Kedoshim (Holy People) Vayikra/Leviticus 19:1-20:27
Hayei Sarah (Sarah’s Life) B’resheet Gen. 23:1-25:18
: Hayei Sarah (Sarah’s Life) B’resheet/Genesis 23:1-25:18
Haftorah Readings: I Kings 1:1-31
Tonight we study the Torah portion that covers the death of Sarah and Avraham. However, the opening words give us a clue of the deeper message we will uncover today.
I would like to begin with Genesis 24:1, “Avraham was old, well advanced in years, and G-d had blessed Avraham with everything.” Even the death of Sarah is written in such a way in Hebrew, to make clear that she also had lived a full life dying at the age of 127.
Vayishlach(And He Sent) B’resheet/Genesis 32:4-36:43
Torah Portion: Vayishlach(And He Sent) B’resheet/Genesis 32:4-36:43
Haftorah Reading Hosea 11:7-12:12
In our portion tonight we read of a pivotal event in the life of Ya’akov. To set the stage he was returning back to Israel after an extended stay in Haran where he had fled to escape his brother’s wrath. He had been gone for over 20 years. He now had four wives and eleven sons. He also had at least one daughter.
Vayishlach (And He Sent) B’resheet (Genesis) 32:4-36:43
Torah Portion: Vayishlach (And He Sent) B’resheet (Genesis) 32:4-36:43
Haftorah Reading: Obadiah 1:1-21
Tonight we read one of the pivotal moments of Yaakov’s life. It involves his meeting with his twin brother, Esau, after a separation of at least 20 years. If you remember, his mother Rebekah/Rivka sent him away to stay with her family and promised to send for him when Esau’s anger cooled. He never received that word from his mother. Rather, G-d instructed him to return home. So, we find him here in the night before meeting his brother Esau.
Think back through Yaakov’s life. How did he deal with sin, in the past and now including this meeting? What can we learn from this pattern of Yaakovs? It seems he mainly dealt with sin by running away from it rather than actually dealing with the issue. Is that a constructive way to deal with a problem?
Vayak’hel and P’kudei Ex 35-40
Torah Portion: Vayak’hel (He Assembled) P’Kudei (Accounts) Sh’mot (Exodus) 35:1-40:38
HafTorah: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18
To begin with tonight I want to talk about something I saw this week that really caught my attention. In Sh’mot 38:21 we read, “The tabernacle, the tabernacle of testimony.” Usually when the Torah makes double use of a word it is making a deeper point. The Talmud picks up on this and states that here the point is that Torah is speaking of the earthly Tabernacle as being a shadow of the heavenly. This sounds really similar to Hebrews chapters 8-9, Hebrews 8:4 and 9:24. This brings us to the common argument used by many to say the Torah is finished and of little value to us as believers.