Yeshua Centered Judaism

TORAH: VAYIKRA

UNIVERSAL TORAH: VAYIKRA By Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum Torah Reading: Parshas VAYIKRA Leviticus 1:1-5:26 AND G-D SPOKE TO HIM FROM THE TENT OF MEETING The last five parshahs of the Book of Exodus explained the form of the Sanctuary and its vessels, and Exodus concluded with an account of how the completed Sanctuary was finally erected…

The Talmud and the Hebrews Connection

Information on Hebrews A text from the Talmud sets the latest possible date for Hebrews. R. Ishmael died c. 135 CE; if these are his words, the composition of Hebrews (to which Ishmael refers) must have taken place before his death. R. Zechariah said, in the name of R. Ishmael, The Holy One – blessed…

Shabbat Parah / שבת פרה

Today Shabbat Parah / שבת פרה Shabbat Parah (“Sabbath [of the] red heifer” שבת פרה) takes place on the Shabbat before Shabbat HaChodesh, in preparation for Passover. Numbers 19:1-22 describes the parah adumah (“red heifer”) in the Jewish temple as part of the manner in which the kohanim and the Jewish people purified themselves so…

Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudai

Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudai Note: The Shabbos Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one person “goes up” to make a bracha [blessing] on the Torah Reading. 1st Aliya: The Parsha begins with the Mitzvah of Shabbos and the penalty for her transgression. Note…

TORAH: VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEY

UNIVERSAL TORAH: VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEY By Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum This week’s Torah reading is the double portion of VAYAKHEL, Exodus 35:1-38:20 & PEKUDEY 38:21-40:38. VAYAKHEL: Exodus 35:1-38:20 GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE The parshah of VAYAKHEL opens with the words: “And Moses gathered together all the Community of Israel.” (Exodus 35:1). According to our sages, Moses’ gathering of…

KNOW YOUR BIBLE: Esther 7-8

KNOW YOUR BIBLE: Esther 7-8 Study Notes by Avraham ben Yaakov ESTHER CHAPTER 7 Seeing Esther invite Haman to her feast with the king had brought the Jews of Shushan to the highest peak of Teshuvah. Previously they believed that in the Jewish queen they had a strong ally in the royal household who might…

An Upside-Down World

Pirkei Avos “Yossi ben Yo’ezer used to say: Let your house be a meeting place for the sages, cleave to the dust of their feet, and drink thirstily their words.” An Upside-Down World Chapter 5, Mishna 27 By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Ben (son of) Hai Hai said, according to the distress is the reward.” Regarding…

KNOW YOUR BIBLE: Esther 3-4

BS”D KNOW YOUR BIBLE: Esther 3-4 Study Notes by Avraham ben Yaakov ESTHER CHAPTER 3 V 1: “After these things Ahashverosh promoted Haman…” Ahashverosh’s feast had taken place in the third year of his fourteen-year reign (Esther 1:3), while Esther became queen four years later, in the seventh year of his reign (Esther 2:16). It…

TORAH: KI TISA

UNIVERSAL TORAH: KI TISA By Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum Torah Reading: KI TISA Exodus 30:11-34:35 Haftara: I Kings 18.1-39 (Sephardi ritual: I Kings 18.20-39). PROVIDING THE MEDICINE BEFORE THE ILLNESS The lengthy first section of our parshah of KI TISA (the entire first Aliyah in the synagogue Torah reading, up to Ex. 31:18) starts with a…

Esther 1-2

BS”D KNOW YOUR BIBLE: Esther 1-2 Study Notes by Avraham ben Yaakov ESTHER CHAPTER 1 In the public reading of the Torah in the synagogue, only one person at a time may read aloud to the congregation, because hearing more than one voice would be distracting to the listeners. However, so beloved is the story…

“The Way of G-d”

Ramchal “The Way of G-d” Part 1: “The Fundamental Principles of Reality” Ch 5: The Different Realms and Their Specific Situations Paragraph 4 According to what we’d said, everything begins up above and streams down below. But there’s one exception to that which touches on man’s place in all of this. Since G-d wanted man…

Aramaic Apocryphon of Daniel

Aramaic Apocryphon of Daniel The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment formerly known as the “Son of God document,” “Aramaic Apoca- lypse,” or “Pseudo-Daniel,” and now officially pub- lished as “4QapocrDan ar” (4Q246), consists of one and a half columns of nine lines each. In the pre- served text a Daniel-like figure explains before the throne the…