Explore the mystery and majesty of this ultimate sacred occasion. Yom Kippur is far more than just a fast day. It is a kingdom calling moment into righteousness and towards both Sukkot and eternity. Enjoy!

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Ha’azinu means “give your ears” or “listen.” It is the opening stanza of Moshe’s last song that he spoke of at the end of the previous portion. Although the language is poetic, the graphic imagery is meant for easy remembrance and its warnings are definitely LITERAL. There is no other …

Vayelech means, “and he went out/walked” referring of course to Moshe. The portion begins in a time of transition, where Joshua is brought forward as the next leader and final instructions to Israel are given. The portion ends with Moshe recording the words to a song, but those words are …

Chag Sameyach and welcome to the start of our wonderful fall feast season! We kick off this very special month of Tishri with Yom Teruah, the day of shofar blasting, the seventh new moon of the year and a day that may actually point to the Second Coming of the …

Nitzavim means “you stand” and it begins with more warnings for the price of disobedience. This is literally the beginning of the end of Israelite wandering and Moshe’s own life, so it is critical that every opportunity be taken to explain Israel’s responsibilities to them. This is an abnormally short …

Ki Tavo means “when you enter” and begins with a variety of agricultural regulations that take effect once Israel has entered Canaan. Other regulations, such as that of tithing, are further instituted in the 26th chapter. 26 also contains a veiled rebuke from Moshe to the previous generation as he …

Ki Teze means “when you go out” as in terms of when Israel confronts her enemies on the battlefield. One main war regulation is given at the start, and that is what to do with a woman taken captive from the nations that a Jewish man wants to make a …

Shoftim means “judges” and Deuteronomy 16:18 begins with the command to appoint them. The Torah had suggested that these courts had to be established to resolve general disputes (Exodus 21:22, 22:8) but only here do we find the specific command to set these courts up in every city, probably because …

Re’eh means “see,” and it begins with that great summary of the covenant: I set aside two ways for you, blessing and cursing, life and death. Shortly afterwards, a number of regulations about the place for Abba YHWH’s Name—Yerushalayim though no one other than Abba YHWH knows that yet—are given. …

“Ekev” means “because” or “if only.” Following the theme of last week’s parsha of Va’etchanan, Moshe continues his urgent pleas to this current generation to realize that they are honor-bound to continue in the covenant originally granted to their fathers and that they, in a limited sense, share blame with …

Plagues and Scandal! Round 1 of this tremendous struggle has clearly been won by Pharaoh, with the Bricks Without Straw debacle literally breaking the spirits of the Israelites. Now Moshe must regroup and prepare for something much worse: The divine destruction of his adopted homeland. And yet Moshe himself has …

The new adventure begins. It’s been 144 years since Joseph died and was buried at the end of Genesis. Judah and all the other tribal heads, the sons of Jacob, are now all dead. A dynasty died and a new re-unified Egypt has emerged, stronger than ever, and determined to …

The Final Act. In a drama literally more than 2,300 years in the making, the book of Genesis comes to a climactic close. Joseph has made himself known to his brothers, but even though he has promised forgiveness and restoration to them, the guilty siblings are not so sure they …

“You didn’t send me to Egypt…Elohim did, so I could save lives!” Thus says Joseph to his brothers as they finally reconcile in a moment 22 years in the making. In the end, Joseph needed to have a picture painted of the suffering of his father Jacob to finally relent, …

Due to the Hanukkah Special and regular parsha (Mikkets) hitting within days of one another, Torah 101 is taking Hanukkah off and will return with “Vayigash”!

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 …

Torah 101 will return next week with “Vayishlach”!

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 …

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 …

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 …