Yeshua

Parashat Toldot (Genesis 25:19-28:9)

This week’s double portion of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim covers a lot of ground in a small amount of space. It covers the ritual of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), restrictions on where and how sacrifices can be made, proscriptions for the resident alien, a list of prohibited sexual relations, a stern reminder about honoring one’s parents, issues of social justice, a detailed explanation of how to love one’s neighbor, and a miscellaneous list of other commandments ranging from agricultural laws to prohibitions against sorcery and child sacrifice.

Parashat Tzav (Leviticus 6:1[8]-8:36)

Believe in Moses?

Our parashah begins by telling us, “Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran” (Genesis 28:10). Rashi makes a keen observation on this verse. He asks a question that should be obvious to us: “Why does the Torah mention Jacob’s departure from Beersheba?” If we’ve been paying attention we should remember that the Torah had just mentioned this fact a few verses prior. Verse seven says, “Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram.” Haran is located within the region of Paddan-aram. Therefore, we’ve been told twice within a few sentences that Jacob went toward Haran.

And these were the life of Sarah: one hundred years, twenty years and seven years; the years of the life of Sarah. (Genesis 23:1)

The Mitzvah of Gratitude

In Judaism, we have the practice of giving thanks after each meal. This is called Birkat Hazon, or Grace After Meals. This practice is derived from the passage in our Torah portion that gives the instruction to thank the LORD after eating:

And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:10)

In this series we are working to expose the myth that humans are incapable of keeping God’s Law. In our previous article we began seeking to understand what Peter was referring to when he described a yoke “that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10). Was he referring to the Torah in this context, or was he referring to something else? We began by discussing misconceptions within Christianity and what the Scriptures themselves have to say about the Torah and the perceived difficulty of following its directives.

We were slaves to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. And the Lord, our God, took us out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched forearm. And if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our ancestors from Egypt, behold we and our children and our children's children would [all] be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. And even if we were all sages, all discerning, all elders, all knowledgeable about the Torah, it is a commandment upon us to tell the story of the exodus from Egypt.

A great and chronic myth has been perpetuated within Christianity that needs to be addressed. It is the belief that the Law (i.e., the Torah) has been and always will be impossible to keep, and that Yeshua came to live out the Torah perfectly and thus "fulfill" it so his followers would not have to. This article seeks to examine the veracity of this claim and expose the problems of misunderstanding the Torah and its function. We will be examining some familiar passages, but hopefully in a new light that will begin to illuminate this subject.