Category Archives: Parashat HaShavua – Torah Portion
A commentary on the weekly Torah Portion.
The Fifth Cup – Tzav – Shabbat HaGadol – April 8
The yearly observance of the Passover is considered to be the defining event for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Passover was such a significant event that the LORD Himself declared that the month in which the Passover occurred would be the chief of months for the Israelites: Now the LORD said to […]
Continue readingThe Everlasting Covenant of Salt – Vayikra – April 1
Every Sabbath Eve (Friday evening) there are many traditions that we practice in Judaism related to the Sabbath. One of those traditions involves bread and salt. On the Sabbath we always have at least two special braided breads called “חלות” – “challot,” which means “breads” or “cakes” (Lev. 2:4), and in the singular form, “חלה” […]
Continue readingCreated to Worship – Vayakhel-Pekudei – Shabbat HaChodesh – Mar. 25
A friend and I boarded the train in Jerusalem on our way to Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. While we were sitting on the train we were discussing the previous week’s Torah Portion on the subject of the red heifer and its connection to Yeshua as the Messiah. In the middle of our […]
Continue readingThe Red Heifer & The Messiah – Ki Tisa – Shabbat Parah – Mar. 18
This week’s Torah Portion recounts the story of the golden calf. The Israelites had become restless as they waited for Moses to descend from the mountain and so they asked Aaron to make them a “god” who would go before them. Aaron crafted a golden calf and declared it to be god in place of […]
Continue readingNo Compromise – Shabbat Zachor – Tetzaveh – Mar. 11
Judaism is a combination of biblical commands and rabbinical traditions that have been the source of cultural identity to mark the Jewish people wherever they have sojourned in this world. It is vital to understand how the Bible and Jewish tradition work together in order to fully understand the Jewish perspective. In this week’s Torah […]
Continue readingCherubim – Guardians of God – Terumah – Mar. 4
In this week’s Torah Portion God instructs Moses to take up a “תרומה” – “terumah,” – “an offering” or “a contribution,” from among the people of the necessary materials (Ex. 25:1-7) for the building of the Tabernacle: Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I […]
Continue readingThe Sent One – Mishpatim – Feb. 25
One of the greatest obstacles for humankind regarding belief in Yeshua as the Messiah of God is the understanding that Yeshua is both God and man at the same time. How can God become man? How can Yeshua pray to the Father in heaven if both Yeshua and the Father are God? Isn’t Yeshua simply […]
Continue readingDeclaring the Works of God – Yitro – Feb. 18
We were sitting around the table enjoying a wonderful Sabbath meal together while different ones were sharing their personal insights as it related to the short teaching from the weekly Torah Portion. One of the women around the table shared several brief stories from her own life of miraculous intervention regarding a recent project that […]
Continue readingThe Power of Weakness – Be’Shalach – Feb. 11
To complain or not to complain, this is a choice that each of us makes everyday as we face various challenges in life. When we don’t have the things that we want or need in life, we must choose how we will react and respond. Children generally whine, scream, and throw temper tantrums in order […]
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