Sometimes we get tired of fighting for just about everything in life. Moses was at the end of his life, well over a hundred, and yet he was still in a fight. In Numbers 31, Moses was told that he must exact vengeance for what Midian did to Israel, and...
Though I am interested in other religions beyond Judaism and Christianity, I rarely talk about them because they are outside of my area of expertise. I came across a video that explains how Muslims view the Quran in a very succinct and genius way. I was impressed with how Matt...
Midrash Rabbah is a homeletic, ethical, and moral commentary on the Torah expounded by the Rabbis during Talmudic times. The Midrash represents the essence of Judaism, its ethical standards, and its insight into the human heart in a unique literary form. For centuries the Midrash Rabbah commentaries nourished the Jewish...
For some, reading Midrash is a beloved preoccupation, and others find it frustrating. Midrash can be beautiful and very inspiring, yet for those who lean toward more strict analytical thought, it seems to take way too many liberties in explaining biblical texts. This is exactly why Midrash needs to be...
In Torah, in parsha Shemot (Exodus 6), we read how a new king arose in Egypt, a king who did not know Joseph. This was not great for Jacob's family. His fear of the Unknown (in his case, foreigners living in his land) led to panic, and panic...
Not long ago I received a curious question from a man who was struggling reading through the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. His question had to do with the temple and with the tabernacle arrangement, which was originally described in the book of Exodus. In Exodus the מִ...
What would you say if I introduced you to an insightful, short book with lots of takeaways from a trustworthy source? The book will gently lead you through a 40-day journey looking at Hebrew words and concepts to enrich your faith and worship. This could be an exhilarating 40-day journey...
Did you know that in antiquity, most people believed that gods were tied to specific lands and territories. Consequently, every country and land had its own local deities. Israel stood out sharply among the nations by worshipping a very different God. Thousands of years ago, Hebrews believed that their God...
The story of Pinchas can be hard to take in. Pinchas intervened by taking on God’s jealousy, and that changed everything. And in verse 12, God rewards him, and he says, hineni notein lo et biriti shalom “behold I give to him my covenant of peace.” Peace is not...
