Tag: hope

B’chukkotai (By My Regulations) Vayikra/Leviticus 26:3-27:34

B’chukkotai(By My Regulations)Vayikra/Leviticus 26:3-27:34

Haftorah Reading: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14

Even though we are unable to meet today I want to send you some thoughts on this week’s Torah portion. I would like to concentrate on an extremely important section of this Torah portion. It begins with these words, “If you walk in my statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out” Leviticus 26:3. Isn’t that statement a bit redundant? What is the difference between 1. walking in My statutes and 2. keeping the commandments and 3. carrying them out? I might add this question also applies to Yeshua’s commandments in the Messianic Scriptures.

Vayak’hel (He Assembled) Exodus/Sh’mot 35:1-38:20

Vayak’hel(He Assembled)Exodus/Sh’mot 35:1-38:20
Haftorah Reading: I Kings 7:13-26
 
Today I want to urge you to be in prayer concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, going on now. We as G-d’s people have a responsibility to hold this situation before the Father. Many people have already died and sadly many more will likely die. However, we know the Ruler of the universe and we must seek His answer to this tragic conflict.
 
In some ways our Torah portion this week should encourage us. In this portion we read one of the two times the details of the construction of the Mishkan is laid out. We read the details of the construction already in Exodus 25:1-31:17. Now, again in Exodus 35:1-38:20 we read another account of the instructions to build this structure. However, there is one marked difference in these two accounts. In Ki Tisa, Exodus 25, the command of the Sabbath appears at the end of the details of construction while here today we read of the command of the Sabbath at the very beginning of Moshe speaking to the people Why the difference? On a simple level we might say that when G-d created man he, Adam, experienced Shabbat as his first day living on this earth but as G-d’s saw it, it was the last day of creation or the seventh day.

Vayechi (And He Lived) B’Resheet (Gen) 47-50

Torah Portion: Vayechi (And He Lived)  B’Resheet (Gen.) 47-50

HafTorah:  I Kings 2:1-12

This Torah portion is the last of the book of Genesis. Interestingly, it is named “And He Lived” while included in this portion we read of the death of both Jacob and Joseph. This brings me to the first point I would like to talk about. Why would a Torah portion named, “He Lived” devote much of its time to the death of these two men? I think it has to do with the way scripture looks at time. For example the Greeks looked at time as cyclical, never reaching an ending point but always starting over again, there will always be another tomorrow.  The Jews, and I believe we would be the same, look at time as covenantal. For example, here in Genesis in chapter 12 we read of G-d’s promise to Avraham that his descendants will be as the stars in the heavens. He would be given a Land for his people. Yet by the end of Deut./D’Varim the people have not crossed into the Land. The people did not despair, the promise was always before them.