Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Vayishlach, Be Diligent to Seek God’s Ways
In this week’s reading from Parashat Vayishlach (Shemot / Genesis 32:3-36:43) we read that Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau along with a gift in order to appease him of the things done in the past (32:3-20). Jacob wrestles with a man (32:24) and realizes that he has seen God face to face and lived (32:25-31). ...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Vayetze, A Vision of Angels
In this week’s reading from Parashat Vayetze (Shemot / Genesis 28:10-32:2) Jacob flees from his brother Esau. While traveling, he lays down and falls asleep. The Lord speaks to him in a dream (וַיַּחֲלֹם) reaffirming the covenant He made with his fathers (Bereshit / Genesis 28:10-19). Jacob travels to Haran and meets Laban his mother’s brother (29:9-14) and also...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Toldot, Two Sons and the Way of Life
In this week’s reading from Parashat Toldot (Shemot / Genesis 25:19-28:9) we read about the struggle between Jacob and Esau within Rebecca’s womb (25:21-23). We learn that Esau became a skilled hunter and Jacob dwelled in tents (25:27-28). According to the narrative, Esau despised his birthright. This is taken from the text that states he sold his birthright for...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Chayei Sarah, Being a Man of Faith
In this week’s reading from Parashat Chai Sarah (Shemot / Genesis 23:1-25:18) we learn, (i) Sarah Abraham’s wife dies and is buried (23:1-3), (ii) Abraham bargains for a piece of land from the sons of Heth to bury his wife (23:4-20), (iii) Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac (24:1-4), (iv) Abraham’s servant Eleazar meets Rebecca...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Vayera, Abraham, Circumcision, and Servant-hood
This week’s reading is from Parashat Vayera (Shemot / Genesis 18:1-22:24). Parashat Vayera opens saying, וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא “the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre.” This week’s reading is packed full of history, the Lord God almighty visits Abraham along with two men who are believed to be angels from the Lord (18:1-3). Abraham...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Noah, Noah, Abraham, and the Power of God
This week’s reading is from Parashat Noach (Shemot / Genesis 6:9-11:32). The opening verses tell us that the Lord saw all of the wickedness of mankind on the face of the earth (וַיַּרְא יְהֹוָה כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ וְכָל-יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לִבּוֹ רַק רַע כָּל-הַיּוֹם: ו וַיִּנָּחֶם יְהֹוָה כִּי-עָשָֹה אֶת-הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל-לִבּוֹ). The Lord said that the heart...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Bereshit, A Miracle of Midrashic Proportions
It may be said that this week’s reading for Parashat Bereshit (Shemot / Genesis 1:1-6:8) is the most important Parashah from all of the Parshiot found in the Torah. The reason for the significance of this portion is that we learn about the creation of the world, the creation of man and woman, the fall of man into sin...
Bits of Torah Truths, Chag Succot, The Expectation of Something Great
This week’s reading for Chol HaMo’ed Sukkot (Shemot / Exodus 33:12-34:26), is taken from the end of Parashat Ki Tisa. In this section of Scripture, Moshe has asked the Lord God to forgive the sins of the Children of Israel for their sin with the golden calf. While requesting for forgiveness, Moshe asks the Lord to reveal Himself and...
Bits of Torah Truths, Yom Kippur, National Atonement for an Individual Salvation
This week’s reading for Yom Kippur (Vayikra / Leviticus 16), is taken from Parashat Acharei Mot. In this section of the Torah we learn about the Tabernacle ritual for making atonement on a national scale. The scriptures say Aaron is to take a bull for the Chatat Korban (Sin offering) and a ram for the Olah Korban (Whole burnt...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Haazinu, The Joy of Torah
In this week’s reading from Parashat Haazinu (Devarim / Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52), Moshe calls upon heaven and earth to testify against the people of Israel. The reason is so that they might reform their ways at a future time. The Scriptures tell us the history of Israel and how they sinned through heaven and earth, by ascribing divine powers to...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parshiot Nitzavim and Vayelech, Trust, Believe, and Live by Faith
In this week’s reading from Parshiot Nitzavim and Vayelech (Devarim / Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30), Moshe writes that at a future time Israel will sin and the Lord will send them to a distant nation into captivity. After having been scattered to the nations in rebellion, the people will remember the Lord their God, and He will restore them from their...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parsahat Ki Tavo, The way God reveals Himself and the New Covenant
In this weeks reading from Parsahat Ki Tavo (Devarim / Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8), Moshe tells us that the Lord has brought His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; with great terror, signs, and wonders He delivered His people. We are told disobedience to the commandments is punishable since failing to observe the commands is...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Ki Tetze, The Torah command to show mercy and grace to others and to God’s creation
In this weeks reading from Parsahat Ki Tetze (Devarim / Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19), Moshe lists 21 Mitzvot spanning a number of topics when the people enter into the Promised Land: (i) Laws relating to prisoner of war (21:10-15), (ii) Inheritance to the first born (21:15-17), (iii) Rebellious children (21:18-21), (iv) Capital punishment by hanging on a tree (21:22-23), (v) Not...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Shoftim, Utter Destruction from among God’s People
In this weeks reading from Parsahat Shoftim (Devarim / Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9), Moshe writes on the establishment of offices of administration, judges, and officers and the necessity for justice saying כ צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ: “16:20 ‘Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Re’eh, Why does Scripture always Draw us back to the Land, the Place, and the People of God?
In this weeks reading from Parsahat Re’eh (Devarim / Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17), Moshe says רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה: meaning “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse.” Moshe says the blessing comes if we “listen and obey.” The curse comes to those who turn aside from the way God has commanded. The blessing...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Ekev, Encouraged by the Faithfulness of Our Father in Heaven
In this weeks reading from Parsahat Ekev (Devarim / Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25), Moshe says וְהָיָה | עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִֹיתֶם אֹתָם וְשָׁמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ אֶת-הַבְּרִית וְאֶת-הַחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ 7:12 ‘Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you His...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Va’etchanan, Entering into the Presence of God
In this weeks reading from Parsahat Va’etchanan (Devarim / Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11), Moshe asks the Lord if he can to go into the Promised Land and the Lord tells him no. The Lord told him to go up to the top of Pisgah and see the Promised Land with his own eyes (look north, east, south, and west). Moshe then...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Devarim, Washing our Cloths White as Snow
In this weeks reading from Parsahat Devarim (Devarim / Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22), Moshe retells the story on what happened that led the people to remain in the wilderness. The Hebrew name of this book in the Masoretic Text is “Devarim,” which is derived from the opening words in this week’s Torah portion, אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים “Eleh ha’devarim” meaning “These are the...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Massei, Being Reckless or Unintentional in our walk before God
This weeks reading is from Parsahat Massei (Bamidbar / Numbers 33:1-36:13), Moshe recounts the various places that Israel had traveled during the wilderness journey. Following these things, the Lord speaks to Joshua to be sure that Israel gives to the Levites cities and land for their cattle. The Scriptures go on the describe the cities of refuge where one...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Mattot, Allowing our Wealth to Draw us away from God
This weeks reading is from Parsahat Mattot (Bamidbar / Numbers 30:2-32:54). the Lord commands the men of Israel saying נְקֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים assemble to make war against Midian to “avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites.” The men went and made war with Midian, burning their cities and killing the men but they kept the...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Pinchas, My Food and My Offerings
In this weeks reading from Parashat Pinchas (Bamidbar / Numbers 25:10-30:1) the Lord speaks to Moshe saying that Pinchas, the son of Eleazar, has turned away His wrath from the sons of Israel because he was zealous for the Lord. Pinchas’ Jealousy for the Lord is found in Bamidbar / Numbers 25:7-9. Pinchas saw the sin of the sons...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Balak, Greed and Reasoning around the Command
In this weeks reading from Parashat Balak (Bamidbar / Numbers 22:2-25:9) Balak king of Moab saw what the children of Israel had done to the Amorites and both he and the people of Moab were afraid being very anxious about Israel’s presence. As a result, Balak asks for help from a man called Bilam. Now Bilam was well known...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Chukat, The Purpose of the Wilderness Revelation of Torah
In this weeks reading from Parsahat Chukat (Bamidbar / Numbers 19:1-22:1) the Lord speaks to Moshe about the “red heifer” regarding ritual purity. The High Priest Eleazar took the heifer outside of the camp, slaughter the animal, and sprinkle the blood towards the front of the Ohel Moed (אֹהֶל-מוֹעֵד, Tent of Meeting) seven times. The entire heifer is burned...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Korach, Burning Incense – Life and Death
This weeks reading is from Parsahat Korach (Bamidbar / Numbers 16:1-18:32) Korach, Datan, and Aviram rose up and assembled themselves against Moshe and against Aaron and questioned whether their role as priests was really the will of God (ב וַיָּקֻמוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה וַאֲנָשִׁים מִבְּנֵי-יִשְֹרָאֵל חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתָיִם נְשִֹיאֵי עֵדָה קְרִאֵי מוֹעֵד אַנְשֵׁי-שֵׁם). Moshe tells the men to assemble in the...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Shelach Lecha, What does it mean to “Violate the Shabbat?”
This weeks reading is from Parsahat Shelach Lecha (Bamidbar / Numbers 13:1-15:41) the Lord commands Moshe to send men to spy out the land of Canaan which He was giving to the Children of Israel (13:1-2). Moshe sends twelve men to spy out the land saying יח וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת-הָאָרֶץ מַה-הִוא וְאֶת-הָעָם הַיֹּשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ הֶחָזָק הוּא הֲרָפֶה הַמְעַט הוּא אִם-רָב:...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Behaalotcha, The God who would dine with us
This weeks reading is from Parsahat Behaalotcha (Bamidbar / Numbers 8:1-12:15) and we read in Bamidbar / Numbers 10:11-36 the Children of Israel set out from the wilderness of Sinai moving out for the first time and the Scriptures describe the deconstruction of the Tabernacle and the order of the tribes as they moved out. The Scriptures then say...
Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Nasso, Men of the Covenant and Yeshua
This weeks reading is from Parsahat Nasso (Bamidbar / Numbers 4:21-7:89). the Lord speaks to Moshe telling him to number the sons of Gershon and the fathers of their household by their families. Moshe obeys the Lord and numbers the Gershonites and details the duties of the sons of Levi in their work in carrying the Mishkhan (Tabernacle) in...
