Promises/Covenants with God

[HoT-MetaL]

Hello everyone, and God Bless.

I have a few things to ask, and you guys have really got an awesome understanding of this stuff. So here goes!

Is it possible for a mere human to make a promise to God? Kind of like a covenant, I guess.

Secondly, if this promise was broken as a genuine accident, would that person come under God's grace?

Thirdly... Could anybody just confirm what these three hebrew letters mean. The first two are numbers.

Thank you everyone! Please have some grace with your terminology :)



God Bless, metal.

[debi b]

Bamidbar (Numbers) 30
3 If a man vows a vow to Adonai, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 23
24 That which is gone out of your lips you shall keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according to what you have vowed to Adonai your Elohim, which you have promised with your mouth.


I think we should be circumspect with regard to our words. There are sins of ignorance, but I wouldn't want to rely on that :)

I hope the font shows (some people can't see it)
The three Hebrew letters you have in order are
tet j
gimel g
and a final mem ~.

Every letter has a meaning and a numerical value. The numerical value of tet is 9, gimel is 3 and mem is 40 but it would look like this m, when a mem is in final form the numerical value is 600.

The meaning of tet is coiling or twisting, gimel is camel, mem is water.

[HoT-MetaL]

Thank you for the reply!

THe scriptures are good, thank you... they help me out a lot.

The letters are supposed to be 9, 3, and S. 9am, 3pm, and Sunset, the times when the Jews and early Christians prayed in the synagogues.

Is this correct?

God Bless, metal.

[debi b]

Observant Jews pray in formal worship services three times a day, every day: at evening (Ma'ariv), in the morning (Shacharit), and in the afternoon (Minchah).

Mishna Berakhot
1:1 A From what time may we recite the Shema in the evening?
C Until the end of the first watch
E The sages say, “Until midnight”
F Rambam Gamliel says, “Until the rise of dawn”

1:2 A From what time may we recite the Shema in the morning?
D One must complete it before sunrise
E R. Joshua says, “before the third hour”

4:1 A The morning prayer may be recited until midday
B R. Judah says, “Until the fourth hour.”
C The afternoon prayer may be recited until the evening.
D R. Judah says, “Until midafternoon.”
E The evening prayer has no fixed time

Taken from: JEWISH CUSTOMS & PRACTICES Their origins, dates and the reasons for them. By Rabbi Lawrence Rigal

The Bible records that it was the custom to pray three times a day: Daniel went into his house; his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.23. This account of private prayer is interesting because we have not knelt for prayer for many centuries. Daniel's three sessions of private prayer corresponded to the three services of public prayer:

 MORNING PRAYER. (SHACHARIT)
 AFTERNOON PRAYER. (MINCHAH)
 EVENING PRAYER (MA’ARIV)

The origins of these services are so ancient that nobody knows when the practice started, and the Talmudic Rabbis24. were able to attribute them to the three patriarchs:

R. Jose b. Hanina taught : Abraham instituted the morning Tefillah, as it says, "And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood,"25. and 'standing' means only prayer, as it says, "Then stood up Phineas and prayed."26. Isaac instituted the afternoon Tefillah, as it says, "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide,"27. and 'meditation' means only prayer, as it says, A prayer of the afflicted when he fainteth and poureth out his meditation before the Lord.28. Jacob instituted the evening prayer, as it says, "And he lighted [va-yifga'] upon the place,"29. and 'pegi'ah' means only prayer, as it says, "Therefore pray not thou for this people neither lift up prayer nor cry for them, neither make intercession to [tifga'] Me."30.

(23.) Daniel, 6, 11. (24.) Ber. 26b.(25.) Gen. 19, 27. (26.) Psalm 106, 30.(27.) Gen 24, 63. (28.)Psalm 102, 1. (29.) Gen. 18, 11. (30.) Jer. 7, 16.

[JewishHeart]

<--- does not like Rambam... he said that G-d does not have an image.

[insaneinthebrain]

<--- does not like Rambam... he said that G-d does not have an image.
Well, disagreeing with someone hardly seems like grounds for not liking them. ;)

However, based on when and where Rambam lived, it is entirely possible that some of his theology was based on opposition to Christianity. Not claiming that it is, but it's possible.

[HoT-MetaL]

Thank you for all your replies!

I now know that it IS possible to make promises to God

Could anybody just confirm what the image means?

God Bless, metal.