For the week of November 14, 2026 / 4 Kislev 5787

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Toledot
Torah: B’reshit/Genesis 25:19 – 28:9
Haftarah: 1 Shmuel/1 Samuel 20:18-42
Originally posted the week of November 30, 2024 / 20 Heshvan 5785 (revised)

And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” (B’reshit/Genesis 25:21-23)

In the classic film Fiddler on the Roof—based on the stories of Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem—the main character, Tevye the Milkman, upon hearing of an upcoming pogrom in his village, complains to God (the movie clip is included in the video version): “Dear God, did you have to send me news like that today of all days? I know, I know, we are the chosen people. But once in a while, can’t you choose someone else?”

This scene powerfully captures a deep-seated Jewish angst over the concept of chosenness. For Jewish people, this is no mere abstract doctrine. From generation to generation, we have heard the stories of the patriarchs, Moses, David, and Esther—that there is something special about being part of Israel. Yet often, these ancient accounts appear to be little more than a backstory for centuries of rejection and suffering, resulting in Tevye’s ambivalent plea: “Can’t you choose someone else?”

The story of the Jewish people hasn’t changed much over millennia. No group has faced the relentless persecution, exile, and attempted genocides that have haunted us since our earliest days. The ugly specter of antisemitism, the Holocaust, and the existential threats against the State of Israel have only heightened since October 7, 2023. The spirit at work in the world today is the same spirit that possessed Pharaoh, Haman, and Hitler. Yet we are still here. And while grateful for our survival, many remain confused about our identity and what it truly means to be chosen.

Many Jewish people—and too many Christians—would be surprised to learn that the New Covenant Writings (the New Testament) resolve this confusion. Paul, often misunderstood in both the Jewish world and the Church, grasped this issue deeply. When he asks, “Then what advantage has the Jew?” (Romans 3:1), Tevye’s response—echoed by many—would be “none.” For many Jews, the negatives of chosenness seem to outweigh the positives. And for many Christians, any historical advantage has supposedly been transferred to a “new Israel,” the Church.

But Paul offers a resounding counter-answer in the next verse: “Much in every way” (Romans 3:2). Paul emphasizes that the Jewish people—not a generic concept of a supposed spiritual Israel, but an actual ethnic group—were entrusted with the Scriptures. He later expands on these advantages in Romans chapter nine:

[They] are Israelites. To them belong the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Torah and the Temple service and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs—and from them, according to the flesh, the Messiah, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen (Romans 9:4-5; Tree of Life Version).

The Jewish advantage comes from being chosen by God to be a vehicle of blessing to all nations (B’reshit/Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8). The cosmic curse under which creation groans was doomed from the moment God pronounced judgment in Eden (see B’reshit/Genesis 3:15; Romans 8:19-22). God chose the Jewish people specifically to confront that curse.

Going against the grain within a fallen world inevitably entails suffering. The patriarchs, Moses, and every faithful follower of the true God understood this burden. And no one bore the brunt of chosenness as Yeshua the Messiah did. Yet his suffering opened the door for all nations to experience the calling that began with Israel.

The advantage of being set apart to rescue creation from the curse is now shared by all who trust in Yeshua. Yet that does not mean ethnic Israel’s distinct calling has ended. Because of God’s irrevocable covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that burden of responsibility remains.

It is a heavy burden, but a grand advantage nonetheless. Despite the hardships that had worn Tevye down, God continues to work out his purposes through the people of Israel. Whether we are conscious of it or not, God’s faithfulness to his word is evident in the Jewish people’s endurance and the existence of the modern state of Israel.

Tragically, however, much of the angst Tevye expressed stems from the Church’s failure to affirm the Jewish advantage as Paul describes it. Robbing the Jewish people of their God-given identity not only distorts biblical truth but breaks the bridge of Jewish restoration upon which God desires to walk. Followers of the Messiah—both Jews and Gentiles—must uphold the unchanging nature of Scripture, including the enduring place of ethnic Israel in God’s plan of salvation.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise specified

For the week of October 24, 2026 / 13 Heshvan 5787

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Lech Lecha
Torah: Bereshit/Genesis 12:1–17:27
Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27–41:16

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (B’reshit/Genesis 12:1-3)

This week’s reading marks the beginning of my 30th year producing TorahBytes. I featured the events of Avram’s call to “get up and go” to a land he did not know in the very first parsha I commented on, which that year, 1997, was the week of November 8.

Over the years, I have returned repeatedly to the opening verses of this portion—not out of sentimentality, but because God’s unconditional promises to Avram are foundational to all of Scripture. Last year, I grappled with an aspect of these promises that I had never fully highlighted before: God’s warning to those who abuse Avram (later called Avraham) and his descendants isn’t limited to extreme hatred; it applies to anyone who simply dishonors or belittles them.

This year, I feel compelled to address another aspect of God’s warning that has been weighing heavily on my heart. Following the horrendous terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the global explosion of antisemitism—a fancy word for Jew-hatred—since then, keeping quiet is no longer an option. To stay silent would be a severe disservice to believers who may be in great danger without realizing it.

Paul likely had B’reshit/Genesis 12:3 in mind when he warned Gentile believers in Rome:

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you (Romans 11:17-18).

Paul’s olive tree illustration confronts an attitude emerging at that time: the idea that God was finished with Israel and that non-Jewish believers had taken their place in His plan.

The Greek word translated as “arrogant” here is katakauchaomai. The prefix kata indicates an arrogance directed intentionally at others—looking down upon, gloating over, or exalting oneself over someone else. This attitude is not always overt or aggressive, however. It is often cold, quiet, and subtle. Yet Paul forcefully dismantles it:

Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you (Romans 11:19–21).

He then delivers a sobering warning:

Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off (Romans 11:22).

Non-Jewish Christians who regard their acceptance by God as something over and against the Jewish people place themselves in a most precarious position.

Whether through overt animosity or subtle theological frameworks that replace, supersede, or deem the Jewish people irrelevant, any mindset that exalts itself over the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob incurs God’s severity. To look down upon the Jewish people, the natural branches of Paul’s Romans 11 olive tree, is to court the danger of being cut off yourself.

Now you know.

All scriptures taken from the English Standard Version (ESV)

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For the week of October 17, 2026 / 6 Heshvan 5787

No’ach
Torah: B’reshit/Genesis 6:9 – 11:32
Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1 – 55:5
Originally posted the week of October 13, 2018 / 4 Heshvan 5779 (updated)

So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (B’reshit/Genesis 11:8-9; ESV)

According to this story, which takes place early within the Torah’s timeline, the people of the earth originally lived in the same geographical vicinity. The motive behind the Babel project was not what I was told as a child back when Bible stories were still read in public school. I was led to believe the people wanted a high tower to keep them safe in case another flood like Noah’s occurred. The biblical text records nothing like that. The text clearly states their reason: “lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (B’reshit/Genesis 11:4). This directly opposed God’s earlier directive to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (see B’reshit/Genesis 1:28).

The people also sought identity and corporate security through their building project. What they thought would be to their benefit, God regarded as destructive. And so, he deemed it necessary to intervene for their good and that of future generations. He, therefore, disrupted their ability to communicate. Until then, all people of the earth spoke the same language. The resulting confusion led the people to gather in separate communities that eventually migrated to various geographical regions. This is how the world’s people groups came to be.

The circumstances behind the development of ethnicities may lead some to conclude that differences in language and culture between peoples is a negative thing. Clearly, the steps people took toward this disparity began with overt disobedience to God. Moreover, since that time, language and cultural differences have certainly contributed to conflict between peoples. But is that peoplehood diversity is bad in and of itself? Consider what would have happened if people had “filled the earth” without the God-imposed confusion. Is it reasonable to assume that people would have retained the one original language forever? As communities formed in various regions of Earth, accents and dialects would have developed naturally. Moreover, diverse geographical regions demand unique vocabularies. For example, seafaring peoples create tools unknown to mountainfolk and vice versa. Clothing common to one climate is often unheard of in another. Language differences emerging from such contrasting needs and challenges are foundational to the formalization of culture and peoplehood. Therefore, diversity would have developed without the Babel project.

The complex mosaic of cultures was destined to occur under God’s providence with or without our ancestors’ cooperation. That the development of people groups over time is part of God’s design does not mean that every aspect of every culture is altogether good. God’s cursing the ground due to Adam’s disobedience (see B’reshit/Genesis 17–19) has tainted the creation, including culture. Yet, despite this corruption, national diversity remains part of God’s design.

False notions about what the Bible calls the “age to come” (see Mark 10:30, Hebrews 6:5) have also undermined our appreciation of the global mosaic. Imagining the human story as moving toward the re-establishment of a unified nation of one language and culture creates an ideal that is contrary to God’s expressed purpose for people. In the Bible’s version of the age to come, following the Messiah’s return, the resurrection, and the final judgment, when sin and death are no more and global peace is permanently established, nationalities continue. The description of the New Jerusalem includes: “By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it” (Revelation 21:24; ESV). These are not individuals from former people groups or kings who once belonged to distinct nations. God’s development of nationalities throughout history is retained.

This is not to say that there is no room for the mingling of nations. From economic trade and cooperation to intermarriage, Scripture gives no indication that national distinctions should be closed and outsiders kept out. At the same time, cooperative ventures should show respect for cultural differences of all parties.

Beware therefore, of noble-sounding global unity movements, faith-based or not. Any attempt by church or state to homogenize people groups undermines God’s will and robs the complex, diverse human family of our distinctives and the unique contributions we are called to share with the rest of the world.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of October 10, 2026 / 29 Tishri 5787

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B’reshit
Torah: B’reshit/Genesis 1:1 – 6:8
Haftarah: 1 Shmuel/1 Samuel 20:18–42

And the man named his wife, “Chavah,” for she was the mother of all living (B’reshit/Genesis 3:20; translation: mine)

The Hebrew title, B’reshit, is the very first word of all Scripture, meaning “in the beginning,” before which was nothing; then God speaks, and it isn’t long before we have everything. But this is not just about God creating the universe. That he did is foundational, but we are told much more than that. As I am entering my 29th year of providing TorahBytes, let’s look at something I have never explored before.

The story of creation is crowned by the introduction of creatures unique among the rest, as human beings were alone made in God’s image. As God’s image, we were created as his representatives on Planet Earth, called to bring the creation under his authority. First, we learn that man and woman together reflect God’s image. Later we learn in more detail the process of our creation and our distinctive roles.

That’s before things went wrong, when the woman gave in to the serpent’s deception, followed by her husband’s acquiescence, resulting in the painful, frustrating, death-filled world that you and I have inherited. And yet, despite the man’s irresponsible, short-sighted, destructive action, he could look at his God-given intimate companion and speak hope. It’s too bad, however, that many, if not most, non-Hebrew readers have been oblivious to this remarkable pronouncement. Oblivious, that is, until now. Welcome to “The Adventures of Mudman and LifeGiver”!

A problem with translation is that, while it can bridge gaps between languages, cultures, and time periods, it struggles to fully draw listeners (or readers) into the original language’s complex layers and nuances. One example is wordplay, which Hebrew Scripture regularly uses. A challenge in representing Hebrew wordplay in English is that English wordplay often sounds humorous or cute. Perhaps the most common wordplay in English is puns or the “dad joke,” which I love, but not everybody does. Hebrew Scripture, however, often uses wordplay to make a serious point. Such is the case in the verse I quoted at the beginning.

To truly explore the impact of Adam’s naming of Eve (as we call them in English), we need to remember what just happened. Their rebellion undermined God’s intention for humanity. Yet when Adam (whose name we’ll get to in a second) named his wife, he pronounced what we might call a prophetic statement. He spoke a powerful truth from God’s perspective. Despite the inevitability of pain, frustration, and death, he called out a core blessing of not only his wife, but of all women forever. The same person who went down in history as the first to succumb to the serpent’s deceit would be henceforth known as “Chavah,” derived from the word “chai” (life), setting her apart as “LifeGiver.” This idea may have come from Adam’s hearing God’s earlier words of judgment upon the serpent.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel (B’reshit/Genesis 3:15).

God declared that the woman, despite her seriously misguided decision, would be the source of the Evil One’s eventual destruction. Despite precipitating innumerable struggles ahead, women would still have a redemptive role to play as the channel through which human beings come into the world. Designed by God to nurture us from birth, she who brought death would nevertheless be known as LifeGiver!

LifeGiver’s husband’s name was also a wordplay. Adam (pronounced a-DAHM) comes from the Hebrew word adamah (pronounced a-dahm-ah’), meaning earth, soil, dust, or ground. Trying to find the counterpart to LifeGiver, I settled on “Mudman,” partly because it sounded better than the others. Earthman is too close to earthling, which is too sci-fi for our purposes. Soilman and Dustman both sound like cleaning products. Groundman is like a gardener or a landscaper, which actually fits pretty well. But it’s not as good as Mudman! That’s because Mudman powerfully conveys humanity’s basic lifelessness and futility. God didn’t just form man from the ground (or the mud!). He then “…breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (B’reshit/Genesis 2:7).

Both the man and the woman have a royal calling as stewards of Earth. Yet, our sense of royalty must be informed by our humble origins as mudmen and mudwomen, companions in bringing the life of God to the world, but who are nothing without his breath in us.

All Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise indicated.

For the week of October 3, 2026 / 22 Tishri 5787

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Shemini Atzeret
Torah: D’varim/Deuteronomy 14:22 – 16:17; B’midbar/Numbers 29:35 – 30:1
Haftarah: 1 Melachim/1 Kings 8:54-66

Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. (1 Melachim/1 Kings 8:59–60)

This coming Shabbat coincides with Shemini Atzeret, the conclusion of the fall holy day season. This week’s special Haftarah is Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the temple offered during this time. It was on this holy day, three years ago, October 7, 2023—coinciding with Shabbat as it does again this year—that Hamas-led terrorists unleashed their murderous attack on Israel, the worst day in Jewish history since the Holocaust.

The increase in antisemitic, anti-Israel rhetoric since then is partly, or perhaps largely, due to a major shift in Israeli military strategy, or so it seems. For decades, Israel has had the defensive upper hand in relation to its neighbors. In fact, if it so chose, it could wipe them out. But instead, Israel has allowed itself to be harassed time and time again. When that harassment has been deemed to have gone too far, Israel has strongly pushed back to restore what it has come to accept as reasonable calm, knowing that it was always a matter of time before the threat of annihilation would rise again. This would leave its citizenry always on edge, constantly vigilant as they waited for the next terrorist attack to occur. October 7th changed that.

For the first time in its history, the Israeli leadership was determined to end this threat once and for all. That might be overstating it, since their neighbors act as proxies for greater, more powerful enemies farther away. Still, it was time to show a level of strength and determination to send a clear message to the world that Israel would no longer take such existential threats lightly.

From a defensive perspective, Israel’s determination is reasonable. No country should sit back while its people live in fear of ongoing, existential attack. And yet, whenever Israel asserts itself, much of the world goes berserk. But why—especially among nations that have hitherto been supportive or at least neutral?

This is a complex question that deserves a complex answer, but I want to offer one key factor that isn’t given enough attention. This is the first time in Israeli history it isn’t doing as it’s told. Previously, when Israel pushed back, world powers, most often led by the US, have put heavy pressure on Israel to stop. To appease Israel’s allies, it has always pulled back from continuing effective defensive measures, resulting in allowing its enemies the opportunity to regroup and rearm in preparation for the next time. This time, however, Israel determined there would be no next time. It’s as if Israel’s supposed friends will only let them “play” if they behave themselves, with “behave” being defined solely by these so-called friends. Israel is by far the strongman in the schoolyard. Yet, it has allowed itself to be bullied, being forbidden to use its strength to put an end to harassment. But now, having had enough, its place in the schoolyard of nations is under threat.

Of course, Israel hasn’t always been the strongman in the schoolyard. Far from it! From the 2^nd century until 1948, with the establishment of the modern State of Israel, the Jewish people have not only been stateless, but completely disenfranchised, having to cope with ongoing regulatory and physical persecution. In fact, apart from a brief period in the 2^nd century BCE in the time of the Maccabees, the Jewish people haven’t had any semblance of independent statehood since the 6^th century BCE. Then, when modern Israel was established in 1948, it was regarded as the underdog, the scrawny kid in the schoolyard who somehow, against all odds, survived annihilation, time and time again. That all changed in 1967 during the miraculous Six-Day War. This particular multi-nation attempt to push the Jewish nation into the sea resulted in not only victory, but the reclamation of the biblical heartland and more. But instead of earning multinational respect, the now-perceived schoolyard strongman was resented more than ever.

World powers cannot tolerate those who refuse to bow to their dictates, no matter how righteous their cause. Certainly there are real troublemakers in the world that must be confronted. But, tragically, when it comes to Israel, much of the world has trouble accepting who the actual troublemakers are, as the nations place their own self-interests ahead of what is truly good and just. Whether Israel is the disenfranchised scrawny kid or the strongman, the world will continue to have disdain for the unique role God has given the Jewish people in the world. Whether individual Jews understand this unique calling or not, we cannot escape it. Most of us don’t realize we are ground zero for God’s plans and purposes. Whether we are aware of it or not, his mighty name has been imparted to us through his enduring promises. God has our backs. As he said to Abraham:

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (B’reshit/Genesis 12:3).

As we approach the third anniversary of October 7^th, whether we are Jewish or not, this is the divine lens through which to understand what’s happening in our world today.

For the week of September 26, 2026 / 15 Tishri 5787

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Sukkot
Torah: Vayikra/Leviticus 22:26 – 23:24; B’midbar/Numbers 29:12-16
Haftarah: Zechariah 14:1-21
Originally posted the week of October 3, 2020 / 15 Tishri 5781 (updated)

Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. (Zechariah 14:16-17)

One of the most difficult issues faced by Yeshua-followers—and not just Yeshua-followers, but the entire world—is the tension between unity and diversity. From the beginning, the human family has been fractured, starting with God’s cursing of Adam and Eve, which created tension between males and females (see Bereshit/Genesis 3:16b), and was quickly followed by the murder of their son Abel by his jealous brother, their firstborn, Cain (see Bereshit/Genesis 4:1-16). This explodes when, as a consequence of the misguided Babel-building project, the world divided into people groups due to the confusion of languages (see Bereshit/Genesis 11:1-9).

Since then, most attempts to unify human beings have been by brutal tyrannies, which at best have been partial, fragile, destructive, and, obviously, temporary. Temporary, that is, until the proclamation of the Kingdom of God through the Good News of the Messiah Yeshua. God’s plan was always to rectify the disunity resulting from Babel and rooted in sin. God’s desire to unite the human family lies at the very core of biblical faith. It is not only core to a genuine relationship with God in Yeshua, but God’s Spirit, poured out upon those who truly trust in the Messiah, is also the only power that can mend the systemic brokenness that continues to plague our planet.

Tragically, however, the unity God is seeking to restore has been grossly misunderstood as uniformity. While I assume no one even slightly aware of the biblical teaching on this subject believes we are all to be identical to each other, when it comes down to it, there tends to be an underlying discomfort with diversity, especially regarding national or ethnic expression.

Certainly, this is a much larger subject than can be adequately covered in a short message like this. But let me share something from this week’s readings that should powerfully inform our thinking. These readings are special for the first day of Sukkot (English: Booths or Tabernacles), the people of Israel’s week-long harvest thanksgiving festival, which also commemorates God’s provision and care for the people during the wilderness wanderings following the Exodus from Egypt. As usual, whenever a major festival falls on Shabbat, the regular readings are replaced by special ones relevant to the occasion.

The Haftarah (reading from the Prophets) for the first day of Sukkot is from Zechariah. At the end of his book, the prophet provides details about what the Bible understands as the olam ha-ba (English: world or age to come). That was Israel’s great expectation: God’s restoration of the creation when he would establish his rule on Earth forever. One aspect of this, according to Zechariah, is that in that time the nations would come to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot.

I know that this idea evokes all sorts of questions—not to mention controversies—but I want to point out one thing: the nations come to Jerusalem. That means that at the restoration of all things, the nations as defined and distinct entities will still exist. Some think this is reserved for a limited golden age between now and the final restoration. The problem with this is that the Bible doesn’t see it that way. For example, the book of Revelation echoes Zechariah. At the end of Revelation, we have a description of the new heavens and new earth, an aspect of which is the coming down of the new Jerusalem from heaven to earth (see Revelation 21:1–2). This is clearly the age to come, the time when God makes everything right. We read:

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations (Revelation 21:22-26).

Just as Zechariah predicted, the nations will still exist. Moreover, they will have an essential relationship to future Jerusalem. The unity of all peoples in no way blends everyone into one singular nation. Unity in the Messiah connects us with God’s purposes and plans in and through Israel without nullifying our unique distinctions.

Reckoning with our destiny as God’s family in a way that retains national distinctives is a first step toward the unity in diversity God calls us to today.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of September 19, 2026 / 8 Tishri 5787

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Ha’azinu (Shabbat Shuva)
Torah: D’varim/Deuteronomy 32:1-52
Haftarah: Hosea 14:2-10 (English: 14:1-9); Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-17
Originally posted the week of October 1, 2022 / 6 Tishri 5783 (updated)

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18–19; ESV)

We are currently in the High Holy Day season, particularly “the Ten Days of Awe,” the time between Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year, the biblical Feast of the Blowing of the Shofar) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). This week’s Haftarah readings are excerpts from three Hebrew prophets and fit the season’s themes.

I find the concept of God’s forgiveness so striking. Whether or not I have done anything seriously wrong, I can easily be burdened by wondering whether what I said or did was the right thing or not. I struggle with perfectionist tendencies and an inordinate desire for other people’s approval. Some of you can relate, I am sure. “Should I have said that? What are they thinking? I am sure it was the right thing to do, but I probably could have done better. Perhaps if I had said it differently. But am I responsible for how other people react or perceive me?” It’s exhausting!

Then the thought comes to me: I am forgiven; God forgives me. I am not saying I shouldn’t take responsibility if I’ve done something truly wrong. Believe me, I am not saying that! It’s that I am impressed by how, objectively speaking, my life rests upon a foundation of forgiveness. Because of what God has done for me through the sacrifice of the Messiah, I am right with God. You may think that someone as biblically and theologically savvy as I am should have this down pat. But for me, like many of you, that’s easier said than done. The fact is, whenever it hits me that I am actually and truly forgiven, it’s as if I am experiencing it for the very first time.

As I have thought about this, I realized that since I have been made right with God, I am also right with the universe. Sorry if that sounds too mystical, but stay with me for a second. The term “sin,” is a biblical concept to describe the way human beings fail to meet God’s standards. It’s something we do (or don’t do) that is rooted in that part of our nature that’s been inherited from the beginning when our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. The result of sin is God’s cursing of the human family and the entire creation in which we live. It’s as if everything is tainted or broken as a result of human rebellion against God.

When Messiah came and presented himself as a perfect offering, he repaired the brokenness affected by the curse. Since then, history has been in a process of renewal that will culminate upon his return, when he will judge all who have ever lived and will fully establish God’s reign forever. Trusting in the Messiah reconciles us with God and connects us to God’s restorative power now. While we continue to interact with the world’s current broken state, it’s as if we do so within the context of the final restoration.

Forgiveness releases the believer from the control and effects of sin. Sin no longer defines who we are or determines our destiny. The barriers between God and us have been removed. As a result, the resources of heaven, God’s goodness and power, are at our disposal. Our restored relationship with God changes our relationship to the entire creation. The broken creation will continue to trouble us, however. Yet, because of God’s forgiveness, it needn’t have the upper hand in my life. God isn’t holding my sin against me any longer. Instead, his love and presence are guaranteed.

The prophet Micah foretold that God would “cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). This is where the custom of “tashlikh” comes from. Usually performed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, people go to a flowing body of water and take food, usually bread, and cast it from their pockets into the water to symbolize God’s casting our sins into the sea. Because God has cast away our sins, we needn’t be burdened by them anymore.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of September 12, 2026 / 1 Tishri 5787

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Rosh Hashanah
Torah: Bereshit/Genesis 21:1-34; B’midbar/Numbers 29:1-6
Haftarah: 1 Shmuel/1 Samuel 1:1–2:10
Originally posted the week of September 19, 2009 / 1 Tishri 5770 (updated)

There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. (1 Shmuel/1 Samuel 2:2)

God gets a lot of attention. We hear about him all the time from the mouths of believers and non-believers alike. He is adored, he is scorned, he is exalted, he is mocked. Though many try, he cannot be ignored. I don’t think there is a being or concept in all of human experience upon which so much effort has been spent trying to disprove. As for those who choose not to ignore him, how to relate to him has been far from straightforward. Millions of people claim some sort of belief in God, but the differences among the various versions of him are so great that they turn off many curious seekers, who think it impossible to come to any definite understanding. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

To some, the Bible is just a book of superstitions and myths—one of a multitude of human attempts to define supposed spiritual reality. That it claims to reveal the one true God is taken to be no different from all the other so-called sacred texts in existence. Yet, there is something about how God is presented in the Bible that sets it apart from everything else. The Bible doesn’t try to convince us to accept a God who is distant and unknowable. On the contrary, it invites us to know God intimately and to encounter his reality for ourselves.

This week’s Haftarah is special for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah (this year, starting Friday evening, September 11). It was likely chosen to parallel the special holiday Torah reading that speaks of the miraculous birth of Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac. The Haftarah speaks of another special birth, that of the prophet to be, Shmuel/Samuel. In both cases, the mothers-to-be were unable to conceive. Channah/Hannah, Shmuel’s mother, was desperate for a child—a desperation she took to God. We might miss how profound her request was. She performed no complex ritual nor pronounced some elaborate incantation. Rather, from an honest but hurting heart, she cried out to the invisible creator God, who, since he had made the universe and had given her ancestor Sarah a child in her old age, could certainly give her, another barren woman, a child. And he did.

When Channah fulfilled her promise to God by dedicating Shmuel to his service, she broke out in an exuberant song, proclaiming her understanding of God. What makes her song special is that it emerged from a reality that, until that moment, had been hypothetical. It’s not that she didn’t know God before. Obviously she did, or else she would not have prayed as she did. But God’s provision of a son confirmed what she already believed, thus allowing her to walk in God’s reality at a much deeper level.

God doesn’t expect us to only know him theoretically. That which we know about him in theory is meant to be responded to. His reality is meant to be proven through lives willing to take him at his word. We may not be as desperate as Channah was, but as we earnestly pursue him, we will find him. Channah is but one example of people just like us, whom God is inviting to experience his reality as she did.

At this, the beginning of another year, we have an opportunity to see whether our understanding of God is merely theoretical or a proven reality. The Bible claims that God wants to be real in our lives. We are not expected to pretend, get hyped up, or be content in our confusion and emptiness. On the contrary, there is a reality beyond our wildest dreams waiting for us to take hold of, if we are willing to let it take hold of us.

All scriptures, English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible

For the week of September 5, 2026 / 23 Elul 5786

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Nitzavim & Vayeilech
Torah: D’varim/Deuteronomy 29:9 – 31:30 (English: 29:10 – 31:30)
Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10 – 63:9
Originally posted the week of September 4, 2021 / 27 Elul 5781 (revised)

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (D’varim/Deuteronomy 29:29)

Back in the 1970s, I played drums in my high school jazz band in Montreal. One of my favorite pieces was the “Pink Panther Theme” by Henry Mancini. As you may know, many pieces of music begin with an instruction in Italian to denote the tempo and feel of the piece. The Pink Panther uses the unique instruction “groovy misterioso” to denote a mysterious yet jazzy, cool feeling.

When something is mysterious, it is in the realm of the unknown. Mystery stories and movies are driven by key components hidden from the reader or viewer. Someone dies, for example, and we are led to suspect foul play. The story then anticipates the revealing of what’s hidden. If the mystery remains unsolved by the end, most people wouldn’t find the story satisfying.

Yet many readers of the Bible seem fairly content with unsolved mysteries. It is common for a teacher to assert a difficult-to-understand concept and say, “Ah, that’s a mystery,” expecting their students to respond with awe and wonder. God himself is often described as a mystery. The problem with this is that the Bible doesn’t describe him that way. Instead, he is accessible, knowable, and personable.

The Bible, the New Covenant Writings in particular, does use the word mystery, however. It’s the Greek word (no surprise!) “mystērion,” which appears twenty-seven times, mainly in Paul’s writings; once each in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all in the context of Yeshua’s teachings on parables; and four times in the Book of Revelation. But it isn’t used to describe that which is unknown or too difficult for us to understand. Rather, it is used to describe truths that were previously unknown which have now been made known. One example is found in Ephesians, chapter three, where Paul explains that God’s intentions to include people of the nations in his messianic plan had been unknown until the good news of Yeshua was proclaimed by his followers.

This kind of mystery is very different from common mystery stories, where we are aware that something is going on but don’t know what it is, leaving us with a puzzle to solve. Bible mysteries are not puzzles, however. Yet that doesn’t stop some people from assuming that there are codes to crack and hidden messages to decipher. Biblical mysteries are also not unknowable knowables – the stuff of “you just need to accept what I am telling you even though you will never be able to understand it, because it’s a mystery!”

That doesn’t mean that everything about God and life, be it in the Bible or elsewhere, is knowable. Far from it! There is information that is not accessible to human beings. There are things that we simply can’t understand. That’s what Moses says in this week’s parsha (weekly Torah reading portion): “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law (the English word, ‘law’ is torah in Hebrew)” (D’varim/Deuteronomy 29:29). This tells us that there exist knowable and unknowable things. God has deemed some matters to be secret, known only to him. They are not mysteries to solve. Instead, they are none of our business. Then there are the revealed things. These are our business. We are to learn them, do them, and pass them on to our children.

This is not to say that there aren’t knowable, but hard-to-understand, things as well. But they are not hidden. They are not mysteries. Sometimes we have to put in considerable effort through prayer and study to discover truth and how best to live accordingly.

The Torah tells us that God has graciously revealed in his Word all we need to know in order to live effective, godly lives. And that’s groovy!

To watch the Pink Panther Theme with Mancini himself on piano, click here.

All scriptures, English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible

For the week of August 1, 2026 / 18 Av 5786

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Ekev
Torah: D’varim/Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25
Haftarah: Isaiah 49:14 – 51:3
Originally posted the week of August 8, 2009 / 18 Av 5769 (updated)

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (D’varim/Deuteronomy 8:3)

As Moses recaps the forty-year journey of the people of Israel through the wilderness, he explains the purpose of the provision of manna. Manna was the food that miraculously appeared on the ground each day, except on Shabbat. Through this, God was teaching the people to rely upon him alone. The statement “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” is often understood to mean that our lives depend not only on material sustenance but also on God. However, that is not what it says. What we actually have is two ways of living. One is “by bread alone”; the other is “by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD”. Either we live life dependent on the fulfillment of our basic physical needs, or we live life dependent upon God. The people of Israel needed to learn that. For life to be lived the way God intended, they needed to depend on him alone.

Note that relying upon God is not described in vague terms, but with clear reference to his words. Moses didn’t say here that man lives by being dependent or by trusting in God, which would be true, but rather that “man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD”. Living life the way God intends requires strict attention to his every word.

What Moses says is of great importance for our understanding of the Bible’s inspiration. If the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Covenant Writings are indeed inspired by God, then to what extent are the words themselves inspired? Are the Scriptures only inspired in some general sense, or did God intend the words themselves to be written the way they were? The New Covenant asserts the latter:

And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Many Bible believers think that only the meanings of the words, not the words themselves, are inspired. This results in separating the words of Scripture from their supposed meanings. This makes us vulnerable to all sorts of concepts God never intended. Further, it is common to belittle the actual words of Scripture by asserting that they are relevant only to the time and culture in which they were written. Because the Bible writers saw the world so differently from how we do, it’s assumed that only the eternal principles, somehow contained within or behind the Bible’s words, are relevant to us today.

I don’t deny that the writers of Scripture saw the world very differently from us. But it was through those people writing in those times and places whom God chose to write the words he inspired. Understanding how to adapt ancient Scriptural truths to contemporary societies can be challenging, but it’s an essential challenge well worth the effort.

God’s words, not just his Word in some general sense, are inspired. Moses said (God through Moses actually) that we are to live by every word that comes from God’s mouth. God inspired the writers of Scripture to write the very words through which he has revealed both himself and his will to us. Perhaps if we truly lived by every word that came from God’s mouth, we would not only view the world the way he does, but we would also live the effective, godly lives he calls us to.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

Background image: The Great Isaiah Scroll (Dead Sea Scrolls) / By Photographs by Ardon Bar Hama, author of original document is unknown. – Website of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, see link., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12149044