Torah: Ex 27:20-30:10 Haftarah: 1 Sam 5:2-34 Brit Chadashah: Hebrews 13:10-17 Main Points: The oil was commanded to brought as an eternal statute. Priestly garments are described. Consecration of Priesthood. Description of the Altar of Incense. In Exodus 27:20-21, the Lord told Moses to "command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the lamp, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn." Olive trees live a long time. There are olive trees t

Torah: Ex 25:1 – 27:19 Haftarah: 1 Kings 5:26-6:13 Brit Chadashah: 2 Cor 9:1-15, Matt 5:33-37 Main Points: Contributions taken for the Sanctuary. Description of the Ark of the Covenant. Description of the Table bearing the “bread of the Presence”. Description of the Golden Lampstand. Description of the Tabernacle. Description of the Bronze Alter and the court. In last week’s Torah portion Moses was communing with God on Mt Sinai and God gave him judgments to give the peop

Torah: Ex 25:1 – 27:19 Haftarah: 1 Kings 5:26-6:13 Brit Chadashah: 2 Cor 9:1-15, Matt 5:33-37 Main Points: Contributions taken for the Sanctuary. Description of the Ark of the Covenant. Description of the Table bearing the “bread of the Presence”. Description of the Golden Lampstand. Description of the Tabernacle. Description of the Bronze Alter and the court. In last week’s Torah portion Moses was communing with God on Mt Sinai and God gave him judgments to give the peop

Torah: Ex 21:1-24:18 Haftarah: Jer 34: 8-12, 33:25-26 Brit Chadashah: Matt 5:38-42, 17:1-11 Main Points: Laws concerning slavery. Laws concerning restitution. Various civil and moral laws. Laws concerning Shabbat and other festivals. Instruction concerning the conquest of Canaan. People affirm the Covenant. In Parashat Mishpatim, God speaks to Moses and gives him a variety of laws for civil, financial, and personal purposes. These laws were meant to guide the children of

Torah: Ex 18:1-20:23 Haftarah: Is 6:1-7:6, Is 9:5-6 Brit Chadashah: Matt 8:5-20 Main Points: Jethro gives Moses advice. Judges were selected to assist Moses. Israel camps at Sinai. Moses called up to the mountain. God’s glory appears on Sinai. Ten Commandments given. In this week’s parashat, God appears to Israel and begins to give them his covenant law, culture, and customs that would frame their identity forever. They had a sacred opportunity to embrace the word of God

Torah: Ex 13:1-17:16 Haftarah: Judges4:4-5:31 Brit Chadashah: John 6:15-71, 1 Cor 1:15 Main Points The Israelites left Egypt, lead by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Red Sea crossing. The Song of Moses. Bitter water made sweet at Marah. God sends manna and gives water from a rock. Israelites fight Amalek. For a miracle to happen, there has to be a need. For a need to happen there has to be a lack of something. Our lack of something does not mean that we have s

Tzitzit are made with four strings, folded in half to make eight strings. The strings are made from unblended materials such as 100% wool, cotton, or hemp. One of them is called the Shamash thread because it is the longest (it is also the techelet if a blue string is used). Tzitzit are tied with five double knots, recalling the five books of the Torah. The windings are patterned between the knots in a 10-5-6-5 pattern, numerically spelling God’s name. Some tying conventions u

Torah: Ex 10:1-13:16 Haftarah: Jer 46: 13-28 Luke 22:7-30, 1 Cor 11:20-24 Main Points The eighth plage. Locusts are sent. Darkness comes with the ninth plague. Passover is celebrated. The last plague- Death of the Firstborn. The long-awaited Exodus happens. God directs Moses to consecrate the firstborn. God teaches Moses about the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In Parashat Bo the great showdown comes to a climax as the last of the plagues force Egypt to capitulate. The ten plag

Torah: Ex 6:2-9:35 Haftarah: Ezek 28:25-29:21 Brit Chadashah: Rom 9:14-33 Main Points: God decrees the four statements of redemption. The genealogy of Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron appear before Pharoah. The first Plague: The water turned to blood. The second Plague: Frogs invade Egypt. The third Plague: God sends gnats to infest. The fourth Plague: Flies are sent upon the Egyptians, but not the Israelites. The fifth Plague: Egypt’s livestock dies. The sixth Plague: Mose

Torah: Ex 1:1-6:1 Haftarah: Isa 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23 Brit Chadashah: Acts 7:17-35, 1 Cor 14:18-25 Main Points: Israel’s prosperity in Egypt and Joseph’s death. Egyptian oppression and subjugation of Israel. The intervention of Shiphrah and Puah. The birth of Moses. Moses escapes to Midian. God hears the cries of Israel and calls Moses at the burning bush. Moses returns to Egypt and confronts Pharoah. Egyptians complicate Israel’s work and oppress them more. Moses turns to G

Torah: Gen 47:28-50:26 Haftarah: 1 Kings 2:1-2:12 Brit Chadashah: Heb 11:21-22, 1 Pet 1:3-9 Main Points: Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh and his sons. Jacob dies at 147 years old and is buried. Joseph reinforces his forgiveness and goodwill towards his brothers. Joseph dies at 110 years old. Jacob was at the end of his life. For one hundred and forty-seven years he had endured many problems, made his share of mistakes, and also witnessed great blessings. Now it was tim

From the Rabbi's desk. The will and purpose of HaShem does not always come without our active involvement. We can see the will of God working in many ways. Sometimes it works in isolation, but most of the time God works in partnership with his people. Yeshua conquered death, hell, and the grave but we still have to intercede and work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. He paid the price for our healing, but we still have to pray and believe. He conquered sin, but w

From the Rabbi's desk. Pray it through! Often trials and the promises of God run hand in hand. We will reap if we do not faint. There is a faith that God wants to cultivate among his people that is enduring and strong. Getting through the obstacles that hinder us is a primary function of faith. When we are afraid, our faith still tells us to advance. When we are spent, our faith tells us to hang on. When we are confused our faith directs us to God's word. Getting through, is

From the Rabbi's desk: Be a watchman. Pray faithfully. Intercede for worldwide revival. Prayer changes things and sets angels in motion. Through prayer the lie of enemy can be lifted and every wicked device stopped. Through prayer the hard heart can be watered and the seared one soothed. It is in prayer that we partner with Hashem. Push past the politics and the antics of a crazy world. See the people and pray for righteousness to be born in their hearts. Continually press in

From the Rabbi's desk. What does it mean to live a holy life? It is a life focused and committed on pleasing God and living his word as a first priority. It is a life dedicated to mirroring the character of God in all of our interactions with the world. It is a life devoted to prayer, worship, and recognizing God's sovereignty and kingship. If we want to leave the world a better place, live holy, be gracious, show compassion, practice forgiveness, be quick to repent, love

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

Hanukkah began on December 14 th and continues to Dec 22 nd . Hanukkah means “dedication”. It is referred to as the Feast of Dedication or the Festival of Lights. It is a minor holiday, but a significant one. The occasion of this holiday occurred between times of the Tanach and the Brit Hadashah. The story is recorded in the Jewish apocryphal book of Maccabees. It occurred around 168 BCE in the reign of the King Antiochus IV. Antiochus was intent of eradicating the Jewish re

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