Light In Torah

  During these forty days of repentance leading up to the Feast of Sukkot, I find myself asking a question that will not let me go: when it is all said and done, how do I really want to end this thing I call "my life"? "You have placed our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh." (Psalm 90:8–9) So, how do I want to finish? It is coming—I know that. Every day, I am twenty-four hours closer. What will it look like when that day arrives? Like most people, I want victory. I want to make a difference, leave a mark, finish well. God certainly has a hand in that, but I am increasingly convinced that He also longs for me to cross the finish line reflecting the image of His Son. It feels like the whole universe is conspiring to push me over that line in glory. But as David so wisely observes, I can sabotage that intention myself. God places my iniquities before ...

As we approach the conclusion of the book of Deuteronomy and prepare for the Day of Atonement(s) and the Feast of Tabernacles, I find myself reflecting deeply on past Torah portions while looking ahead. I never want to forget where I have been, take for granted where I stand, or lose sight of where I am going. In last week's Torah portion,  Ki Tetzei  ("When you go out," Deut. 21:10–25:19), we learned about war against your enemies—specifically, the one within. It reminded us of the internal struggles we face and the constant battle to align our hearts and actions with God's will. This week's portion,  Ki Tavo  ("When you come in," Deut. 26:1ff), shifts the focus to joy and accomplishment. The battle is over, the victory is won, and it is time to reflect and rejoice. Joy in the Victory "Coming in"— Ki Tavo —is about celebrating victory and what has been accomplished through faith and obedience. You have poured out your energy, given your all, a...

Let us explore this idea of  shema  a little more, since it is such an important topic. When we think of "listen," we usually mean, "I heard you." But the biblical perspective is far richer. To  shema  means to listen and pay full attention as if your life depended on it. Once you have heard what is said, you immediately begin to incorporate it into your life—adapting every aspect of your thoughts, speech, and conduct to what you have heard. You memorize it, teach it to your children, and demonstrate it to the world around you, until you and your surroundings are transformed into the image of the words you have received. The  shema  lifestyle means following His leading and His ways because we know He is good. We instinctively know that His will is the best possible path, because He knows more about us—and what is good for us—than we do. It means allowing our Bridegroom to clothe us in His wedding garments (Rev. 19:7–8), which are the  mitzvoth  (...

It is day two of the week, and so much is going on physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Questions about faith, how to walk, where to walk, and when to walk are among the biggest questions for those who truly desire to hear and obey His voice. In  Ki Tavo  ("when you come in"), there is an interesting statement made by Moses. He tells the Israelites that on this particular day, they have become the people of God. Today, many denominations and spiritual circles ask the same question, and depending on your background—or foreground—your answer is often shaped by tradition. But this Torah portion makes it clear, and it confirms what is written in the New Testament writings: what actually makes Israel—whether natural or grafted in—the people of God (Rom. 11). Right away, based on the text, we see that it is not genetics. The people in this passage are already connected to the bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—long before this day when Elazar and the Levites speak to them....

  Do you ever wonder why an ox goes astray (Deut. 22:1)? Let me first say how much I appreciate those who labor among the brethren. There are so many who diligently and unselfishly pour out their lives for others, and this Sabbath morning I want to say again: Thank you. You are truly appreciated. Paul, speaking to the assembly in Thessalonica, said, "But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction" (1 Thess. 5:12). At first glance, it might seem a bit pedantic for Paul to have to tell his own brothers to appreciate him and those like him. After all, many of these believers came to faith because of his ministry. Would gratitude not come naturally? But Paul clearly has something more in mind than a casual greeting or a pat on the back after a well-received sermon. The word Paul uses is a form of the Greek verb  oida , which implies fullness of knowledge. In this context, he ...

  Ki Teitzei—"When you go forth to war."  One of the challenges that we face every time that we study a Torah portion is to look at the Torah portion independent of all of the other Torah portions that have come before it. In this week's Torah portion, "When you go forth," "When you go out to war," it's really important for us to connect it to the last verse from last week's Torah portion. Deuteronomy chapter 21, verse 9. The last phrase is, "When you shall do that which is right in the sight of the Lord." That's the catalyst that propels us forward to look into what's going to be said in verse 10: "When you go forth to war against your enemies, and the Lord your God has delivered them into your hands, and you have taken them captive." Now when we look at this verse, it just talks of warfare, but there's more to it. Let me help you understand. When it says, "When you go forth to war"—Ki Teitzei—and the...

This week's Torah portion,  Ki Teitzei —"when you go out"—is filled with commandments that instruct us to remember on at least thirty-one different fronts. And in Scripture, when we are told to remember, it is not just about a mental state—it is a call to action. With the Fall Feast season right around the corner, I figured it is a good time to do some remembering of my own 😊 The Day of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah—the Day of Remembrance—is fast approaching. It is also known as the hidden day that no one knows (Matt. 25:13), the day of the great shout (1 Thess. 4:13–16). We are also moving through the month of Elul, that season of preparation for crowning the King. It is a time for soul-searching and prioritizing intimacy with the coming King. Are you feeling it? By that, I mean—are you noticing all the distractions coming your way? The fear, the doubt, swirling around so many issues? This is the month for blotting out the remembrance ( zeker ) of Amalek (Deut. 25:19), who ne...

Free will must be part of the  Yefat Toar  marriage procedure, so that the true "form" of the marriage may be revealed. Dinah, from Genesis 34, was not free. Shechem claimed to love her, but he did not permit her to return to her father and brothers while the marriage contract was negotiated. Instead, she was "loved" while being chained to Shechem's coercion and  chashak . She was an object upon whom he placed his passion, but he did not trust her with free will.  The captive woman is not just a captive of Israel—she has been chained to the idols of her heritage. For a full month, she distances herself from that idolatry. If she will not be like Ruth—a true convert who leaves her idols behind—she is not permitted as a wife and must go free, back to the realm of death. Her seed will not be sown in Israel to produce a mixed field of the Word and tares. In a way, this weeding out prevents the "seed of the woman" from reproducing idolatry. A woman who conv...

  Ki Tetzei —which means "When you go out"—describes a situation of going out to war: "When you go out  (tetzei)  to battle against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take them away captive, and you see among the captives a beautiful woman  [Yefat Toar],  and have a desire  [chashak]  for her and would take her as your wife..."  (Deut. 21:10–11) To modern ears, this passage may sound harsh or outdated. But from ancient times until today, conquering armies have routinely raped the women and children of their foes. Israel, however, was not to give in to such beastly behavior—even in wartime. What this passage describes is what modern Judaism would recognize as a conversion process. After a month of mourning, in which her hair is shaved, her nails left unmanicured, and her beautiful eyes red and swollen from weeping, the Israelite warrior may find her more of an annoyance—always underfoot, yet untouchable. Ancie...

This is your mission, the very reason you have been entrusted with the sacred gifts of life, breath, thought, speech, and influence at such a time as this. Do not let fleshly desires entice you. Do not let temporal distractions derail you. Do not let fear freeze you. Do not let flattery seduce you. Do not let rejection wound you or trauma harden your heart. Instead, take everything—physical, material, and spiritual—that He places in your hands, and use it wisely, honorably, unselfishly, enthusiastically, and responsibly to fund and further this calling. In all things, at all times, whether coming or going, let this one overriding instruction ring in your ears:  You must not hide yourself. Invisible people make poor role models. Wallflowers bear no fruit. Sleeper cells are for terrorists—not for light bearers. Stealth is not a Kingdom tactic. The Most High has prepared a table for you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). So come out! Come out from your safe rooms. Come out ...

  The summer has just about come to an end. The fall is right around the corner. We're entering into the sixth month of the biblical calendar, of God's calendar, which means we're a month away from Yom Teruah, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot. In this week's Torah portion, Shoftim, we have the topic of judges and officers that should be at each gate. And that's important because in our lives, we need to have judges and officers. Judges are the ones who lay down the laws—the shoftim. And shotrim are the officers, the ones who enforce. The challenge in life is that we know what is right and what is wrong, but enforcing it and enforcing it without prejudice, without bribes, without secondary agendas—that's not quite as easy. Judging is probably the most overstated doctrine anywhere in the Bible, at least in the lives of believers. And the crazy thing about it is that though everybody talks about it, and everybody talks abou...