B’Har (On Mount) Lev.25:1-26:2 and B’chukkotai (By My Regulations) Leviticus 26:3-27:34
Torah Portion: B’Har (On Mount) Lev.25:1-26:2 and B’chukkotai (By My Regulations) Leviticus 26:3-27:34
Haftorah Reading: Jeremiah 32:6-27 and 16:19-17:14
Messianic Scripture Luke 4:16-21 and I Cor. 7:21-24
Today we finish studying the book of Leviticus for this cycle of Torah. In chapter 26:3-6 we read of G-d’s promise to Israel, “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield it’s increase. I will give you peace in the land.”
Ki Tisa (When You Take)
Weekly Torah Section: Ki Tisa (When You Take) Exodus 30:11-34:35, Haftorah: I Kings 18:1-39
We begin with the Haftorah reading in I Kings 18. To orient ourselves these events happened in the 9th century BCE during the reign of King Ahab. Ahab married a princess of Tyre named Jezebel. She introduced the worship of her god, Baal to Israel. Baal was supposed to be the god of rain and storms. She also sought to kill all the prophets of the L-rd. Many of the people in Israel followed both Baal and the true G-d of Israel. Deut. 11:16-17 says that if the people turn to other gods, G-d will shut the heavens and there will be no rain and crops will fail. So here G-d sends Elijah with this message, a direct challenge to this so called god of rain.