“Be’shelach” means “let go,” and the portion begins with Pharaoh regretting his decision to free the Hebrews, so he musters his chariots in an attempt to bring them all back. Instead however Abba YHWH parts the waters of the Reed Sea and destroys Pharaoh’s army. But even as Israel rejoices, …

“Bo” means “go,” and that’s exactly what the Israelites do! After the last three plagues of locusts, darkness and killing the first born of Egypt do their damage, Pharaoh at last relents and lets Israel go. In the stunning aftermath of these events, the Pesach meal is instituted as an …

Va’Era means “and I appeared,” as in Abba YHWH explaining that He appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and this thought of course follows from His introduction in Shemot that Moshe is a descendant of these people, “I am the El of your fathers.” After the initial “Bricks Without Straw” …

Shemot means “the names,” and it is almost impossible to do justice in a few lines to such a majestic portion. We begin with the set-up of “the Pharaoh who did not know Joseph” and who therefore enslaves the Israelites (probably Ahmose I). Despite an edict to kill all Hebrew …

Vayechi means “and he lived,” referring to the 17 years Ya’akov would spend in Egypt before dying. The portion begins with Jacob making final arrangements to be buried in Canaan once he dies. Ironically, the portion ends with Joseph making those same arrangements but deferring final relocation until the Exodus. …

Vayigash means “and he approached,” referring to Judah approaching Joseph and pleading with him to return Benjamin. After this plea Joseph reveals his true identity and begins reconciling with his brothers. The portion ends with Joseph sending his brothers to fetch Jacob into Egypt and setting up the main foundation …

Mikkets means “at the end” as in at the end of two years since Joseph interpreted the dreams of the baker and wine taster, and about three and half years for the total time of Joseph’s confinement. When Pharaoh has bad dreams and can’t get any of his seers to …

From the pages of Genesis to Revelation, no feast has more clues about its prophetic approach than Hanukkah. This so-called “optional” feast that Jews keep though it is not in Tanakh and most Christians do not keep though it is in Yochanan 10, is one important enough to Yeshua that …

Vayeshev means “and he dwelled.” This portion opens with the amazing story of Joseph, starting with his being sold into slavery to Midianite traders who in turn sell him in Egypt. The parsha then interrupts the Joseph story with the account of Judah and Tamar, but then resumes talking about …

Vayishlach means “and he sent” and once again the ‘he’ is Jacob sending messengers ahead with gifts in an attempt to reconcile with Esau, and what follows is for me, bar none, the greatest apology EVER given in Scripture. After that we get the tragic story of Dinah and Shechem …

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 …