There are Three Weeks that are an annual mourning period that falls out in the summer. The Three Weeks or Bein ha-Metzarim (Hebrew: בין המצרים, “Between the Straits”) (cf “dire straits”) is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples. This is when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and our launch into a still-ongoing exile. The period…
Overview and Background of Hashem’s instruction about the Red Heifer On the 1st of Nissan, The mishkan’s last inauguration day, Hashem revealed to Moshe the laws regarding impure people who are expelled from the camp, and the purity laws of the kohanim priests. Hashem taught him how purification from the different types of impurities is…
Many people are often curious as to the time period of Job’s life. Whenever I see a reoccurring question come to me I often write a short article on it to assist others who must have the same question as well. This article is being written during the week that we are preparing for Torah…
This week’s torah portion of Shelach L’kha introduces a very practical commandment still applicable for us still today! In this week’s Torah parashah, after seeing that God’s people were having difficulty remembering and guarding God’s commandments, and thereby losing their intended blessing, we see an introduction to the principle of wearing a “reminder tassel” called a…
Tevilah and Mikvah During Biblical Times Tevilah is the Biblical act of immersing oneself in a natural living water source for ritual cleansing. In ancient times a stream or river was used, but in modern times a specially constructed pool called a “mikveh” is normally used. Today, in Judaism, the terms are used somewhat interchangeable,…
With all the recent “self-proclaimed” prophets and people with “messages from God” in different movements and on the internet and YouTube it is important for God’s people to use scriptural discernment and not be deceived. The following eight tests of a true prophet we hope will help you not be swayed by every passing wind of…
A common quote from the new testament among believers is Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus/ Yeshua.” This is usually stated to encourage us in our failures, but the sentence does not end there. It goes on to say “who do not walk according to the…
Many ancient manuscripts and Dead Sea Scrolls equate Melchizedek with Shem, and to support this understanding, I provide a few quotes…
Many people studying Torah do not realize the beautiful significance of the coverings and details of the Torah scroll and their amazing symbolism pointing to a reflection of our High Priest and Living Torah and the spiritual coverings/armor we must cover ourselves with if we are to be victorious in our spiritual battle against principalities…
You may be surprised to find the many scriptural references to God calling out His assembly from the earliest of times… If you are being called out of something, you are naturally being called from something to something. If you are being called from Darkness, you are being called into the Light. If you are being…