they were only (perhaps) a minority-contention to what they-(those against dance) believed. Then they would attempt to bring the majority mainstream Conservative scholars’ proofs (in their making it sound only like they were but one, or only a minority of, many views) into question and doubt by quoting obscure secondary meanings of words…sometimes even quoting translators &/or translations who weren’t even using the Hebrew Tanakh/[O.T.] for their views…which views ARE minority-opinion contentions…and which contentions are contrary to what the Hebrew words in Scripture clearly mean in their Peshat-(literal, plain, in-context) usages…
It also appears that other articles written along these same lines (that are against Dance in Worship unto YHVH) are either quoting from the same article(s) &/or sources I outlined above; or else the article(s) is quoting from various other authors of different like articles. - We see this all too often when someone attempts to justify an incorrect belief/stance that they hold, in their making it appear as if they’ve somehow managed to prove the improvable: Finding someone who agrees with their incorrect views, and then quoting that next persons articles/writings as an ‘authority’, then again the next person after them comes along, also quotes both of their prior articles as authorities, and so on and on it goes. This can be illustrated all to well by the ‘Divine Name’ controversy in the last few years. I say controversy (where there never should have been a controversy) as now days there are tons of supposed ‘scholarship’ type articles written – each one referencing many other ‘supposed’ authorities to back up their individual views, on the dozen or so different ways today that these various groups insist that they, and they alone, have the one and only true correct way to say: YHVH &/or Yeshua. Yet it is painfully obvious that most all of them are incorrect, and they are basing their false beliefs on bogus pseudo-scholarship. It is all too easy in our hi-tech web based world, for those who do little if any research on their own, to suddenly appear as a scholar in their proof-texting of their invalid beliefs, by simply cut-&-pasting quotes from articles of others who likewise hold the same invalid beliefs.
I want to clarify here, that when I’m speaking of ‘majority-view’, I’m talking a majority of sound Hebrew linguistic and historical context scholarship; but I’m NOT necessarily speaking a majority of teachers nor their followers. A majority of ‘teachers’ may be wrong on any given subject (and often are); likewise a majority of people may (and often do) believe something is true, but they are in error. – I’m not speaking of a democratic process to establish something as being valid or not.
At the end of this study, I give a brief critique of one such ‘anti-Dance’ article, showing a bit more of what I just outlined above.
Hebrew Words For Dance…
In addition to the several words in Tanakh that specifically mean “Dance”: 16 out of 21 words (3/4ths) that were translated as 'Rejoice', have as part of their meaning & definition, common Dance moves or steps, and/or acts of Worship, like Singing or Praising. And these 16 words represent over 4/5ths-(176 of 209) of the translations of 'Rejoice'-(both it and all of its various tenses) that are so translated in the Tanakh/[Old Testament], as active outward expressions springing from ones Faith in YHVH in Praise and Worship unto Him.-(See URLs/Links for further research at the end of this section for more specific information on this.)Praise Worship and Rejoicing unto YHVH through Dance has been the custom of Israel for thousands of years, throughout all her generations, and in every place where the Jewish people have dwelt.
So we see there are quite a few words in Hebrew, besides those that specifically mean to dance, that also talk about dance and/or dance terms, in relation to Praise & Worship unto YHVH. And several of these Hebrew words also specify, or indicate: Round/circular, &/or a rotation/twirling motion in a circle…
Some of the main words used in Hebrew for dance that show round/circular-dancing: "…The Hebrew word chagag (hah-gahg Strong's #2287) means (kindred to the root chuwg [hoog]) to go round in a circle, hence-- (1) to dance ~ root word chuwg (#2328): -TO DESCRIBE A CIRCLE, TO DRAW A CIRCLE, as with a compass.~ Two other related words also yield the same basic theme: Strong's # 2329 is spelled and pronounced the same as #2328, chuwg (hoog): "a circle, sphere, used of the arch or vault of the sky," ~ Finally there is the Hebrew word chagah (hah-gah Strong's #2283). According to Strong it means: -from an unused root mean.(ing) to revolve ~ machol (mah-coal Strong's #4234) is also used several times in Scripture (in relation to Praise & Worship unto YHVH). It means: "a (round) dance" which comes from another root word (#2342) chul (hool)…” - http://www.bethhillel.com/pages.asp?pageid=85963
And again…
Hebrew words showing a circle/round-dance used in relationship to Dance in Praise and Worship to YHVH are used in several places in Tanakh, as in: Psalms 149:3 [*machol: 4234 in commentaries: a ‘round-dance’] Let THEM praise <01984> (8762) his name <08034> in the (ROUND/CIRCLE)-dance <04234>: let them sing praises <02167> (8762) unto him with the timbrel <08596> and harp <03658>. – Scholarship who notes this agrees that this was the form of dance that the Hebrew word describes here that the “THEM”-plural/group were commanded to do. – Another Hebrew word for dance indicating “whirling”/round-(Also see Edersheim’s quote later in this article below) is 2342/Khool, and is the Hebrew word used in Judges 21:21. – *Machol-(round/circle dance) is also used of dancing in: Psalms 150:4, and again in a PLURAL/group-dance in Jeremiah 31:13; and again in Lam.5:15.. There are also other places that a round/circle, or a whirling/twirling around in a circle, type of a dances are indicated by different Hebrew words in other places in Scripture.
*[Machol/Machowl: #4234 מחול machowl maw-khole' - from 'chuwl' (2342); a (round) dance:--dance(-cing)….{dance: Psa 149:3, Psa 150:4, Jer 31:13, Lam 5:15; dances: Jer 31:4; dancing: Psa 30:11.} Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: http://www.htmlbible.com/sacrednamebiblecom/kjvstrongs/STRHEB42.htm ]
But what does Rabbinic-Judaic Scholarship have to say about this?...
Shouldn’t the Rabbi’s and Rabbinic-Judaic Scholars also be saying the same things about whether the Hebrew speaks of a round or circle dance in Scripture or not, you might ask?...Of course!...And if you research you’ll see that when the Rabbi’s and Judaic-Rabbinic Scholars comment on this subject they say EXACTLY the same things as I have just covered on this topic! - Here is one source, but you can look up more yourself if you still doubt it…
From the Othodox web-site Shema Yisrael Torah Network (In assoc. with Yeshiva Pirchei Soshanim): 1. As the people of the sacred dance, we look forward to the fulfillment of our Beloved’s promise, where He refers to our people as the “Maiden of Israel”: “And I have loved you with an eternal love, therefore I have extended lovingkindness to you. I shall yet rebuild you and you shall be rebuilt, O Maiden of Israel; you will yet adorn yourself with drums and go forth in the round-dance of the joyful.” (Jeremiah 31:2,3) 2. The Hebrew word for round-dance is machol. In a literal sense, machol refers to a circle that encloses an open space (see Mishnah Kelaim 4:1). The Talmud describes a mystical machol of the righteous, who will form a circle around Hashem in the World to Come (Taanis 31a). In “The Book of Jeremiah” – a translation and commentary by Rabbi Joseph Breuer – machol is translated as “round-dance.” This noted work is published by Feldheim, and a pocket-size edition was also published: (www.feldheim.com) - http://www.shemayisrael.com/publicat/hazon/tzedaka/dancingprayer.htm
Dancing In The Brit-HaChadashah/(The New Testament)…
Though there is not near as much given in the Greek New Testament Scripture about dance as there is in Tanakh/[O.T.]; yet one very important reference is in Luke 15:25, where we see that: The context Yeshua/(Jesus) Messiah gives us here (Luke 15) with His parable of the “Prodigal-son”, is that the ‘father’ of the returning son, is representative of our Heavenly Father YAH, in the love He shows to those who repent and return unto Him. First of all I believe this shows conclusively that YHVH is NOT against dancing, because Yeshua would have never have used a profane example to illustrate to us our Heavenly Father’s love for us, as He used in His parable that everyone of the (F)ather’s household was rejoicing at the lost son’s return in *dancing, if dancing was considered profane by YHVH ! But besides this: The Greek word used here for dancing is very interesting and is also quite specific of it being a round/circular type of a dance that was spoken of…
*GREEK WORD FOR DANCING IN LUKE 15:25 –[CHOROS χορός -{STRONGS: 5525}- a band (of dancers and singers), circular dance…-(New Testament Greek Lexicon from Thayer's and Smith's Bible Dictionary, keyed to the 'Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.'): http://www.searchgodsword.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=5525 / {kai corwn}–(Also noted in the understanding of the English word “corral”) – And also note the meaning given in “Robertson’s Word Pictures Of The New Testament” as: “A circular dance on the green.”.]
Some people (believe it or not) actually believe that any dance that is choreographed is not Biblical! - Yet even the words that indicate whirling/twirling around (which are also in a circular/round motion), do not necessarily mean un-choreographed or wild at all. Yes, where David danced it is implied in the Hebrew word 3769 kaw-raw, which does indicate a wild type of dance; but the false notion some people have, of their incorrectly saying that YHVH ONLY intends in His Commands for us to Praise Him in Dance that is: un-Choreographed, &/or wild & disorganized, is ridiculous!...And the various Hebrew (and Greek) words that are employed, along with historical and various scholarship studies, certainly show otherwise!
Following is a quote from Edersheim noting in The Mishnah (& in Talmud), where it talks about the maidens of Jerusalem who danced "around in circle" on Yom Kippur during the Temple times...
The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, by Alfred Edersheim - Chapter 16, The Day of Atonement: Mishnah Taan. iv. 8 records: “...on the afternoon of the 15th of Ab, when the collection of wood for the sanctuary was completed, and on that of the Day of Atonement, the maidens of Jerusalem went in white garments, specially lent them for the purpose, so that rich and poor might be on an equality, into the vineyards close to the city, where they danced and sung. The following fragment of one of their songs has been preserved: * 'Around in circle gay, the Hebrew maidens see; From them our happy youths their partners choose. Remember! Beauty soon its charm must lose--And seek to win a maid of fair degree. When fading grace and beauty low are laid, Then praise shall her who fears the Lord await; God does bless her handiwork--and, in the gate, "Her works do follow her," it shall be said.'* The Talmud repeatedly states the fact and gives the song...though the reporter in the Mishnah is said to be none other than Rabbi Simeon, the son of Gamaliel, Paul's teacher.”
Here is another quotation from Edersheim, and while not specifically noting a round/circular type of dance here, it does show that dance was a function of the Temple service on the Holy Day celebrations of YHVH, and it appears to be quite choreographed and orderly, and not at all in a wild-disorganized fashion…
The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, by Alfred Edersheim - Chapter 14, The Feast of Tabernacles, The Ceremonies in the Court of the Women: “At the close of the first day of the feast the worshippers descended to the Court of the Women, where great preparations had been made. Four golden candelabras were there, each with four golden bowls, and against them rested four ladders; and four youths of priestly descent held, each a pitcher of oil, capable of holding one hundred and twenty log, from which they filled each bowl. The old, worn breeches and girdles of the priests served for wicks to these lamps. There was not a court in Jerusalem that was not lit up by the light of 'the house of water-pouring.' The 'Chassidim' and 'the men of Deed' danced before the people with flaming torches in their hands, and sang before them hymns and songs of praise; and the Levites, with harps, and lutes, and cymbals, and trumpets, and instruments of music without number, stood upon the fifteen steps which led down from the Court of Israel to that of the Women, according to the number of the fifteen Songs of Degrees in the Book of Psalms. They stood with their instruments of music, and sang hymns. Two priests, with trumpets in their hands, were at the upper gate (that of Nicanor), which led from the Court of Israel to that of the Women. At cock-crowing they drew a threefold blast. As they reached the tenth step, they drew another threefold blast; as they entered the court itself, they drew yet another threefold blast; and so they blew as they advanced, till they reached the gate which opens upon the east (the Beautiful Gate). As they came to the eastern gate, they turned round towards the west (to face the Holy Place), and said: 'Our fathers who were in this place, they turned their back upon the Sanctuary of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped towards the rising sun; but as for us, our eyes are towards the Lord.' A fragment of one of the hymns sung that night has been preserved. It was sung by the 'Chassidim' and 'men of Deed,' and by those who did penance in their old age for the sins of their youth: The Chassidim and Men of Deed. “'Oh joy, that our youth, devoted, sage, Doth bring no shame upon our old age!' The Penitents. 'Oh joy, we can in our old age Repair the sins of youth not sage!’ Both in unison. 'Yes, happy he on whom no early guilt doth rest, And he who, having sinned, is now with pardon blest.’”
Another Talmudic quotation concerning Dance on YHVH’s Festival of Sukkot/(Tabernacles/Booths)…
“A connection between the possession of religious joy is found in the ceremony of water drawing...(‘feast of water-drawing’) on the festival of Sukkoth. The Mishna said that he who has never seen this ceremony, which was accompanied by dancing, singing, and music (Sukkoth 5:4), had never seen true joy (Jerusalem Talmud, Sukkut 5:1, 55a).” - Encyclopedia Judaica 14:365.
Just a few more URLs/Links for further research…
In addition to all the above: All of these studies on the Hebrew words for dance and related subjects can be found in very many sources and scholars’ writings online. Here are just a few more locations which relate (more or a less) to what I’ve just spoken of above. These are simply to give you some places to start if you decide to continue to research more of this subject on your own:
www.bethhillel.com/pages.asp?pageid=85963
www.oneagleswingsinc.org/The_Biblical_Basis_of_Dance_in_Worship.html
www.hamishkandavid.org/id55.html
http://bonasdancesite.homestead.com/Hebrew.html
http://www.tbm.org/there_is_power_in_praise.htm
http://hisloveministries.org/aboutus.aspx
~
Following are brief comments in critique of the document/article: “Praise Dance, Worship Dance –
by Jim Feeny”.
This article needs to be addressed, as the author’s article is based on incorrect and misleading premises and conclusions, and has faults in its proofs used to arrive at his conclusions on what Scripture has to say concerning dance. Starting from his very first sentence, his opening premise itself is highly misleading: “…A significant biblical fact is that the following terms — praise dance, praise dancing, worship dance, worship dancing, praise and worship dance, and praise dance ministry — are commonly used by those endorsing this form of worship, yet none of these terms occurs even one time in the bible….”– While perhaps not employed as proper-nouns in Scripture, these terms are virtually all used as action-verbs in Scripture; though he’s giving readers the impression that these concepts are absent entirely from Scripture (later in his article he attempts to show that while most translators translate ‘dance’ in certain places, it might not mean ‘dance’ there, but even those statements of his are invalid – more on this later). So even by his opening statement he’s showing his agenda is to denigrate Worship Dance in general, which is noted by his conclusion/(premise) in his closing statements (which is contrary to Scripture’s commands) in his article: ‘(due to actions that are pagan or immodest, ancient & modern)’-->“…That reason alone should bring great inhibition to dancing in church…”. Pagan groups actions in ancient times, or modern immodest and wrong behavior on the part of some, are NOT reasons to “BRING INHIBITION TO DANCING IN CHURCH” ! To even suggest we inhibit right dancing in true Worship is completely contrary to YAH’s commands in Scripture instructing His people to PRAISE/WORSHIP IN DANCE !
Addressing the pagan practices in ancient times: Pagan-dancing to a foreign god, is as disassociated from dancing unto YHVH in Praise and Worship, as is: Pagans sacrificing a goat on an altar -verses- the Cohen of YHVH sacrificing the goat on Yom Kippur ! Though they may appear to be similar somewhat in practices, yet they are entirely not related at all and are an eternity apart. To try and compare pagan practices, as being on any kind of a parity or as a yard-stick, to any form of ministry unto YHVH which is outlined in Scripture, is a dangerous backwards proof-texting - as one can (falsely) sow dispersions and denigrate all the commanded forms of Praise and Worship by such an (false) appeal, in noting that the pagans did the same things in their pagan-worship practices…The pagans sang, prayed, danced, sacrificed, etc…; yet to attempt to use their (pagans) practices, to relate to Worship unto YAH, is insulting at best, and is a completely backward premise. – In Spiritual Circumspection one examines the counterfeit from the True; NOT illustrating and critiquing the True/Holy from the profane ! – Trying in this way to equate the two is itself profane. One could use such false circular reasoning to even say the post-19th century Hassidic views on dance are wrong; for example: ‘The pagans method of dance was often done by male only dancers, such as the male priests of baal dancing to a pagan god on Mt. Carmel; therefore we can conclude (falsely) that the Hassidic practice of males only dancing to YHVH is a pagan practice and displeasing to YAH.’ – Is this type of exegesis of Scripture valid? OF COURSE NOT! – Yet that is the type of circular reasoning that is used all the time by those who have an agenda to prove something against dance, or that other things they’re against, is wrong. – One such example that one is often confronted with in this is: ‘Witches and cults dance in ‘circles’, we don’t see Israel dancing in circles, so dancing in circles is pagan and an abomination to YHVH’ – HOWEVER!: Besides the fact that this is an example of backwards-circular reasoning…There are several words used for ‘dance’ in Scripture unto YHVH, and several of those mean in Hebrew ‘circular/round dance’ !
Exegesis / Isogesis from something not stated in Scripture is an argument from silence, which all to often results in false conclusions. Such as: ‘The reason one doesn’t see mixed-dancing in Scripture unto YHVH is it was never allowed.’ – This same type of argument is used by those who are anti-Torah to say the Shabbat is done away with: ‘All the ten-commandments are restated in the N.T., but the command to keep the Shabbat day is not restated, so we know the Shabbat was done away with.’ Again: That is an example of backward-circular reasoning. - Following that train of thought, while there are several verses that say to Praise YAH in dance, yet there are very few examples given that specify who was dancing on those few occasions that were shown (Miryam, David, etc…). To say that men and women never danced in corporate Praise and Worship during Israeli’s 1000’s of years of history, because we only have a very few examples, of women and men dancing separately, is again reading a definitive statement into the text of something that isn’t there. – Then if one is backing up that notion by citing the couple of examples of pagans dancing in mixed-company, this still doesn’t prove the notion that corporate-dancing unto YHVH is wrong or was never done either (again, for the reasons of pagan sacrifice, song, prayer not being used as examples to invalidate the valid: Sacrifice, Song, Prayer – as I outlined above). Since it isn’t clearly stated otherwise: One could just as easily make the case that the very few occasions that we have of only women dancing is because it was out of the norm, or because it was a special event that just happened to be performed only by women that day, and there’s nothing more that was to be read into it. – One might as well take it this way as being the fact as the other, if one is going to start speculating on exegesis based on arguments of silence to make definitive statements!
Then to further back up the argument from silence by stating things like: ‘Such was never done in Judaism, as touching women is forbidden in Judaism, and always has been’ – is not correct at all either. If one reads current Orthodox commentaries one will get the impression that has always been the case; but that is because what you are reading is the modern/post-19th-century Orthodox Hassidic rulings that applied a much stricter view of Talmudic commentary, which wasn’t written until 200 to 500 years after the destruction of the Temple. Appealing to Talmud is itself kind of pointless – as in Talmud there is always the minority and majority view on any subject – that most often totally contradicts itself. Without research (which I did give in my prior citations in this article above) it is not easy to see at first glance that the Orthodox practice for centuries prior to the 19th century AD (and in some cases past the middle of the 20th c.) did NOT condemn corporate/mixed-dance at celebrations and events, even including in Synagogues overseen by the Rabbi’s and Sages. – Nor is it obvious that the strict (supposed) universal ban on touching, was not even universally agreed upon in the very Talmudic commentary itself they quote from (which again: was written centuries after the destruction of the Temple) that they use to make their point!...In fact the Rabbi they consider the greatest of all times, Maimonides, himself even disagrees with a main and key point of that section of Talmudic commentary, stating that a hug and even a kiss, if done in a non-sexual manner is fine – something modern Hassidic Orthodoxy would completely disagree with, and would obviously contradiction their “never allowed, etc…” false-premise. – So of course in the Hassidic Orthodox commentary you’ll rarely, if ever, see these contentions brought up – as they completely invalidate their post 19th century AD rulings and stance as being ‘universal’.
One more point, the author says where it is translated ‘dance’ by most translators in places, it might not be dance as it isn’t translated as such by…(and he appeals to LAMSA’s Aramaic Tanakh). But there is a problem with that: {A.} Lamsa is considered a heretic by conservative scholarship due to certain of his beliefs; and {B.} The Tanakh (with the exception of Daniel and one other chapter) is written and was given in HEBREW, NOT Aramaic ! – It is a mistake to use an inferior source, to contradict a primary and valid source – where the valid source is clear. It means next to nothing to say an Aramaic word, as translated by a single translator who is himself questionable, might have a different meaning than the original Hebrew word – WHEN WE HAVE THE ORIGINAL HEBREW WORD! – That having been said, here is a verse even he admits translators have said does speak of corporate-dance unto YHVH….
“…there is some dispute whether Jeremiah prophesied that men would dance with women at the return of Israel from bondage. Let me quote it again: “Then maidens will *dance and be glad, young men and old as well” (Jeremiah 31:13). Some read that as the maidens, the young men and the old men all dancing together….”– But then he goes on to use modern Orthodox references and Lamsa to discount that (again, using inferior proof-texting as I’ve outlined above).
*[MY NOTE…Again: The word for dance here in Jer.31:13 is also one of the Hebrew words indicating round (or circle) dance: machowl #4234 מחול]
What then? – The arguments by this author (J. Feeny), that I've outlined in the critique of his document above, show they are: biased, based on an agenda with an invalid premise and conclusions, that he is building dogma on arguments of silence, and he is using faulty incomplete and inferior proof-texting material.
Finally:
"And David danced before YHVH/the-LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. ~ Let them praise His Name in the dance: let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp. ~ Praise Him with the timbrel and dance: praise Him with stringed instruments and organs. ~ Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. ~ Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; ~ And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found." - (2Samuel 6:14; Psalms 149:3; Psalms 150:4; Jeremiah 31:13; Psalms 30:11; Luke 15:20-32).
מחול
http://www.innercourtdancers.com/in-defense-of-biblical-dance-in-praise--worship-unto-yhvh---icd-teaching-docs.html
Bill Carlson / Dawnita Carlson - 2011
CLICK Below To Open/Download The Above Teaching-Article As A Word.doc:
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