Congregation Shema Yisrael - Torah Parasha Commentaries: Recent Episodes
Congregation Shema Yisrael - Torah Parasha Commentaries
The Torah reading for this week is entitled Miketz, which means “At the End.” It covers Genesis chapters 41:1-44:17. Divine sovereignty is now at work. Now It was Pharaoh who dreamed, now the cupbearer remembers, now Joseph’s was “at the end” of his imprisonment. Joseph was “Now” brought before Pharaoh, freshly shaven, and decently clothed. […]Source
This Shabbat’s parasha is entitled Vayeshev, meaning, “…and he dwelt.” Do you remember the old expression, Meanwhile, back at the ranch? It probably was taken from the old black and white westerns, where the action shifts frequently from place to place. Vayeshev is a lot like that: the narrator (Moses) shifts our attention from place […]Source
This week’s Parasha begins with Jacob sending messengers to his brother Esau in the land of Edom, with hopes of reconciling with him before they come together and meet. The messengers arrive to meet with Esau and are instructed to let him know that Jacob considers Esau to be his lord and that Jacob considers […]Source
This week’s parasha is entitled Lech L’cha, which is translated, “Go forth!” and spans Genesis chapters 12 through 17. The focus is Abraham – the father not only of the Jewish people, but in a real way the father in the faith to all who follow Messiah Yeshua. Just as Noah was a uniquely righteous […]Source
This week’s Parasha starts out with God saying these words “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God and had three sons She, Ham, and Japheth.” This was the time before Moses had given the law, so Noah does not have the standard of what would be righteous on his […]Source
This week’s Parasha is entitled Ha’azinu which means “Give Ear”. It covers Deuteronomy chapter 32, and consists primarily of the Song of Moses, which can be seen as both a love song to Adonai, and a chastisement of the people of Israel. The songs and poems that made it into the Bible are Holy Spirit […]Source
Last week’s parasha was entitled Kee Taytasay (“When you go out”). This week it’s Kee Tavo (“When you come in”), covering Deuteronomy 26:1 through 29:8. Coming and going – sounds like the history of the Jewish people, doesn’t it? And all that sojourning began with our father Abraham. Kee Tavo opens on a hopeful, joyful […]Source
This week’s Torah portion is entitled Kee Taytzay, which means, “when you go out,” and covers Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19. This passage deals with issues related to morality, marriage, divorce, following through on vows, and other issues. We will not be able to cover every topic presented in this passage, so I would suggest that […]Source
This week’s parasha is titled Shoftim which means “Judges.” It takes us from Deuteronomy 16:18 through 21:9. Moses was instructed to select men to be judges and officers for every town that Adonai had given to Israel. These men were to be fair in judging, always, so that controversies might be settled, injustices made right, […]Source
The Torah reading for this week’s parsha is entitled Naso, which means “Take Up.” It is taken from the book of Numbers chapters 4:21-7:89. When the cloud moved from one location to another, the Tabernacle also was to be moved. The moving of the Tabernacle was not unplanned work, many instructions were given on how […]Source
This week we begin the book of Numbers with Parashat Bamidbar which translates to “In The Wilderness”. Bamidbar covers Chapter 1 through Chapter 4:20. These chapters contain censuses, encampment instructions, and duties for the special tribe, the Levites. Numbers begins with the Lord commanding Moses to take a census of the men available to fight. […]Source
This week’s parasha is titled, B’Chukotai, which means, “In my statutes” and covers Leviticus, chapter 26:3 – through 27:34. This passage is end of the book of Leviticus. Chapter 26 is a reminder about the blessings of following Adonai’s teaching and the curses that happen when Adonai’s statutes are disobeyed. A very similar reminder occurs […]Source
This week’s Torah portion is entitled Emor, which means “Say.” Adonai declared, “You shall be holy because I, the LORD am holy.” Israel was to be a different kind of people because the Lord loved and chose them as His own. In chapter twenty-one Moses exhorted Aaron and his descendants to live a higher level […]Source
The Torah reading for this week’s parasha is entitled Kedosheem which means Holy Ones. It is taken from the book of Leviticus 19:1-20:27. Adonai said to Moses, “Give these instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” Laws and statues were given to make […]Source
This week our parasha is Acharei Mot, which means “After The Death” and covers Leviticus 16:1–18:30. In this parasha we see the importance of atonement, accomplished only through the Lord’s will and not our own. Leviticus 16 begins after the death of Aaron’s two sons, who were killed for their unauthorized and disrespectful offering. The […]Source
Our Parasha this Shabbat is titled M’tzora meaning ‘Leper’. It primarily deals with ritual impurity, covering topics such as cleansing from skin diseases, houses with mold, male genital discharges, and female menstruation. While these laws might seem rather irrelevant today, they were critical for Israel, because ritual impurity would limit a person’s participation in worship […]Source
Parasha Tazria begins with the laws of ritual impurity and purity as it pertains to childbirth. A new mother is treated as a niddah (a woman on her period) and is considered “impure” (tamei) and not allowed in the sanctuary for 40 days (if a boy) or 80 days (if a girl). On the 8th […]Source
This week’s parasha is entitled, “Shemini,” which translates as “Eighth.” This “eighth” refers to the 8th day of the consecration ceremony for Aaron and his sons. Parasha Shemini covers Leviticus, chapter 9, verse 1 through chapter 11, verse 47. In chapter 9, Aaron, and his sons, who have been consecrating themselves for 7 days, are, […]Source
Last week’s parasha was entitled Kee Taytasay (“When you go out”). This week it’s Kee Tavo (“When you come in”), covering Deuteronomy 26:1 through 29:8. Coming and going – sounds like the history of the Jewish people, doesn’t it? And it all began with our father Abraham. Kee Tavo opens on a hopeful, joyful note, […]Source
This week our parasha is Ki Teitzei, which means “When You Go Out”, and covers Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19. Parasha Ki Teizei covers many different topics and contains 74 different commandments. This morning I would like to focus on a few of the commandments of this parasha. Woven through the many different topics of parasha Ki Teitzei […]Source
This week’s Torah portion is entitled, Shoftim, which means “Judges.” It covers Deuteronomy, chapters 16:18 through 21:9. This passage discusses the structure of authority in ancient Israel. That structure was composed of 4 key elements: Judge, King, Priest and Prophet. The first of the 4 that is mentioned is the judge, towards the end of […] Source
The parasha for this Shabbat is entitled R’eh, which means “See!” It covers Deuteronomy 11:26 through 16:17. Moses makes it clear that the real issue of drawing closer to God has to do with the heart of the individual. If Israel would serve Adonai in love and faithfulness, God would send the early and latter […] Source
The parasha for this Shabbat is entitled Eikev, which means “Consequence”. The Book of Deuteronomy is organized as a series of three discourses by Moses with a concluding address or his final “words” given to the Nation of Israel as they prepared to enter the land that Adonai promised on oath, first to Abraham, then […] Source
This week’s Parasha is called Va-etchanan, which means, “And I pleaded.” It covers Deuteronomy chapter 3:23 – chapter 7:11. The parasha opens with Moses pleading with God to allow him to cross over into the Promised Land, but God refusing to allow Moses to enter. If you remember, back in Numbers, chapter 20, Moses was […] Source
This week’s Parasha is called Devarim, which means words and covers Deuteronomy 1:3-22. The book of Deuteronomy will be a recap of all that has occurred from the Exodus up to this moment. Moses gave instruction and history to this new generation of the Jewish nation that were not of the age of consent when […] Source
The parashas for this Shabbat are Mattot and Massei, translated “tribes” and “journeys” and takes us from chapter 30 of BaMidbar (Numbers) to the end. Chapter 30 discusses the importance of vows. If you swear an oath, you’re obligated to make good on it. But this passage contains provisions by which a father or a […] Source
This week our parasha is Pinchas, which covers Numbers 25:10-30:1. Parasha Pinchas teaches us that we should have great boldness in standing up for what is right and that boldness comes in many different forms. Our parasha starts with Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, praised by the Lord for his actions at Peor. At Peor, […] Source
In chapter 20, The Lord summons Moses and Aaron, and instructs them to take the staff and to speak to the rock to yield its water. Unfortunately, Moses and Aaron do not heed Adonai’s instructions. Instead, they gather the assembly before the rock and say to them: “Listen now you rebels, shall we bring water […] Source
The Torah portion this Shabbat (Numbers 16-18) is called Korach, named after the leader of an infamous rebellion against Moses and Aaron – one which ended catastrophically. This is now the third challenge to Moses’ leadership. The first from his own siblings, Aaron and Miriam (allegedly for having married an Ethiopian woman). The second was […] Source
The Torah reading for this week’s parasha is Sh’lach La’ha which means “Send Out.” It is taken from the book of Numbers 13:1-15:41. Here we see a brutally honest account of Israel’s faults, the murmuring, complaining, stubbornness, rebellion, and the punishments suffered by them. We also see both the kindness and the severity of Adonai, […] Source
This week’s parasha is titled, Beha-alo-t’cha, meaning “when you set up,” and covers Numbers 8:1 – 12:16. “When you set up” refers to setting up and directing the light of the golden lampstand of the tabernacle, the construction of which was described in Exodus 25:31 – 40. Chapter 8 also describes the cleansing of the […] Source
Today’s Torah portion is entitled Naso and is translated as Take Up. It covers Numbers 4:21-7:89. Moses is instructed by Adonai to conduct a census of the men who were between the ages of 30-50 years-old from the Levitical families of Gershon and Merari, along with the Kohathites, in order to perform service in the […] Source
This week’s Torah portion is entitled BaMidbar, which means “In the Wilderness.” It covers Numbers 1:1-4:20. The wilderness was where Israel was tested, and learned obedience to Adonai’s sovereign order and authority. Chapter one opens with Adonai giving instructions to Moses in the Sinai Desert, a year after the Israelis had left Egypt. He wasSource
This week we have a double parasha, Behar and Bechukotai, these parashas cover Leviticus 25:1–27:34 and end the book of Leviticus. Our parashas for this week remind us of the importance of keeping our promises to the Lord. We begin in Leviticus 25 which records the Sabbath year and the year of Jubilee. The LordSource
This week’s parasha is entitled Emor, meaning “Say it!” and covers Leviticus 21-24. These chapters reveal a God who is supremely holy, who pays attention to details, and demands the same of those who would draw near to Him. God is awesome in perfection. Hence, the Cohanim, who represented God to Israel (and vice versa),Source
This parasha starts out in verse six with the Lord speaking to Moses saying “command Aaron and his sons this is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall burn all night on the altar until morning, and the fire must not go out so that it burns in completeness. When the sacrificesSource
This week’s Torah potion is entitled Vayikra, which means “And He Called.” It covers Leviticus 1:1-6:7. Adonai established a system to forgive Israel’s sinfulness, so that they could experience a loving, intimate relationship with Him. Chapter one begins with Adonai calling to Moses from the Tabernacle, giving him instructions regarding the burnt offering. This wasSource
Our last parasha is a double parasha. VaYakhel, which means, "and he assembled," covering Exodus 35:1 - 38:20 and Pekudei, meaning “accounts,” covering the last two and a half chapters of Exodus, 38:21 to Chapter 40:38. Vayakhel covers the actual building of the tabernacle and its implements as well as the altar of sacrifice andSource
The parasha for this Shabbat is entitled Ki Tisa, meaning “When you take up” and covers Exodus chapter 30 verse 11 to chapter 34 verse 35. In last week’s Parasha, Adonai commanded Israel to bring consecrated olive oil for the menorah in the Tabernacle and declared that sacred garments be made for the priests. The portionSource
The torah reading for this week is entitled T’tzaveh. It means “Command.” It is taken from the book of Exodus chapter 27:20 – 30:10. This parasha is rich with information and symbolism that foreshadows Messiah. I would urge each of you to seek the blessings of studying these chapters, as we will only look atSource
This week our parasha is Terumah, which means “contribution” and covers Exodus 25:1–27:19. This parasha contains detailed information about how the Tabernacle and its items inside were to be constructed from the Lord to Moses. Our parasha begins with the Lord telling Moses that an offering should be taken for the materials necessary to buildSource
This week’s parasha is entitled Mishpatim, translated Statutes or Judgments covering Exodus chapters 21-24. This section of the Torah contains extensive case law; including fines and punishments for a wide array of offenses, mostly concerning personal injury and property. Everything in this parasha demonstrates that, as beings created in the image of God, we haveSource
This week’s parasha is entitled Yitro (Jethro) and covers Exodus chapter 18, verse 1 through chapter 20, verse 26. Jethro is Moses’ father-in-law. When Moses escapes Egypt after killing an Egyptian, he flees to the land of Midian and ends up settling with Jethro and his family. Moses marries Zipporah, one of Jethro’s daughters, andSource
This week’s Torah potion is entitled B’shalach, which means “When He Sent.” It covers Exodus 13:17-17:17. It describes Israel’s continuing journey as God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Chapter 13 records a miraculous event. The Israelis left Egypt like a mighty army, with Moses carrying the bonesSource
This week’s parasha is entitled, Bo, which means, “Go.” It covers Exodus, chapter 10:1 to 13:16. We heard about the first 7 plagues last week and chapter 10 begins with the 8th plague, the plague of locusts. One of the purposes of each plague is that it represents a confrontation between the Living God andSource
This week’s Torah portion is Va’era, which means “and I appeared” and covers Exodus 6:2-9:35. In last week’s parasha, Moses and Aaron were sent to see Pharaoh and request him to allow them to celebrate a feast for three days in the wilderness. Pharaoh does not allow this to happen, and he increases the Israelis’ burdenSource
Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song… Not Sgt. Pepper, but Moses! Our parasha this Shabbat is Deuteronomy chapter 32, entitled HaAzinu “Give ear!” from the Hebrew word ozen (אֹזֶן) ear. It opens this way: הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַאֲדַבֵּרָה Give ear, O Heavens, and I will speak! This parasha is comprised of a Source
The Torah reading for this week’s Parasha is entitled Va ye lech which means (He went), it is taken from the book of Deuteronomy chapter 31:1-30. On the very day that Moses turned 120 years of age. He went before the whole of Israel. And spoke these words, “I can no longer go out, or Source
Shabbat shalom! Today’s parasha covers Deuteronomy 29:9 to 30:20, and is entitled Nitzavim, which translates to “those taking a stand.” This passage showcases how the New Testament is hidden and nascent in the Old and how the Old Testament is revealed and fulfilled in the New. More specifically, it shows how the Law foreshadows the Source
This week our parasha is Ki Teitzei, which means “When You Go Out”, and covers Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19. Parasha Ki Teizei covers a large variety of topics and has 74 different commandments. This morning I would like to focus on a few of the commandments of this parasha. Woven through the many different topics of parasha Source
This week CJ Thompson picks up from last week with Matthew 24:36 and finishes the chapter. Watch Below: Source
This Parasha begins in chapter 16 verse 18, where the commandment from the Lord states that the Israelis were to appoint judges in all the cities they reside in. These judges would determine one’s guilt and one’s fate. The judges were instructed to not pervert justice, show no partiality, and accept no bribes (for bribe Source
This week’s parasha, entitled Re’eh, means “See”. It covers Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17. Re’eh is the very first word. “See, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse.” The Israelis are at the crossroads of their journey. As they prepare to take possession of Canaan, Moses gives a stern warning. He warns Source
Shabbat Shalom, this week's Parasha is Eikev, which means “Consequence”, and covers Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25. We start in Chapter 7 with Moses telling our people to listen to the rules that the Lord has given them. If they are willing to listen and obey then the Lord promises to love, bless, and multiply them. Source
This weeks Torah portion is entitled “Va-etchanan” meaning – “And I pleaded”. It covers Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11. Moses is covering the events of the last 40 years in the desert. Here, Moses is using the experiences and failures of the past 40 years to instruct and warn the nation of Israel about the manner in which Source
Our parasha passage for this week is entitled, D’varim, which means “words.” This passage covers Deuteronomy 1:1 – 3:22. The parasha name comes from the Hebrew in Chapter 1:1: Eleh ha d’varim, “these are the words.” This last book of the Torah contains Moses’ overview of the history of their journey through the wilderness after Source
Shabbat shalom! This week’s parsha is named after one of its key players, Pinchas (or, in English, Phineas), and it spans Numbers 25:10-30:1. I submit to you that, by examining Phineas and others in this text, we might build a robust picture of how God uses the dynamic interplay between individual and corporate faith to Source
This morning’s parasha (Numbers 22:2-25:9) is entitled Balak, the name of the king of Moab, who attempted to hire Balaam the seer to come and curse Israel. It had become evident that God was giving Israel victory after victory over the nations adjacent to Canaan. Fearing the same fate for his own country, Balak sends Source
This week's parasha is entitled, Chukat, which means "statute" and covers Numbers, chapters 19:1 - 22:1. Chapter 19 explains the sacrifice of the red heifer and the purpose for that. The red heifer was designated as a type of sin offering, but it was for a very special type of sin. Let’s look at the Source
This week’s parasha is titled Korach, which means Korah. It covers Numbers 16:1-18:32. The chapters record one of the most critical times during the Israelis’ wilderness experiences. A Levite named Korah conspired and incited an unsuccessful rebellion against Moses and Aaron. This discord started in chapter 11, when the Jewish people were grumbling and complaining Source
Shabbat Shalom. This week’s Parasha is Sh’Lach L’cha meaning “Send Out” and covers Number 13:1 - 15:41. We begin with the Lord telling Moses to send out twelve men into Canaan. Moses instructed them to see if the Canaanites were strong or weak, how many lived there, and to see how good the land was. Source
This week Parasha is Beha’alotekkha which means “When You Go Up”, and it covers numbers 8:1 – 12:16. We begin in chapter 8. The Lord spoke to Moses and instructed him to make the seven lamps and how to make them and that they would shine light on what was being done just as the Source
This week’s parasha is a double portion. The first is entitled B’Midbar which translates to “In the Wilderness”. The second is entitled Naso, which means “Take Up” and it covers Chapters 1 through 7 in the Book of Numbers. Two years after the nation of Israel left Egypt by The Lords mighty hand, Adonai commanded Source
This week’s Parasha is B’chukotai and brings us to the conclusion of the book of Leviticus, covering chapters 26 and 27. In chapter 26 Adonai outlines the blessings for obedience and punishments for disobedience. These blessings and curses depended on whether or not Israel would keep the Covenant that Almighty God gave His people. In Source
Do you remember the funny TV commercials for Staples with the “easy button”? You press it and whatever the problem is, it’s solved, or the price goes down? Imagine if you could press a button and get a financial do-over; like restarting your computer, only it actually does fix the problem? This Shabbat’s reading, Leviticus Source
The name of this week’s parasha is Emor, which means “say” and covers Leviticus chapters 21 through 24. Adonai commanded Moses to instruct the priests on the need for holiness. Priests must not become ceremonially unclean when dealing with the death of an Israeli unless it is a close relative. They weren’t to shave their Source
Our parasha this Shabbat is entitled K’dosheem which means “holy ones” and covers Leviticus chapters nineteen and twenty. It opens with these words, The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.’” These chapters define more Source
This week our parasha is Acharei Mot, which means “After The Death” and covers Leviticus 16:1 - 18:30. In this parasha we see the importance of atonement, accomplished only through the Lord’s will and not our own. Leviticus 16 begins after the death of Aaron’s two sons, who were killed for making an offering to Source
The name of this week’s parasha is M’tzora, which means ‘leper” and covers Leviticus 14:1 - 15:33. Adonai gave Moses instructions on cleansing a person from leprosy. The priest would go outside the camp and examine the person. If the person was healed from leprosy, the priest ordered that two live clean birds, cedar wood, Source
Good morning, and shabbat shalom! Today’s parahsa covers Leviticus 9-11 and is titled Shemini, which translates to the “eighth day”. Today’s passage is a striking picture of progressive revelation, the idea that the later Scriptures are fuller revelations of earlier ones. We might think of earlier passages (such as today’s) as the scaffolding necessary for Source
This week’s parasha is a double portion. The first is entitled Va’Yikra which translates to “And He Called". The second is entitled Tzav, which means “Give the command”. Together, these passages tell of how Adonai commanded Moses concerning various offerings. The first parasha VaYikra describes 5 types of offerings that were to be made upon Source
The Parasha for this week is Pekudei, which means “accounts,” and covers the last two and a half chapters of Exodus, Chapters 38:21 to Chapter 40:38. Last week, in Parasha Vayakhel, we heard about how the people assembled together and donated generously to the building of the tabernacle, or Mishkan, as it was called in Source
The Torah reading for this week’s Parasha is entitled Vayakhel which mean, “And he assembled” it covers Exodus 35:1 – 38:20. Let’s recap, this paratha is a repeat of exodus chapters, 25:1-27:19. Remember Moses was given these same instructions on mount Sinai. The Israelis would then become corrupt, and the golden calf incident occurred. Moses Source
The name of this week’s parasha is T’tzaveh, which means “command” and covers Exodus 27:20 - 30:10. The Israelis were commanded to bring clear oil from pressed olives to the Tent of Meeting so that Aaron and his sons could keep the lamps there burning. This command is repeated in Leviticus 24. The garments for Source
Our parasha today is entitled Terumah, meaning ‘contribution’. It takes us from Exodus 25 through 27:19. The subject matter of these chapters, and most of the rest of the book of Exodus, is the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the Ark of the Covenant. God gave Moses a detailed blueprint, as it were, and Source
Shabbat Shalom. This week's parasha is Mishpatim, which means “Judgments” and covers Exodus 21:1-24:18. In the previous parasha, our people were given the Ten Commandments by the Lord. We continue in chapter 21 with additional laws given by Adonai. Starting with the laws regarding Jewish slaves and servants. Chapter 21 also contains how to handle Source
The Tora reading for this week’s Parasha is entitled Yitro meaning Jethro. It is taken from the book of Exodus, 18:1-20:23, The gods of the Egyptians have been defeated, Pharaoh has been humiliated, his firstborn son, "killed" and his army destroyed. The Red Sea has parted, Israel has been released from slavery, Adonai has been Source