Metzora (Leper) Vayikra/Leviticus 14:1-15:33

Metzora(Leper)Vayikra/Leviticus 14:1-15:33
Haftorah Reading: II Kings 7:3-20
 
Bless each of you today. This Shabbat is known as Shabbat HaGadol. It is the last Shabbat before Pesach.
 
The Haftorah portion for the week is II Kings 7:3-20. Before we get to my question for the week, I would like to take a moment and spend a little time on this passage in II Kings. If you remember, the religious leaders of Israel set up a system of weekly readings from the prophets that could be tied to the Torah portion that week. This was done to get around a prohibition on Jews reading the Torah on Shabbat. King Antiochus Epiphanes outlawed the reading of  the Torah around 168 BCE during the time the Seleucidans ruled Israel. 

Va’era (I Appeared) Exodus/Sh’mot 6:2-9:35

Va’era(I Appeared)Exodus/Sh’mot 6:2-9:35

Tonight we are studying a Torah portion that has so much to say about our life in this world. I want to start with the verse I asked each of you to look at and see where G-d takes us. Our verse in Exodus 8:18 says, “And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, to the end that you may know that I am the L-rd in the midst of the earth.”

Tetzaveh (You Shall Command) Ex. 27

Torah Portion: Tetzaveh (You are to order) Sh’mot (Exodus) 27:20-30:10

HafTorah: Ezekiel 43:10-27

New Testament: Philippians 4:10-20

Tonight we read the Torah section of Tetzaveh or “You Command.” Then we will celebrate the holiday of Purim which begins when Sabbath ends. There is one thing that is similar in each of these events. In this Torah section the name of Moses never occurs. It is the only section from Exodus 1:1 through the end of Deuteronomy that does not contain his name. In the book of Esther the name of G-d never appears. There was much discussion when both the Jewish canon and the Christian canon were adapted on if this book should be included or not, mainly because G-d’s name does not appear. However, as we read the book we can easily see G-d at work arranging events to save His people who are under threat of annihilation from the Persian Empire. They were being crushed under the weight of these threats.