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Parasha Bamidbar (In the Wilderness): Does God Ordain Suffering?

May 25, 2012 The Haftarah (prophetic portion) promises that God will allure Israel, bring her back to the Land, and that the relationship between God and Israel would be, once again, like a healthy marriage. To understand the themes of marriage, betrayal and redemption in Hosea, we must understand Hosea’s situation. God instructed him to take a harlot for a wife—a woman who was seemingly destined to be unfaithful to him. The rabbis, in fact, believe that Hosea’s resulting domestic tragedy was actually ordained by God

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Parasha Behar-Bechukotai (On the Mount-By My Decrees): The Year of Jubilee

May 17, 2012 Every seven years, the Land wasn’t to be worked in any kind of way. It wasn’t planted, pruned, or harvested. You may wonder how the people ate. Although they couldn’t reap or sow, whatever the land yielded could be eaten (Leviticus 25:7). While the land lay fallow, fruits growing of their own accord could be eaten by anyone.

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Parasha Emor (Speak): Discovering the Callings of Holiness

May 10, 2012 People often refer to God’s appointed times as the ”Jewish holidays” and the “Feasts of Israel”. Many non-Jewish Believers don't observe them, fearing that they will appear “too Jewish” or to have “come under the Torah (law).” But God calls them HIS feasts—His appointed times.

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Parasha Acharei-Kedoshim (After-Holy Ones): Holy Confidence

May 5, 2012 This week’s combined Torah portion, Parasha Acharei-Kedoshim, discusses Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and holiness, and begins with Aharon, the Cohen Hagadol (high priest), preparing for the crucial once-a-year sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. In order to minister before the Lord on this holy day, Aharon first immersed himself in the mikvah (ritual cleansing) and then put on a holy, linen tunic. Before he brought the ketoret (incense offering) into the Holy of Holies, the innermost chamber of the Sanctuary, he donned simple, white linen clothing, representing purity and humility, which was appropriate for this sacred day, instead of his resplendent golden garments.

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Parasha Tazria-Metzorah: What Does Leprosy Have to Do with Slander and Gossip?

April 27, 2012 This week’s Torah portion deals with the laws of tumah (ritual impurity) and tahara (ritual purity). The laws pertaining to purification, including post childbirth, purity in marriage (niddah), and leprosy are discussed. These regulations may be understood in purely hygienic terms, or for their religious significance, or both. The issue, however, is not one of clean versus unclean, but pure (tahor).

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Parasha Shemini (Eighth): Drawing Near to God

April 20, 2012 Today, since the Temple in Jerusalem no longer stands, the animal sacrifices that must be performed in the Temple can no longer be offered to the Lord. Judaism, therefore, focuses on the importance of the condition of the heart (repentance, charity, and good deeds), instead of the offering of animal sacrifices. Parasha Shemini, however, provides lessons that are relevant for all time, even today when animal sacrifices cannot be offered.

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Parasha Shabbat Pesach (Passover): The Eighth Day of Passover

April 13, 2012 Today is the final day of Passover. As the Festival of Passover comes to a close, a special portion of Scripture is read that focuses on Pesach L’Atid (פסח לעתיד–a Future Passover), a new redemption and a new exodus. In this new exodus, the Jewish people will be delivered, not from Egypt as in the past, but from the lands of their dispersion, and gathered into their own land.

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Parasha Shabbat Pesach: The First Day of Passover

April 9, 2012 The Seder (order) is a 15-part feast where the story of the Exodus from Egypt is recounted. That recounting is facilitated through the Haggadah (the telling), which is a Jewish book with instructions about how to conduct the Seder.

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Parasha Tzav (Command): The Sacrifice of Praise

March 30, 2012 God describes the different laws of sacrifices, providing a distinction in the processes for sin offerings, burnt offerings and thank offerings. While such offerings seem strange, even outrageous, to modern man, understanding them ultimately helps us to understand what Yeshua (Jesus) did for us on the execution stake, and why His death was necessary.

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Parasha Vayikra (And He Called): Drawing Near to God

March 23, 2012 Chapter One of Leviticus deals with the various types of burnt offerings and sacrifices. In Hebrew, the offering is called a Korban, which is derived from the word karov, meaning near. So, the offering made a way for the person to draw near to God. When we take even baby steps to draw near to God, just like the father of the prodigal son, our Creator will see us from afar off and run to meet us!

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