Weekly Torah Commentaries

By UMJC - Union Of Messianic Jewish CongregationsReligion & Spirituality Christianity Judaism

Weekly Torah Commentaries episodes

August 17, 2023 Justice, Not Vengeance
On October 27, 2018, Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life synagogue in
Pittsburgh shouting “All Jews must die!” He then proceeded to open fire.
After the chaos had settled, eleven people had been murdered and six more
critically wounded. It is the most violent antisemitic attack ever
perpetrated on American soil.
9 min
August 10, 2023 Freer Than We Think
Our parasha begins with Moses speaking to the people of Israel in the
plains across the Jordan river, offering us what is clearly a choice. Note
the opening word, Re’eh, “See.” We are not to offhandedly choose one way or
another by default, but are to really see this choice, to deeply encounter
it . . . even if we may not have previously recognized it as a choice.
7 min
August 04, 2023 Don’t Forget How to Remember
Remembering and not forgetting is a major issue in life as it is in this
week’s parasha. In our very first verses we read. “Because you are
listening to these rules, keeping and obeying them, Adonai your God will
keep with you the covenant and mercy that he swore to your ancestors.”
10 min
July 27, 2023 Two Keys to the Future
God wanted Moses to face the future. We might extrapolate that he expects
us to face the future too. Our parasha teaches that facing the future
requires two things: Remembering the past, and Listening to, obeying, our
God.
9 min
July 20, 2023 Words that Promote Life
Words are essential building blocks for all communication. They can be used for good as well as not-so-good. We use words every day to express our thoughts and feelings. Words are necessary to communicate our needs as well as to provide instruction on everything we need to learn for living. Spoken words, written words, sign language and even pictures are representative of words. I believe it is fair to say that words, or d’varim in Hebrew, are necessary to communicating and perhaps even to survival.
10 min
July 11, 2023 The Virtue of Transparency
One of the more common critiques leveled against the Bible is that it does
not fairly adjudicate in the battle of the sexes. When we remove the lens
of 21st century modernity, however, we can see in this week’s reading
several key Jewish principles that govern familial and authoritative
relationships.
9 min
July 05, 2023 Unexpected Words from the Wise
Seven things distinguish a fool and seven things distinguish a wise person.
. . . If there is something the wise person has not heard, the wise person
says, “I have never heard.” The wise person acknowledges what is true. The
opposite of all these qualities is found in a fool. (Pirke Avot 5:9)
9 min
June 29, 2023 Father Knows Best and Pin the Tale on the Donkey
As I read the Scriptures, I’m struck by how much of it relates to my
childhood in the 50s and 60s. The TV show “Father Knows Best” and the game
of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” come to mind. In this week’s double
portion, however, it’s a tale that the donkey realizes first.
0 min
June 23, 2023 Overcoming Betrayal
One can only wonder what it must have been like for Moses to be challenged
with open mutiny by the very people he called friends. Did this betrayal
take Moses by surprise?
10 min
June 14, 2023 The Hallmark of Equity
The ten spies could only see the challenges, but the two faithful spies saw
the promises of God fulfilled in the elaborate and large produce of the
land.
7 min

About Weekly Torah Commentaries

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Reflections on the weekly Torah portions from a diverse group of Messianic Jewish rabbis, scholars, and lay people. Our contributors bring fresh insights to familiar texts, drawing connections to…