For the week of April 19, 2025 / 21 Nisan 5785

Pesach
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 13:17 – 15:26 & B’midbar/Numbers 28:19-25
Haftarah: 2 Shmuel/2 Samuel 22:1-51
Originally posted the week of April 11, 2015 / 22 Nisan 5775

You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread (matza), the bread of affliction – for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste – that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. (Devarim / Deuteronomy 16:3)

If you attended a Pesach (English: Passover) Seder the other day, or any other time for that matter, you most likely heard the following words when the matza (English: unleavened bread) was uncovered near the beginning of the evening: “This is the bread of affliction that our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt.” But perhaps you didn’t know that calling the matza “the bread of affliction” is taken directly from the Torah.

The word for “affliction” in Hebrew is “a’-nee,” and refers to being in an oppressive state, such as hardship or poverty. Matza as a key symbol of Pesach would always serve as a reminder of the great suffering in Egypt with or without referring to it as the bread of affliction. But the verse I quoted at the beginning makes it sound as if the matza is not a reminder of the slavery experience but of freedom: “eat it with matza, the bread of affliction – for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste – that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.”

Indeed it was the rush to leave Egypt following the tenth and final plague that is the reason for the eating of matzah. We read:

The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders (Shemot/Exodus 12:33-34).

So if the matza is connected with leaving Egypt, why is it not called “the bread of deliverance?” The answer is found a few verses later. Regarding the preparation of the unleavened dough they took with them,

And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves (Shemot/Exodus 12:39).

Even though the exodus from Egypt was a momentous liberating event, in its own way it too was a hardship. Anyone who has been released from long-term personal or corporate abuse knows how difficult such transitions can be. Free from slavery, yes, but Israel had to endure a harsh, unknown wilderness with little to no prepared provision. This resulted in all sorts of next-to-impossible challenges to the point that some would eventually pine after their former slavery. Unless they learned to depend on God, they wouldn’t make it. And many didn’t. Almost the entire adult generation that left Egypt were kept from entering the Promised Land due to their unfaithfulness to God (see Bemidbar/Numbers 13 – 14).

After the initial euphoria of newfound freedom subsides, the harsh realities of strange and perhaps hostile environments, a lack of familiar social structures and personal and communal resources must be faced with tenacity and hope for a better future. Whether it be an immigrant from a worn-torn land or someone newly distanced from an abusive situation, denying the reality of the new challenges faced by freedom can create unnecessary obstacles to the benefits of freedom.

The matza does more than simply remind us of the hardship of liberation, however. It assures us that the God who frees us will give us all we need to face the challenges of newfound freedom. It’s not always easy to walk in freedom, but he who rescues us from bondage, will also equip us to live free.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of April 12, 2025 / 14 Nisan 5785

Zav
Torah: Vayikra/Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36 (English: 6:8 – 8:36)
Haftarah: Malachi 3:4-24 (English 3:4 – 4:6)
Originally posted the week of March 28, 2015 / 8 Nisan 5775 (updated)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying “Give Aaron and his sons this command: ‘These are the regulations for the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.'” (Vayikra/Leviticus 6:1-2 [English: 6:8-9])

For most of us, the concept of sacrifice is foreign. We don’t offer God animals, grain, and so on. Yet, sacrifice is a central element of the Torah and one that has ongoing relevance to us.

While sacrifices of this nature have become redundant under the New Covenant, there is much to be learned by studying them. Let’s look at one basic concept that will help us better relate to God and life.

The sacrifices prescribed by the Torah for individuals were to be taken from things the people themselves already owned. When you sacrificed something, you gave of what you yourself had. In fact, provisions were made for the poor so that they, too, could give of what they had. You could not borrow something to sacrifice or offer something on behalf of someone else.

And so, when an offering was made, you were giving back to God that which God had first given to you. Whatever benefits were derived or obligations were met due to a particular offering, you were always acknowledging, consciously or unconsciously, that God had a right to what you possessed.

Grasping this concept enables us to relate to our possessions as God intends. We often define ourselves by what we have. While the rich may be the objects of resentment, we tend to have the highest regard for those with the most material goods. Don’t we refer to these people as “well off,” even though they might be miserable? Parting with our stuff forces us to find our identity and well-being elsewhere.

We also believe that our possessions are for us to do with as we please. Children learn the meaning of “mine” from a very early age. Yet the very first chapter of the Torah establishes our role as stewards of the planet. God is the possessor of everything. We are called to care for, not own, things. How easily we fool ourselves! Unless we learn this lesson, the more stuff we have, the more they will possess us. The sacrifices of the Torah release our grip on what we have. Giving back to God helps us realize that we do not depend on what we own as we thought.

By calling for sacrifice, God exercises his claim upon more than just our possessions—he is claiming us. The whole purpose of the Torah was to restore people to a right relationship with him. What happened in the Garden of Eden was a misuse of God’s provision. Our first parents failed to accept that we have no right to do with the creation however we please—a lesson we still have trouble learning.

God wants us to give ourselves to him in every way. He is not really interested in our stuff. He wants us.

God knew sacrifice was the only way to bring us back to himself. The ancient offerings never made much of a difference, so God himself offered his own sacrifice: his Son, Yeshua the Messiah. God gave us what he had so we could fully give ourselves to him.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of April 5, 2025 / 7 Nisan 5785

Vayikra
Torah: Vayikra/Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26 (English: 1:1 – 6:7)
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21 – 44:23
For the week of March 19, 2016 / 9 Adar II 5776 (revised)

If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. (Vayikra/Leviticus 1:3)

When reading the descriptions of the various sacrifices in the third book of Moses, it becomes apparent that the emphasis isn’t so much on why various sacrifices were offered, but rather what the requirements were for each sacrifice. This includes which animals were allowed, since certain animals were acceptable for some sacrifices and not for others; which offerings included portions for the cohanim (English: priests) and which did not; when the people were to keep parts of the animal for eating and when not to; which offerings included grain and/or drink; which ones allowed for less expensive items when given by the poor, and so on.

God was very particular about the regulations surrounding the sacrifices. People were not to offer to God whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, or however they wanted. How God was to be worshipped was determined by God, not by the people.

Someone might want to point out that God was never really interested in the external aspects of worship. Didn’t the prophets make this clear, as in this example from Isaiah, which Yeshua quoted several centuries later?

And the LORD said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13, compare Matthew 15:8).

Performing our duties while our hearts are actually distant from God is hypocrisy. God is not fooled by our simply going through the motions. But the prophetic warning against the trap of heartless submission to God doesn’t imply that it’s all about the heart. Scripture never gives the impression that God accepts anything and everything we choose to offer him. Faith in God is never to be a cover-up for evil.

Our acceptance by God due to Yeshua’s final sacrifice for sin doesn’t mean that how we approach God no longer matters. In fact, the restrictions upon us are greater than ever before. While the sacrificial system is no longer in force, he now calls for the offering of ourselves. The New Covenant Writings see this as the only reasonable response to God’s great mercy toward us in the Messiah. Paul writes:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1).

And just as Torah carefully outlined the requirements for the sacrifices, so Paul reminds us that we should take similar care in how we offer ourselves:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

Certainly, our inner motives are essential, but so are the externals. We don’t live godly lives to achieve God’s acceptance. Rather, because of God’s acceptance of us in Yeshua, we strive after godliness—a godliness according to his design.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of March 29, 2025 / 29 Adar 5785

Pekudei
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 38:21-40:38; Shemot/Exodus 12:1-20
Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16 – 46:18; 1 Shmuel/1 Samuel 20:18-42
Originally posted the week of March 12, 2016 / 2 Adar II 5776 (updated)

Then, the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses could not enter the meeting tent because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (Shemot/Exodus 40:34-35)

Who likes interruptions? We live in a busy world—places to go, things to do. But interruptions are a fact of life these days especially. Phone calls, text messages, social media posts, and emails all vie for our attention. I know we could all do a better job resisting the buzzes and bells of these attention grabbers, but you know how it is.

Some people are better than others at not being interrupted. They are the very focused individuals who are so keenly aware of their responsibilities that nothing will get in the way of their goals—

Hold on, my daughter is texting me. Okay, I’m back. Where was I? Oh yeah, focused individuals—

Focused individuals can be so good at resisting interruption that they might actually be missing what God is trying to do in their lives. You might wonder how that could be possible. If God is God, then how can he be resisted? We’ll get to that in a minute.

In this week’s Torah portion, God interrupts Moses. After completing the building and setup of the mishkan (English: tabernacle), we read that God’s glory filled it so that it prevented Moses from going into the special tent where he normally met with God. This tangible manifestation of God kept Moses from doing his regular duties.

I imagine most people reading this would consider it amazingly wonderful that God’s presence would be among people in such a spectacular and awesome way. But that’s the perspective of an objective reader. It’s another thing when you are in the middle of it. In Moses’s case, he may not have had much of a choice, but how about when God interrupts our lives in other, not-so-obvious, ways? When great unexpected events happen to us—the kind that has the potential to change the course of our lives completely, what then? I am not saying that every such event is a divine interruption, but I wonder how much we might be missing—or worse—resisting.

The greatest divine interruption in history was the coming of the Messiah Yeshua. God had prepped the Jewish people for centuries for his arrival. By the time he came, messianic expectation in Israel was at a fever pitch. As he began to teach and perform signs and wonders, crowds of people started to wonder if he might indeed be “the One.” The leadership was hesitant, just as established leadership tends to be. But then, most of the leadership became more than hesitant. They became outright resistant, hostile, in fact. Even though they were the ones who had taught the people about the Messiah in the first place, he was interrupting their lives by not doing things exactly as they expected. They had successfully built a community of survival within a very oppressive society and were legitimately afraid that change would undermine their rule. Therefore, interruptions could not be tolerated. They may not have been conscious of how much their insistence on staying on course blinded them to God to the extent that most of them failed to see that the Messiah was in their midst.

This should be a great warning to us all. These leaders, for the most part, acted out of a good motive as they sought to fulfill their God-given responsibilities. But if experts and keeners, out of their earnestness, could resist a divine interruption, how much more could we? Do we think we are not susceptible to being so focused on our agendas, plans, and ways of doing things that we wouldn’t completely ignore God when he shows up?

This is not to say that every interruption in our lives is from God and should be wholeheartedly embraced. But let’s be careful that in our desire to stay focused, we don’t miss how God might be trying to get through to us.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of March 22, 2025 / 22 Adar 5785

Vayakhel & Parah
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 35:1 – 38:20; B’midbar/Numbers 19:1-22
Haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-38

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:22-26)

This week’s special reading from the prophet Ezekiel foretold a miracle of which we are witnesses today: the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. It grieves me to no end to think of how many people cannot see this wonder. Age-old prejudice, historical theological misrepresentation, and misguided social justice ideologies have obscured what are perhaps the most remarkable developments in history. That the Jewish people have survived at all—empire after empire, devastation and exile, not just once— is noteworthy. Contrary to popular misconception, through the centuries, there was always a small, virtually powerless remnant who remained in our God-given land, while the majority of the nation lived throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe and eventually the Americas and elsewhere, where some longed for the day of return, promised by Ezekiel and others.

But return we have. When the British took over responsibility for what was then known as Mandatory Palestine, there were about 60,000 Jewish residents. Despite facing existential threats from its founding until now, the Jewish population of Israel today is over seven million. That’s about 11,567% growth! . Half of the world’s Jewish population lives in our ancient homeland today and is perhaps one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse societies on the planet. Despite propaganda to the contrary, Israel is a religiously and culturally pluralistic society in one of the most intolerant and dangerous regions of the world. It is also a hub of innovation in various areas, including agriculture and health.

Some might point out, however, that Ezekiel isn’t simply speaking about unusual political and cultural events, remarkable as they are, but also about a spiritual awakening among the Jewish people. Yet, just as many are oblivious to the remarkable nature of the return to the Land, there is a lack of awareness of God’s transformative work among us. I do not think it is a coincidence that the emergence of what was then known as the Hebrew Christian movement in the 1800s coincided with Restorationism, later named Zionism. Then, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a great number of Jewish young people came to believe in Yeshua as Messiah, this time along with an earnest desire to retain our Jewish distinctive. It is not far fetched to connect this with the surprising repossession of the Old City of Jerusalem and the acquisition of biblical Judea and Samaria in 1967.

While many ignore God’s current, multi-faceted workings among his ancient covenant people, others miss the intents of his heart by insisting on their particular preset formulas. They claim that God won’t or can’t do this or that with the Jewish people unless this or that happens first. Tell me, how much of the Bible do we need to read before we realize that God isn’t constrained by our systems? The power of the Good News of the Messiah is for the Jews first and foremost. It always was and always will be. Let’s pray and act, expecting to see God’s word through Ezekiel fully fulfilled in our day.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of March 15, 2025 / 15 Adar 5785

Ki Tissa
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 30:11 – 34:35
Haftarah: 1 Melachim / 1 Kings 18:1-39
Originally posted the week of February 27, 2021 / 15 Adar 5781 (revised)

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)

These are the words spoken by Mordecai to his cousin Esther, who had been selected queen of Persia after the former queen had been deposed due to insubordination. Only God knew the circumstances that Esther, Mordecai, and the rest of the Jewish people in Persia would find themselves in. At some point after Esther’s installation, the king promoted Haman to the highest bureaucratic position. One of Haman’s perks was that people were to display deference towards him whenever he passed by, which everyone did, except for Mordecai. This infuriated Haman to the extent that he wanted to put not only Mordecai to death but also all of Mordecai’s people—the Jewish people.

Before this, Mordecai instructed Esther not to make her Jewishness known. But now, realizing by God’s providence she was in a place of influence, he sent a message to her entreating her to approach the king on her people’s behalf. It was obvious, at least to Mordecai, that God’s hand was at work in Esther’s becoming queen, and he helped her to see that perhaps she had come to her role in the kingdom for such a time as this.

As readers of this story, what Mordecai discerned about Esther’s role is obvious. Of course, we also have the benefit of knowing the rest of the story. Anyone who approached the king uninvited would be killed unless the king extended his scepter to that person, a risk Esther decided to take. Not only did the king extend his scepter to her, Haman’s devilish plot was exposed, and the Jewish people overcame another existential threat. This is why we celebrate the festival of Purim (this year: Thursday evening, March 13).

I don’t know how many people find themselves in such a position. After all, this is an extreme case, both in terms of the threat and the unusual place that Esther found herself in. I hope that if I were in such a unique position to help, I too would be willing to do what Esther did.

But how about when the situation isn’t as dramatic as this, when the place in which we find ourselves isn’t as obvious as it was to Mordecai? What about when life seems normal: family, work, home, school—day in, day out, same old, same old—what about then? Could it be that wherever we may be and whatever we may be doing, opportunities for which we are uniquely positioned are staring at us, but we are distracted by normal? What if we were more aware of what is really going on around us? What would happen if we were more sensitive to the Lord’s promptings? Maybe life wouldn’t seem so normal most of the time.

And what if we are not in normal times? We live in a world troubled by a great deal of social and political challenges. Yet many are just trying to cope, waiting for this to all be over. But what are you waiting for? This might be your time.

Esther’s initial reaction to Mordecai was “What can I do?” seeing that she hadn’t been summoned to the king in a while. However, she wasn’t in her position simply to accept the way things were, but rather to risk her life to make a difference. She needed to challenge the status quo and put herself in a dangerous situation to bring about the essential change.

This is not the time to sit back and do nothing. You may believe you don’t have any other option. That’s never the case with the God of Israel. What you might be called to do may not have the same impact as what Esther did, but you’ll never know until you are willing to step out in that direction. It might be nothing more than a phone call or an email. But as God leads you, there’s no telling the difference you might make. Perhaps this is your time.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of March 8, 2025 / 8 Adar 5785

T’tzavveh & Zachor
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 27:20 – 30:10; D’varim/Deuteronomy 25:17-19
Haftarah: 1 Shmuel/1 Samuel 15:2-34

Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” (1 Shmuel/1 Samuel 15:2-3)

The Haftarah, the selection from the Hebrew prophets, is special for the Shabbat that precedes Purim, the festival of Esther, which begins this year on the evening of March 13. This selection was likely chosen because the villain of the Purim story, Haman, was a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag, who is mentioned in the Haftarah, 1 Shmuel/1 Samuel 15:2–34.

God, through the prophet Shmuel, directed King Shaul (Saul) to destroy the people of Amalek because of their treatment of the people of Israel generations before when they journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land. God clearly stated that every Amalekite and their animals were to be completely wiped out. God deemed Shaul’s failure to do so as an act of rebellion against him, resulting in God’s rejecting Shaul.

Many people, among them those who claim to adhere to the Bible, find God’s judgment of the Amalekites highly distasteful. A popular book that deals with aspects of Scripture many find abhorrent is Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God by Paul Copan. Without going into its details, note how the book’s title presupposes that the intended reader regards the God of Hebrew Scripture as a most distasteful character and one who is so very different from how he is depicted in the New Covenant Scriptures (New Testament). This supposed contrast is often regarded as so great that he is often thought of as an altogether different god.

It is common to resolve discomfort over God’s harsh actions in the Hebrew Scriptures by emphasizing his more lovable attributes and showing how they are consistent with the New Covenant Writings. While that is valid to some extent, it ignores that God also enacts harsh judgment in the New Covenant Writings. For example, in Luke chapter thirteen, some people mention to Yeshua the Roman governor’s horrific killing of certain Galileans. Here’s the Messiah’s response:

“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2-5).

This is far from the stereotypical, patting-kids-on-the-head, meek-and-mild Jesus many prefer. Another time, he warned his followers, saying:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21–23).

Or how about when God killed two people simply for pretending they were more generous than they really were (see Acts 5:1–11)? Don’t get me wrong. I in no way want to minimize God’s overwhelmingly merciful and loving character as is wonderfully demonstrated throughout the entire Bible. But to claim that the harsh judgment toward the Amalekites is limited to a pre-messianic version of the God of Israel is to completely ignore what God thinks about evil.

To overemphasize God’s love to the point that we ignore evil’s consequences not only misrepresents his character, it helps no one. The sacrifice of the Messiah on behalf of lost humanity is an inexpressible demonstration of love beyond comprehension. Yet, it cannot be adequately appreciated unless it’s presented against the backdrop of God’s hatred of evil. Saul/Paul effectively expressed the proper biblical balance in his first recorded sermon to an entirely non-Jewish audience in Athens:

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31).

Judgment is coming. What happened to the Amalekites should motivate everyone everywhere to repent before it’s too late.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of March 1, 2025 / 1 Adar 5785

Terumah; Rosh Hodesh; Shekalim
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 25:1 – 27:19; B’midbar/Numbers 28:9–15
Haftarah: 2 Kings 12:1–17 (English: 11:21 – 2 16)
Originally posted the week of February 20, 2021 / 8 Adar 5781

Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it. (Shemot/Exodus 25:9)

There are two major sections in the second book of the Torah that are concerned about the building of the mishkan, usually translated into English as “tabernacle.” It was a large, yet mobile, complex designed as the locale for the offering of sacrifices and other priestly functions on behalf of the nation of Israel. Mishkan means, “dwelling place,” as it was to represent God’s dwelling among his people. This week’s parsha (English: Torah reading portion) through chapter thirty contains the instructions of the mishkan, its furnishings, and other related items, including the priests’ clothing and recipes for the special oil and incense. Then the actual construction is described beginning in chapter thirty-five through the end of the book, chapter forty.

Various people have attempted to draw or build accurate images or models – including life-sized versions – of the mishkan, but there is no way to ensure accuracy due to a missing ingredient in the instructions recorded by Moses. It appears that he was privy to something besides the details we read in the Torah. Not only did God tell him what to do, he also showed it to him. Because Moses saw what to do, he could also instruct the people on how to do it.

Before I continue, a word about the so-called Oral Torah. Jewish tradition claims that when God gave Moses his word to write down, he also told him other things that he did not write down, but instead was to be passed on orally. One of the main purposes of the Oral Torah is to interpret the written Torah. The Mishnah, which is the core of the Talmud is the written version of the Oral Torah. A scriptural basis for the Mishnah is the verse we are looking at, since it suggests that Moses was made aware of certain aspects of God’s revelation to Israel that he didn’t write down. However, this is no way legitimizes an oral tradition that most certainly was developed over time. Just because Moses was equipped with more than the written instructions for the Mishkan here doesn’t prove anything about other later rabbinic teachings.

What then might we learn from Moses’ experience of the mishkan? The people of Israel needed more than just “the what” of building it. They also needed “the how.” Throughout the ages people have abused the Bible because they thought that a simple reading was sufficient to live out its teachings. Armed with only the what, well-meaning, but otherwise naïve people have caused more damage than good. They claim to be taking God at his word but possess neither the sensitivity necessary to understand it nor his wisdom to live it out effectively.

When we read the Bible, we are not on our own. It’s a very old book, but its ultimate author is still alive. Not only that, he has made himself available to anyone who seeks him. In order to truly understand his word, we need to rely on him to show us how. This is not to say that our intuition or spiritual senses are reliable guides in themselves to understand the difficult and not-so difficult parts of scripture. The Scriptures themselves provide interpretive boundaries for us. If Moses, having recorded the mishkan instructions, claimed that God showed that they were to build a boat, then everyone would know something was not right. I know that’s an extreme example, but it makes the point clear. If an interpretation of scripture is not well-supported by scripture, we should not trust it.

The same goes for any attempt to follow God’s instructions. Through the Ruach HaKodesh (English: the Holy Spirit) God speaks to his people in various ways. But too often we fail to wait upon him for how to do what he is calling us to do. Instead, we need to wait on him to show us, and then do.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of February 22, 2025 / 24 Shevat 5785

Mishpatim
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 21:1 – 24:18
Haftarah: Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25-26
Originally posted the week of February 6, 2016 / 27 Shevat 5776 (updated)

Now these are the rules that you shall set before them (Shemot/Exodus 21:1)

Last week’s parsha (weekly Torah reading portion) included the giving of the Ten Words (commonly known as the Ten Commandments). As I explained in a previous TorahBytes message, the Ten Words represent the covenant God established with the people of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. Accepting them as eternal principles simply because they are the Ten Commandments or rejecting them as Old Testament relics fails to regard their covenantal function. With the coming of Yeshua and the inauguration of the New Covenant as promised by the prophet Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 31:31-33; compare Luke 22:20), the constitution of God’s people underwent a significant transformation. That which was given on tablets of stone has been internalized as Jeremiah had foretold (see 2 Corinthians 3:3). The life that God had called Israel to live was no longer something outside and out of reach, so to speak, but instead to be lived from the inside out. The alienation from God, which had prevented Israel from living up to the Sinai covenantal demands, was resolved by the forgiveness of sin brought about through Yeshua’s sacrificial death.

Therefore, the main contrast between the Sinai and New Covenants is found—not primarily in their practical details—but in the contrasting constitutional arrangements within which the details are given. The older covenant provides for the organization of a national entity; the newer one enables the inclusion of all nations without requiring specific membership in Israel. The great change in the sacrificial system from ongoing and temporal to final and permanent makes the older priestly function obsolete and thus allows all believers to approach God directly.

But just because the covenantal foundations have changed, that doesn’t mean that every God-given directive through Moses is no longer relevant. For it is in the Torah that we encounter almost every aspect of life from God’s perspective. Discerning which elements of God’s “teaching” (for that’s what “torah” means) were for ancient Israel alone and which ones are for all people for all times can be a challenge, but a worthwhile and enriching one.

Through Torah, we are reminded that relationship with God is not something detached from life’s practicalities. While abstract notions of love and forgiveness are essential, it is through the directives of Torah that the core of our faith is expressed in very practical ways. When reading the first section of this week’s Torah portion, you might wonder if that is really true. The subject of slaves in the Bible is often used to demonstrate how backward it is. But what we actually have here is God’s speaking into a world where slavery was taken for granted. The boundaries and regulations God established through Moses emphasize the value of all human beings. This would have been radical for those days and sets the stage for its eventual abolishment. How’s that for being practical?

Our portion continues by addressing personal liability. We are privileged to be given God’s mind regarding common issues like those people have faced throughout history. We neglect God’s word on these matters to our peril.

In another section in this week’s reading, we also see the consequences of certain types of social behavior, including premarital sex, bestiality, and sorcery, as well as dealing with the vulnerable members of society: foreigners, widows, and orphans. As with the slavery section, modern readers might too quickly react to the prescribed consequences for certain behaviors rather than glean wisdom from God’s perspective. The determining of consequences is subject to the jurisdiction of civil leaders, which, while regulated under Sinai for ancient Israel, is not expanded to the nations under the New Covenant. But we can derive from this an understanding of the destructive nature of the things addressed so that they can be avoided among believers and discouraged within the cultures in which we find ourselves.

This is what Yeshua meant when he told his followers that they are “salt and light” (see Matthew 5:13-16). As the great Master Rabbi, he expounded the teachings of Moses so that they (and us!) could learn the practical details of Torah within a New Covenant framework.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version

For the week of February 15, 2025 / 17 Shevat 5785

Yitro
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 18:1 – 20:23
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 – 7:6; 9:5-6 (English Isaiah 6:1 – 7:6; 9:6-7)
Originally posted the week of February 18, 2017 / 22 Shevat 5777 (updated)

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Shemot/Exodus 20:8-11)

I was in Vancouver, Canada, some years ago to participate in an event. Over three days, thousands of people gathered at one of the city’s largest venues to hear speakers on a variety of biblical topics. My ministry was one of over two hundred with displays, small and large. Weeks before the event, I was discussing with one of my daughters what I might do to encourage people to interact with my display. She suggested I make a simple sign with the words, “Ask me a Bible question!” This indeed led to some very interesting discussions.

One interaction didn’t go so well, however. In the name of asking me a question, the person chose to harshly lecture me on the Sabbath. In the end, they questioned my eternal future with God because I wouldn’t fully subscribe to their perspective, which is too bad since this is a critical and often neglected issue.

So, as briefly as I can, I will share what I believe to be a sound biblical perspective on the Sabbath. First, in whatever way we may derive universal moral principles from the Ten Commandments (of which the Sabbath command is a part), it is primarily a cornerstone of the covenant given by God to the people of Israel through Moses at Mt. Sinai. As the special ten, they represented the whole of the covenant, which includes many other directives covering every aspect of Israelite society. This is why the tablets of the Ten Commandments were to be included in the Ark of the Covenant, stored in the Most Holy Place within the Tabernacle and later the Temple.

Unlike the earlier covenant God made with Israel through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which was unconditional and eternal, the Sinai Covenant through Moses was conditional and temporary. As a covenant, it was broken by the people of Israel by their repeatedly turning to other gods. God’s response to the breaking of the Sinai Covenant was the New Covenant promised through the prophet Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 31:31-33) and instituted by the Messiah (see Luke 22:20).

The New Covenant internalizes much of the Sinai Covenant’s essence and permanently establishes a right relationship with God. As a system of law, therefore, the Sinai Covenant is no longer in effect. Therefore, the Ten Commandments as representative of the Sinai Covenant aren’t binding. This doesn’t mean that the principles they represent are to be neglected necessarily, since biblically speaking, they are clearly eternal, universal principles, like so many of the other directives contained in the Sinai Covenant. However, applying the Sabbath beyond the confines of ancient Israel isn’t straightforward. As the early followers of Yeshua began to teach God’s Truth to non-Jews, while they taught principles based on Old Covenant Scripture, including the Ten Commandments, they warned against the imposition of Sabbath law (e.g., Galatians 2:16; Colossians 4:10). Why is that?

Unlike the other nine and many other directives revealed by God through Moses, Sabbath keeping includes more than the moral and spiritual components of other commands. By regulating the workweek, Sabbath also addresses society in general. Not only would it be impossible for people outside the Jewish world to effectively observe Sabbath by demanding the cessation of work, it would also cause an unnecessary clash with the pagan world of that day.

Does that mean, therefore, that Sabbath has no place whatsoever among Yeshua’s followers? For much of history, Sabbath has been central to the lives of believers. It is thought that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh day (Saturday) to the first (Sunday) due to Yeshua’s resurrection and the early believers meeting on that day. Actually, there is very little evidence of what occurred and why. Nevertheless, for most of the past two thousand years, believing communities have almost always determined that some sort of Sabbath-keeping was to be implemented. In my opinion, they were right to do so because even though Sabbath keeping was not to be imposed upon believers from among the nations, it is clearly an important principle of Scripture stemming back to the giving of the Sinai Covenant. While the Sabbath, as expressed in the Ten Commandments, is specific to Israel under the Sinai Covenant, it is rooted in creation (Bereshit/Genesis 2:1-3) and also reveals God’s perspective on the need for rest. The need for rest is not just about self, but also for those under our care, even including animals. Therefore, why would we not seek to implement such a principle that obviously expresses God’s understanding of life, work, and rest?

By not imposing their particular implementation of Sabbath, the early Jewish believers gave non-Jewish communities the opportunity to develop culturally appropriate expressions of Sabbath over time, which is precisely what they did. They did, that is, until more recently when it has just about been forgotten altogether.

While we are not mandated to impose Sabbath keeping upon one another, we would be well advised to seek God and the Scriptures to appropriately apply the Sabbath within our communities today. This includes speaking into the society at large, encouraging civil governments to return to the godly rhythm of rest exemplified by the Creator himself.

Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version