Reconciliation! In a stunning climax to 20 years of grief, Jacob and Esau finally reconcile. But there are still many more challenges awaiting Jacob, not the least of which are his own children who betray the Shechemites and defy their own father to avenge the sexual assault of their sister Dinah? Did they go too far or was justice ultimately served? And Jacob’s ultimate return home is bittersweet as he loses the love of his life with Rachel’s death. It is an amazing study in contrasts, highs and lows unlike almost any other parsha, and chock full of surprises along the way.
Birthrights and blessings, prophecy and family deceptions and the most stable marriage perhaps in all Tanakh faces some of its most grievous moments, and that’s just one chapter! In terms of family drama, this is about as intimate and fascinating as it gets. One brother is is forced into the exile while the other vows to kill him next time they meet. Isaac and Rebecca are caught in the middle, though in their own ways they must own some of the responsibility for near catastrophe that visits them this week. Enter the tent and see this drama play out up close!
One generation ends and another begins, but not before Abraham undertakes through his servant the most personal mission of them all–finding a wife for his beloved son Isaac. And while Isaac is still grieving over his mother Sarah’s death, a distant cousin named Rebecca is coming to soothe his broken heart, but not before we get a preview of one of the most determine adversaries any patriarch ever faced: Laban. So what is Abraham’s victory this week will soon become in the future Jacob’s trouble!
Welcome to the parsha of extremes! From the most personally traumatic test possible–Abraham being ordered by Father Yah to sacrifice his son Isaac–to creating a near international incident with a Philistine king due to a lack of faith on his part–Abraham does it all this week. He also tries to negotiate Sodom’s reprieve but both it and other cities of the plain are doomed, and Abraham also deals with keeping a familial civil war from breaking out as well. Talk about multitasking, this parsha has Abraham taxed to his limits, if not a bit beyond them, but, in the end, he prevails and inherits the greatest blessing any human has gotten from Father Yah to date. So many adventures and so little time, but explore and enjoy his rise. You won’t be disappointed.
Abraham: First Action Hero! This is the parsha where the first patriarch takes center stage. Need a man to humble a Pharaoh into righteousness? Call Abraham! How about a skilled negotiator to keep families from going to war? Call Abraham! Or maybe you need a skilled prophet to predict thousands of year into the future by counting the stars? Yes, call Abraham for that too! All that, and there is still more depth and action to be had. Lech Lecha begins with a surprise twist: The first video is a preview that also answers the ultimate question as I best understand it: What happens after we die according to Scripture? The Torah portion then begin in earnest in Part 2! Enjoy!
In a world where phrases like “disasters of Biblical proportions” have become cliche’, the real deal doesn’t get any bigger than this global flood. But this “titanic” parsha is far more than a disaster tale. It actually contains deep insights, astronomical calendar codes more advanced than anything used today and some amazing prophecies and linkages to events thousands of years in its future. Also get a special update on 4 new free teachings just posted!
Finalizing the Covenant…now the full weight of Israel’s responsibilities to Father Yah–the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience–is laid out in graphic detail. Promises are made and oaths are given in the name of the Torah, and these are literally a matter of life and death.
It’s “Judgment Day” Torah style, where Moshe guides Israel in setting up the last of the infrastructure of elder judges. Although first outlined by Jethro 40 years earlier in Exodus 18, it is in this part of Deuteronomy where the actual courts are finally planned for the way they will function in Canaan.