Love and Marriage

Falling in love with someone is a bad reason to get married, but upon what should a marriage be based? The story of Isaac and Rebekah holds the secret.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Chayei Sarah (חיי שרה | Sarah's life)

Torah: Genesis 23:1-25:18

Haftarah: 1 Kings 1:1-31

Gospel: John 4:3-14

Blessed is HaShem, G-d of my master, Avraham

(Genesis 24:27)

Marcheshvan 24, 5779/November 2, 2018

Chayei Sara, (The Life of Sara), this week's Torah reading, opens and closes with two of the most seminal and formative life events, not only for Avraham, Sara and Yitzchak, but for the entire nation of Israel, throughout all the generations. These are the death of Sara and her burial in the cave of Machpelah, purchased by Avraham from Ephron the Hittite, and, at parasha'send, the marriage of Yitzchak to Rivkah. These two events are unrivaled in their significance for the children of Avraham and Sara. They define who we are to this very day. Yet by far, the vast majority of the verses which make up Chayei Sara are dedicated to a man whose name is not mentioned once in the parasha; a man who is not a son of Avraham and who does not share in the inheritance of Avraham.

Abraham's Great Test

Life is full of tests, but tests are easier to pass when you already know the answers. Abraham knew the answers before he took the test.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Vayera (וירא | He appeared)

Torah: Genesis 18:1-22:24

Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:1-37

Gospel: Luke 17:28-37

The Place

(Genesis 22:4)

Marcheshvan 17, 5779/October 26, 2018

This week's Torah reading, Vayera, comes to a close with the final and most dramatic of Avraham's ten trials, the binding of Yitzchak, known in Hebrew as the akeidah. When G-d commanded Avraham, "Take your son, your only one, whom you love, yea, Yitzchak, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you,"(Genesis 22:2) didn't G-d know that he was asking the impossible of Avraham? The very son that G-d promised Avraham, repeatedly telling Avraham to be patient, for Sara would indeed give birth to a son, G-d is now asking Avrahamto make an offering of? The very son who G-d promised Avraham would be the beginning of a great nation which would span the generations to the end of time, G-d is now telling Avraham to slaughter as an offering leaving not a single descendent to carry on the line? What was G-d thinking?

Abraham's Great Reward

Life will place us in situations where we stand to make a profit by sacrificing our principles. The person who refuses to compromise his values may lose out financially, but his ultimate reward is God Himself.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Lech Lecha (לך לך | Go forth)

Torah: Genesis 12:1-17:27

Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27-41:16

Gospel: John 8:51-58

Go forth!

(Genesis 12:1)

Marcheshvan 10, 5779/October 19, 2018

"Lech lecha - Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1) These are the very first words that G-d says to Avraham (still known as Avram). Lech lecha - go forth, but also, literally, go for yourself, go to yourself, pursue your true self, or as Shakespeare worded it, "To thine own self be true."

Left Behind

Afraid of being "left behind" when the rapture comes? Study the story of Noah and find out why you might prefer to be left behind after all.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Noach (נח | Noah)

Torah: Genesis 6:9-11:32

Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-55:5

Gospel: Luke 17:20-27

And G-d remembered Noach

(Genesis 8:1)

Marcheshvan 3, 5779/October 12, 2018

The Torah reading of Noach opens as a long dark cloud descends upon all of creation. Gravely disappointed by the downward moral turn that man has taken, G-d has declared of the sons and daughters of the crown of His creation, that "I regret that I made them," (Genesis 6:7) and has set out to destroy all living things, save for Noach and his family, and the animals that Noach is instructed to lead onto the Ark that G-d has commanded him to make. Noach follows G-d's instructions precisely and soon finds himself, his wife and sons, and their wives, and the animals that he brought aboard, adrift upon an angry sea in a ceaselessly raging rainstorm. G-d's oral communication with Noach ended the day that the rains began, and for one hundred and fifty days Noach has heard nothing but the pounding rain upon the deck of the ark, the roar of the waves which rock the ark, and, of course, the ceaseless sounds of the animals on board. But not a word from G-d. The waters rose to fifteen cubits above the earth and the sun was hidden behind thick rain clouds. Din and darkness defined G-d's world.

The Day that is Entirely Sabbath

The weekly Sabbath celebrates the coming of the Messiah. The Sabbath offers a weekly foretaste of the era of peace and rest when Messiah will rule the earth.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

B'reisheet (בראשית | In the beginning)

Torah: Genesis 1:1-6:8

Haftarah: Isaiah 42:5-43:10

Gospel: John 1:1-17

In the beginning

(Genesis 1:1)

Tishrei 26, 5779/October 5, 2018

"In the beginning... " A lot of things happened in six days. Between "chaos and void" to "be fruitful and multiply," an entire world came into being.

"In the beginning," or to be more true to the exact Hebrew grammar employed, "In the beginning of... " In the beginning of what, we are not told.

Did Eve Come from Adam’s “Rib”?

By Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser, Professor of Hebrew Bible

Most English translations of Genesis 2:21-22 read, “The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up flesh in its place. And the rib that the Lord God took from the man he built into a woman.”

And this is the blessing with which Moshe, the man of G-d, blessed the children of Israel

                   (Deuteronomy 33:1)

Tishrei 19, 5779/September 28, 2018

"And this is the blessing with which Moshe, the man of G-d, blessed the children of Israel just before his death." (Deuteronmy 33:1)

Thus begins the final Torah reading of the Five Books of Moses, known as V'zot Habrachah, which we will be reading in synagogues throughout the world on Monday morning, which is the holiday of Shmini Atzeret, also known as Simchat Torah. (In diaspora communities Simchat Torah will be celebrated on Tuesday.)

This Shabbat, which falls on the sixth day of the seven day Sukkot festival, we will be reading Torah selections which are relevant to Sukkot. Nevertheless, the Torah reading of V'zot Habrachah is very much a part of the message of Sukkot. V'zot Habrachah records the final act of Moshe, just before he ascends Mount Nevo, where he peers into the promised land that he will never enter into, breathes his last breath, and is buried in the valley below, in an unknown grave.

And you shall rejoice in your Festival!

(Deuteronomy 16:14) Tishrei 14, 5779/September 23, 2018 "Seven days you shall celebrate the Festival to HaShem, your G-d, in the place which HaShem shall choose, because HaShem, your G-d, will bless you in all your produce, and in all the work of your hands, and you will only be happy."(Deuteronomy 16:15) Can G-d really command us to "only be happy?" Yes He can! Can we fulfill this commandment? Being happy isn't a given, and being only happy is an even greater challenge. But we can surely do it!

Watering our Souls

Many believers behave like the foolish gardener. They espouse faith in Messiah and find relationship with God, but they do not nurture that faith and relationship by regularly watering it with the study of the Word.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Ha'azinu (האזינו | Listen)

Torah: Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52

Haftarah: 2 Samuel 22:1-51

Gospel: John 6:26-35

Listen, O heavens, and I will speak!

                     (Deuteronomy 32:1)

Tishrei 12, 5779/September 21, 2018

"Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth hear the words of my mouth!" (Deuteronomy 32:1)

We all have our favorite song. The song that lifts us up. The song that makes us dance. The song that makes us cry. Couples have their song. The one that was playing when their eyes first met, when their hearts first met. Old friends have favorite songs from back in the day. Families share favorite songs. Nations have national song lists. We all have songs that get inside our heads and just won't go away. What all these songs share is ownership. We make songs our own. They describe us. They are part of us. We hum tunes and quote lyrics as a way of expressing ourselves, as a way of life. Songs touch our souls.

A beautiful woman

                   (Deuteronomy 21:11)

Elul 13, 5778/August 24, 2018

This week's Torah reading of Ki Teitzei opens with the words "When you go out to war against your enemies... " (Deuteronomy 21:10) and closes, 109 verses later, with the words "you shall obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget!" (ibid 25:19) Sandwiched between these two calls to war is a rich compendium of commandments regulating various aspects of our personal lives. Yet, while parashat Ki Teitzei is literally teeming with life, it nonetheless begins and concludes rather ominously, with references to war, and in war there are winners and losers.

Love and War

A soldier in a heathen army would have no compunction over taking, raping, and disposing of a captive woman. Not so in the army of the LORD.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Ki Tetze (כי תצא | When you go forth)

Torah: Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-10

Gospel: Matthew 24:29-42

From among your brothers

                   (Deuteronomy 17:15)

Elul 6, 5778/August 17, 2018

It has been quite a journey for Moshe and the children of Israel. A shepherd in exile, chosen by G-d to lead his people to freedom, who tried to argue with G-d his way out of the assignment which he felt he was very under-qualified for, Moshe not only brought the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage by bringing the world's most powerful nation to its knees, but, once out of Egypt and squarely in the middle of nowhere, he turned his ragtag band of runaway slaves, who left Egypt at midnight with all their belongings slung over their shoulders, into a people: a people who lived peacefully together by a covenant they signed with G-d, traveling through the wilderness with the G-d of Israel, through ecstatic highs and catastrophic lows, and are now encamped upon the eastern bank of the Jordan River, receiving their final marching orders from Moshe, who won't be joining them on the other side.

The King's Copy and the Rule of Law

If Yeshua is the king of the Jews, then the laws that pertain to Jewish kings apply to Him. Even the Messiah is not above the rule of law.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Shoftim (שופטים | Judges)

Torah: Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9

Haftarah: Isaiah 51:12-52:12

Gospel: John 14:9-20

The place which HaShem your G-d shall choose

                   (Deuteronomy 12:5)

Av 29, 5778/August 10, 2018

This week's Torah reading, Re'eh, opens with a challenge and a riddle:

"Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing, that you will heed the commandments of HaSHem your G-d, which I command you today; and the curse, if you will not heed the commandments of HaSHem your G-d, but turn away from the way I command you this day, to follow other gods, which you did not know." (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)