Weekly Torah Commentaries

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

Weekly Torah Commentaries episodes

March 12 Our Noise and God’s Music
Our parasha portrays a rarely seen and crucial harmony between divine
desire and human motivation. It is a harmony between the exterior — the
expressed will of God, and the interior — the heart and will of human
beings. This harmony portrayed in Torah reaches its crescendo in the
blessings of the New Covenant, and its final cadence in the world to come.
9 min
March 05 Lingering in the Tent
As a congregational leader, I am often asked questions pertaining to
belief. People want to know the biblically correct perspective on
eschatology, salvation, and the nature of God. I am always happy to answer
these questions to the best of my ability, but it’s far less frequently
that I’m asked more practical questions: How should I live? What should I
do? What sort of person should I strive to be?
0 min
February 25 Do Not Forget
Parashat Tetzaveh and Shabbat Zachor, our readings just before Purim,
together offer a simple but urgent charge. Remember who you are. Remember
whom you serve. Remember why you were redeemed. And do not forget.
9 min
February 19 The Gift is More Than Giving
In Moses’ day the heartfelt donations were used to construct a special
place for Adonai to dwell with his people as they continued on their
journey. Today, instead of giving precious materials to construct a
physical dwelling we are learning to live less for our own worldly
successes and physical desires and more to become one with the Spirit of
God.
0 min
February 11 Growing New Shells
When we first moved to Ann Arbor, more than forty years ago, there was a
Chinese restaurant nearby with a giant lobster in a tank in its foyer. The
creature was nearly three feet long and must have weighed close to twenty
pounds. No one knew for sure how old it was—perhaps seventy-five years,
give or take. So why am I talking about lobsters and what does it have to
do with our parasha?
0 min
February 03 A Perfect Government
Each time we stand before the open ark, we stand again at Sinai. We repeat
Israel’s ancient pledge, affirming that all God has spoken, we will do.
Parashat Yitro reminds us that this pledge demands more than belief. It
demands shared leadership, covenantal responsibility, and lives shaped by
service.
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January 30 The Promise of Freedom Lives On
In the modern world, no text has spoken more profoundly to people about
their potential to achieve freedom. The message to Israel for all time is
clear. The God who has raised you up in fulfillment of his promises to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will not forget his promises to you.
0 min
January 20 Tradition!
In Parashat Bo, a portion filled with plagues, Pharaoh, and Passover
instructions, we are reminded that woven into the fabric of our history,
God has provided tangible, sensory traditions that remind us of who he is
and who he called us to be.
0 min
January 15 The Ransomed Life
Just as Israel experienced an initial redemption in Egypt even while still
enslaved, so we, too, are invited to live within the redemption God has
already enacted in Messiah. Our life is shaped not only by anticipation,
but by participation: learning to recognize what God has done, what he is
doing now, and how we are to live as his redeemed people today. Our
ransomed life is now.
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January 07 From Hearing to Attentive Listening
It is only after Moses turns aside that God speaks. Moses first hears God
through the miracle of the bush that burns without being consumed. Only
then does he truly listen—by pausing, turning, and giving his full
attention to what is unfolding before him.
9 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…