Gen 44:18-47:27 Ezek 37:15-28 Matt 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-21; Phil 2:5-11   Main Points: Judah’s intervention for Benjamin. Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. Joseph brings his father’s house to Egypt to provide for them in the famine. Jacob and his family settled in Goshen. Joseph deals grain in the famine and saves the people.   On the surface, Joseph’s life did not make sense. He was thirty years old before his prophetic dream was realized. Every trial, trouble, and trick

Torah: Gen 37:1-40:23 Haftarah: Amos 2:6-3:8 Matt 1:1-6,16-25; John 10:22-30   Main Points: Joseph has some dreams. Joseph thrown in a pit and sold. Judah‘s promise and Tamar’s conspiracy. Joseph in Potiphar’s house. Joseph put in jail and begins to interpret dreams of the cupbearer and baker.    Jacob left Laban's house and met a host of angels. Then a messenger was sent to Esau. This messenger may have been one of Jacob's chief servants. When Esau returned a threat in respo

Torah: Gen 32:3-36:43 Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1-21 Brit Chadashah: Heb 11:11-20, Matt 26:36-46   Main Points: Jacob sends messengers to Esau. Jacob wrestles with the Angel. Esau and Jacob meet and reconcile. Dinah is defiled. God appear to Jacob in Bethel. Issac and Rachel die. Generations of Esau.   What would have happened if Jacob and his mother had trusted God to vindicate his rightful place in all God had decreed? It is not recorded whether Rebekah communicated with Isaac an

Torah: Gen 28:10-32:3 Haftarah: Hos 12:13-14:10 Brit Chadashah: John 1:19-51   Main Points: Jacob’s Dream. Jacob works for Laban for Leah and Rachel. The war of the womb. Jacob, the master herdsman, becomes wealthy. Jacob leaves Laban’s house after God speaks to him. Mahanaim, this is God’s camp. Jacob sends messengers to Esau. Jacob ran for his life. After the incident with his brother Esau, where he disguised himself, he fled taking his blessing and little else. There is so

Parashat Toldot Torah: Gen 25:19-28:9 Haftarah: Mal 1:2-2:7 Brit Chadashah: Rom 9:1-31   Main Points: Two nations in Rebekah’s womb. Esau sells his birthright. Jacob obtains the blessing. Isaac settles in Gerar and lies about Rebekah being his sister. Isaac’s crops blessed 100-fold, and a quarrel develops over water wells. The Lord appears to Isaac in Beersheba. Abimelech makes a nonaggression pact with Isaac. Isaac blesses Jacob instead of Esau.   It is hard enough to do the

Torah: Gen 23:1 – 25:18 Haftarah: 1 Kings 1:1-31 Brit Chadashah: Matt 1:1-17, 1 Cor 15:50-57   Main Points: Sarah dies and is buried in the Cave of Machpelah. Abraham sends his chief servant Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham dies at 175 years old and was buried beside his wife Sarah.   In last week’s parashah, Abraham struggled with the possibility of losing his promise when he sacrificed Isaac, but through God’s miraculous intervention, a ram was provided. Our parash

Torah: Gen 18:1-22:24 Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:1-37 Brit Chadashah: Luke 1:26-38, Luke 24:36-53, 2 Pet 2:4-11   Main Points: The Lord appears to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre. It was foretold that Sarah would have a child. The destruction of Sodom is discussed. Abraham intercedes. The Lord delivers Lot and his home. Lot’s daughters conspire against their father. Abraham and Abimelech’s dispute over Sarah. The birth of Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael cast out of Abraham’s home. The treaty

Torah: Gen 12:1-17:27 Haftarah: 40:27-41:16 Brit Chadashah: Rom 4:1-25, Gal 4:21-5:1, Heb 11:8-10   Main Points God calls Abram A famine forces Abram and Sarai into Egypt. Contentions between Abram and Lot force them to separate. Abram rescues Lot after Sodom is taken. Abram meets with Melchizedek who blesses him. God establishes his covenant with Abram. Sara gives Hagar to Abram to conceive children. Abram’s name changed to Abraham. God gives him the covenant of circumcision

Torah: Gen 6:9-11:32 Haftarah: Is 66:1-24 Brit Chadashah: Matt 24:36-46, 1 Pet 3:18-22, Heb 11:7   Main Points: Noach was blameless in a corrupt world. God calls Noach to build the Ark. First mention of clean and unclean animals Animals called into the Ark, Flood occurs when Noah was 600 yrs old. Noach sends a raven and doves out to see if the land was dry. God makes a covenant with Noach. Generations of Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Tower of Babel Abraham, son of Terah introduced

Torah: Gen 1:1-6:8 Haftarah: Is 42:5-43:11 Brit Chadashah: Jn 1:1-14, Col 1:15-17, Heb 1:1-3   Main Points: Creation of the world. On the seventh day, God blesses Shabbat and rests. Creation of Adam and Eve. Eden, the fall, and the expulsion. Cain kills Able. Evil and violence increases, and God prepares for judgment.   Look at creation and the wonderful, majestic photos published by our largest telescopes. We are awed by the sheer size, majesty, and beauty of the cosmos. Fro

Torah: Deut 32:1-52 Haftarah: 2 Sam 22:1-51 Brit Chadashah: Rom 10:12-11:12   Main Points: The Song of Moses. The LORD speaks about Moses’ death.   In Parashat Ha’azinu, Moses gives his final address to the nation of Israel and one of the last things he does is he teaches the Israelites a song. In the song, he mentions the “rock” six times. God also speaks to him about the waters of meribah-kadesh where Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it. The core issue was that

Torah: Deut 31:1-30 Haftarah: Is 55:6-8 Brit Hadashah: Rom 10:14-18 Main Points Joshua replaces Moses and leads Israel. The Law of God is to be read to the people. The Song of Moses. We are in the High Holy days and are preparing for Yom Kippur. I was recently reading an article where the writer used an old Yiddish term, "ah gut kvitel", which means a good note or little note. More loosely translated, it can mean have a good one! It is used around the time of the High Holy da

Torah: Deut 29:10-31:30 Haftarah: Is 61:10 - 63:9 Brit Chadashah: Rom 10:1-8   Main Points: Israel stands before the Lord. Repentance and forgiveness. Choice of life and death before them. Joshua succeeded Moses and was commissioned. Beginning of the Song of Moses.   Fall Feasts Rosh Hashanah 2025 is almost here! It is a time of remembrance. A time of the blowing of the trumpet, and a time of preparation. The three main fall feasts include the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah

Torah: Deut 26:1-29:8 Haftarah: Is 60:1-22 Brit Chadashah: Eph 1:3-6, Rev 21:10-27   Main Points: Teaching about the offerings of tithes and Firstfruits. Moses and the children of Israel at the altar on Mount Ebal. Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Covenant renewal in Moab.   Jewish prayers, rituals, and the Feasts seek to unite past, present, and future. They help us to link the moment we are in with the larger story of God’s will. In Parashah Ki Tavo, fou

Torah: Deut 21:10-25:19 Haftarah: Isa 54:1-10 Brit Chadashah: Matt 5:27-30, 1 Cor 5:1-5   Main Sections: Marrying a female POW. Inheritance of the firstborn. The stubborn, rebellious son. Cursed is the man who is hanged on a tree. Misc laws, sexual immorality. Exclusion from the congregation. Laws of uncleanness. Misc laws, divorce law. Misc laws, Levirate marriage.   Jewish denominations have various opinions of premarital sex ranging from very stringent to very liberal. Jud

Torah: Deut 16:18 - 21:9 Haftarah: Is 51:12 - 52:12 Brit Chadashah: John 1:19-27, Acts 3:22-23   Main Points Moses directs Israel to appoint judges. Types of worship that are forbidden. Legal decisions of the Judge and Priest. Commandments for the King of Israel. Provisions for the inheritance of the Priests and Levites Prohibition of idolatrous practices. Laws concerning prophets. Cities of refuge. Laws concerning property and legal witnesses. Laws of war. The unsolved murde

Torah: Deut 11:26-16:17 Haftarah: Isa 54:11-55:5 Brit Chadashah: John 7:37-52   Main Sections: God sets blessings and cursing before Israel. Caution against false prophets. Clean foods. Teaching on the tithe. Shmittah (cancelations of debts), Harvest Festivals.   In Parashat Re’eh scripture jumps straight into Moses recounting the blessings and cursings which would be connected to Israel’s obedience, their ability to honor God, and obey his word. The word kavod or honor comes

Torah Deut 7:12-11:25 Haftarah: Is 49:14-51:3 Brit Chadashah: Heb 11:8-13, Rom 8:31-39   Main Sections -Moses issues blessings and encourages them not to be afraid. -He reminds them to remember their God and obey his word. -God gives the reason that he is sending them, stating that it is not because of their own righteousness, but because of the wickedness of the nations and to confirm the word that he swore to the Patriarchs. -Moses gives a history of Israel’s rebellion and

Torah: Deut 3:23-7:11 Haftarah: Is 40:1-26 Brit Chadashah: Matt 23:31-39, Mk 12:28-34   Main Points: Moses was not allowed to enter into...

Hypocrisy (Tzeviut) Biblical Focus & why is it so bad? Growth vs a spiritual fraud. Psychology of hypocrisy. What need am I trying to fill?