Weekly Torah Commentaries

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

Weekly Torah Commentaries episodes

May 04, 2021 The Benefit of Losing Control
When things threaten to drift out of control, we may sometimes need to
paddle harder, or we may need to recognize this anxious moment as an
opportunity to trust God more deeply.
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April 28, 2021 Are We Finished?
How can we meet God’s standards? How are we to respond to a scriptural
reality in which the penalty for transgressions is often a painful and
gruesome death, and the result of impurity is exile? When we mess up, are
we done? Are we finished? Is that what it means to follow God?
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April 20, 2021 It Takes Courage to Be Holy
Being holy can be summed up in the command to love your neighbor and the
alien (stranger, foreigner) as yourself. Being holy means being set apart,
being distinct. It means having the courage to be different than the world
around us.
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April 13, 2021 Doctors of the Soul
It is incumbent that when one sees an afflicted person that he also sees
him as a whole person. The kohanim or priests were in a sense the “doctors
of the soul.” This is the role of a kohen, to restore the person to
wholeness—to have the imagination to see beyond a person’s present
brokenness, and to recognize his or her own power to heal.
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April 07, 2021 Pity the Fool
The lesson for us and for our day is clear. A fantastic leader will be one
who models obedience to God’s word, diligence in his service, and an
orientation toward being a blessing to his people. A foolish leader will be
impressed by his own station and will even seek to manipulate the presence
of God for his own purposes and satisfaction.
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March 31, 2021 The Afikomen: My Body Broken for You
For the uninitiated, one of the traditions of the Passover Seder is a
special bag called a matzah tash that has three compartments, each with a
piece of matzah in it. The tradition is to take the middle piece out and
break it in half. Half of the matzah is placed back in the matzah tash, but
the other half is wrapped in a linen napkin. This piece is called the
Afikomen.
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March 23, 2021 Resurrection: The Story that Defines Us
As we prepare for Passover this year, there’s lots to do—cleaning the
leaven out of our houses; buying the right food; inviting family and guests
to the Seder, whether in-person or on-screen; and preparing the feast.
Amidst all these preparations, it’s vital to remember that we’ll be telling
and hearing and even acting out a story, a story that defines who we are
and what our lives are about.
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March 16, 2021 The Offering that Brings Peace
Shalom, true peace, is not the absence of conflict, disagreement, or even
pain; it is knowing that we do not face these challenges alone, and that
the one who shares them with us adds his strength to our weakness, enabling
us to endure—even if the challenges lead “through the valley of the shadow
of death” (Psalm 23:4).
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March 09, 2021 Our Worship: Managed or Mysterious?
“I don’t believe in organized religion.” That’s a common response when we
try to talk about faith with someone who’s unaffiliated. If I’m talking
with someone about Messianic Judaism in particular, I might respond, “Don’t
worry, we’re not that organized.”
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February 23, 2021 Esther: A Story of Standing Together
Esther has been an inspiring figure in Judaism for centuries. Children
dress as her on the festival of Purim and it’s even become traditional to
name baby girls born near Purim Esther after the heroine of the story.
But compared to other figures in the Bible, is Esther really a good Jewish
role model?
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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…