Welcome to Nitzvaim-Vayelech, where we see how ancient controversies continue to play out in modern rabbinic discourse with the phrase “The Torah is not in heaven” and also connect some deep calendar mysteries shared by Aaron and King David, hidden in the plain sight of the Scripture. Enjoy this last “normal” parsha before the majestic fall feasts hits!
It’s crunch time. With the last day of Moshe’s life winding down, this parsha has Moshe prepare to get into the last speech he will ever give and it is at this point with literally everything on the line, that the final details of the covenant are given. In graphic detail Israel is told of all the blessings they will get for obedience and also all the curses that will come from disobedience and the stake could not be higher, blessing and cursing, life and death. Also join me for a special look at Deuteronomy 28 done in the style of the Sermon on the Mount and don’t forget to check out the addenda I put at the end of the Scroll to Scroll notes as the good folks at Biblical Archaeology Review document in exacting detail all the public figures listed in the NT that can be proven to have existed from literary and archaeological sources. Finally, the schedule for all the special Fall Feast teachings is also in the Notes for your review. Enjoy!
Welcome to the Rules of War. In this parsha, Moshe lays out how the Israelites can fight a kosher war, including regulations of captive women that were the most generous in the ancient world at that time. In fact the rights of women in a variety of situations are guaranteed and protected in family and in the courts of law showing the high price of messing with an Israelite lady’s reputation. Find out how the Torah equates rape with murder and how a women sexually assaulted gets her virginity back as a matter of Torah law. There are many surprises here and we also close with a brand new teaching on the Eternal Torah Calendar and the “scrolls of time”. Enjoy!
Isaac and Ishmael. Jacob and Esau. And now, we have I think the next longest rivalry in Scripture: Zion-Moriah vs. Gerizim or, if you prefer Judeans vs. Samaritans. This parsha all the controversies between that last group come to the forefront. What was the original Torah message regarding Mount Gerizim? Was it changed How can we know for sure? Some of those answers are in this parsha as we explore the Samaritans throughout history and their relationship to ancient Israel. Along the way we will see how the gathering of the tribes on Gerizim and Ebal creates perhaps the largest calendar clock ever made–Big Ben going silent has nothing on this–and get an update on that impending massive solar eclipse coming next week. What foreboding might it hold for our future? These are just some of the mysteries we will explore in this parsha, along with a very surprising exchange of views on Oral Law. Don’t miss it!
We’ve seen the “big picture” over the last few weeks. The 40 year re-cap to the new generation with very selective editing, followed by the reissuing of Ten Commandments 2.0, complete with tweaks for this new generation, followed by the Shema itself. Now here is where we get the details to make that big picture possible. This week, Moshe gives even more dire messages to Israel, telling them about the true extent of their fathers’ sins and trying to make sure this generation understands that while some of them may not have seen the original miracles, following the Torah is literally a matter of life and death.
The Farewell Tour Begins! But this tour isn’t about some rock star or other celebrity in our media saturated culture. No, this is a farewell tour of one of the most righteous people who have ever lived–Moshe himself. Enter the extreme urgency of his words because if Israel doesn’t understand him today they never will. More than any other book, Devarim is the closest thing to the unfiltered thought, desires and tragedies of this man who in spite of all against him comes down to us as someone only Messiah can best. There is glory in his struggles and eternal legacy in his challenges. Plus, explore a new calendar find from the writings of Josephus and an update on our talk about Enoch! And don’t forget to check out please the new 4 minute video on the Arch of Titus in color. Enjoy!
Welcome to the expanded edition of Matot—these are the tribes. This fascinating look into arcane rules of land inheritance punctuated with a deadly serious war with the nation of Midian offers one of the starkest studies in contrasts of any parsha. Also join me for a special exploration into the mysterious origins of the Gospel of Luke and see how the rabbis of Chabad view the differences between the previous Temples and the future one. Also this week (Scroll to Scroll only) enjoy two free songs about the prophet Jeremiah.<!-
This hero Phinehas is so larger than life that the Scripture can be interpreted to mean he was a warrior priest for nearly 400 years (he didn’t but you’ll have to tune in to find out why! Welcome to one of the most action packed parshas of them all, where one man is elevated to the high priesthood because he saved the life of 2 million Israelite, so Samason and Shamngar, you guys need to take a step back and make room for Phinehas. But this parsha is also about the deepest depths of depravity amongst Israel’s enemies as evidenced by the extremes they take for even a chance to destroy them. Then, our Haftorah portion takes us through the most terrifying day of the great prophet Eliyahu’s life, wrapping up with the Renewed Covenant reading of Acts 2 where we find almost nothing is what it seems when we line up the traditional church version with what really happened. Also don’t miss the two bonus teachings included in the parsha for Scroll to Scroll!
It may be the oddest, and even the most whimsical, parsha of them all. This week we begin with the plotting of Balak, King of Moab. Having assessed the might of Israel, he has concluded outright military victory against them is to o difficult, so he enlists the help of a “have prophecy will travel” consultant we call Balaam, son of Beor. The plan: Curse Israel and then conquer them. The only thing standing in the way of this multinational plot (we don’t forget the Midianites are there too) is a donkey who suddenly acquires the gift of speech, a warrior Messenger who is probably Yeshua in pre-incarnate form and, oh yeah, did I mention Father Yah is dead set against the whole enterprise? And at the end of all that, it turns out Israel still gets decimated, but not by a pagan army or an overly-ambitious prophet, but their own depravity makes them their own worst enemy.
And also this week check out the bonus calendar teaching “Jacob and the Tabernacle of the Sun”, a very deep look at the calendar secrets behind Numbers 24:17 connecting Israel to the Tabernacle and the priesthood and from there, to the cosmos of Father Yah. Not to be missed!