Light In Torah

  In a woke world of "anything goes," if we get away from the purity of our roots and GMO our existence with new terminology to guide us, we will find that the fruit of our lives will not reproduce generation after generation. And before you know it, our existence will be no more. Hence, the concept of the seed and its fruit was established on the third day of the creation story (Gen. 1:11–12). The origin of an established word is the foundational bedrock of everything that is built on it. If the foundation shifts or is destroyed, so too will everything that is built on top. Yeshua, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), reminds us that the seed is the Word of God (Luke 8:11). Since the time of Adam's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the battle between the flesh and the spirit—God's people and the enemy—has always been about the seed (Gen. 3:15). And though the fruit of the seed may look slightly different growing in different types of soil, in different areas of the worl...

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...

Here are some in-sight'ful thoughts (pun intended) for this week's Torah portion :-). Feel free to go to  www.lightintorah.org  for more studies. In our Torah portion,  Re'eh  ("to see"), we find that the emphasis is on seeing—and throughout the portion, there is INTENSITY! Last week... Deut. 11:13 — "If you will listen, you will listen" Deut. 11:22 — "If you will observe, you will observe" This week... Deut. 12:2 — "Destroying, you shall destroy" Deut. 13:16 — "Smite, you shall smite" Deut. 14:22 — "Tithe, you shall tithe" Deut. 15:8 — "Opening, you shall open" Deut. 15:8 — "Grant, you shall grant" Deut. 15:10 — "Giving, you shall give" Deut. 15:14 — "Extending, you shall extend" These are tautological infinitive verbs—where two different forms of the same verb are used to double the impact of the action. They remind me of the old "Doublemint" commercial from days ...