Tzvi ben Daniel – A Rood Awakening

Parashah Pekudei

In the 7 days of Creation there is a progression from nothing, before Genesis 1:1, until all of Creation was completed, after 6 days. Man was the pinnacle of Creation, the crown. That is why he was created last, when everything else had already been created for his benefit.

Eventually, humanity fell, not just Adam, but every subsequent generation, until corruption filled the world and humanity was eliminated in the Flood (with the exception of Noah and his family).

Abraham was chosen by the Creator to begin a spiritual path that would reach its maximum expression with the revelation at Sinai to all the people of Israel.

This revelation included detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle. This system of connection between man and the Almighty is the way back to Eden. That is to say, to the union that man once had with the Creator.

That is why we will find fascinating connections within the Tabernacle itself, which refer us to the Divine Creation.

These are just some of the parallels I found and I recommend that you invest time in studying this section of the Torah to look for more. In fact, I will leave you with the following questions to consider in your personal studies or with your study group:

How do you see the principles of Creation reflected in the structure and function of the Tabernacle? How can this understanding enrich your perspective on the purpose and sanctity of space and time in your spiritual life?
How do you find (or where would you position) the role and mission of Yeshua in the infographic diagram above?
Reflecting on Yeshua’s role as High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and the idea of Shabbat as a time of rest and connection with the Creator, how can we incorporate these principles into our lives to foster a sacred space and a time of spiritual renewal on a regular basis?

Parashah Tetzaveh

In the Garden of Eden, Adam, the first man, was in communion with the Creator and heard His voice. There was nothing he had to do to establish that connection with Yehovah because he lived in His presence.

After being expelled, from the earliest times, Adam’s descendants sought that connection with Yehovah through offerings and sacrifices.

Passing through our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and specified in the Torah itself, the intention of the Almighty was for Israel to be a Kingdom of Kohanim (Priests), but given the circumstances, only Aaron and his descendants were the ones who carried out that ministry.

And what is a kohen (priest)? A kohen is someone whose mission is to establish a connection between the Almighty and the rest of the people. And to carry out that mission, the kohen must maintain a state of ritual purity that is above the level of ordinary people. In fact, the initiation ritual, which appears in this parashah and is complemented in Leviticus 8, required candidates to remain for seven days in the Tabernacle while daily sacrifices were offered, they were sprinkled with blood and anointed with oil.

The cohen (priest) in Israel had a crucial role in the spiritual life of Israel. Yeshua fulfilled a similar role outside the Temple in a period in which the corruption of the priestly caste was rife, and the Temple was in its final decades before its destruction by the Romans.

Today, 2000 years later and still without a Temple or priestly service, but having the example of Yeshua and the advice to follow in his footsteps, it is a good exercise in our spiritual development to consider how we should act on a day-to-day basis if we were to take the priestly role in our lives seriously, becoming a connection between the Creator and our circles of influence.

Parashah Yitro

At this point in the Exodus narrative we find Moses taking on the monumental task of judging the people of Israel. Sitting from morning to evening, Moses attended to the disputes and conflicts among the Israelites, seeking to impart justice according to divine will. His dedication to this task, while admirable, also showed the limitations of a single individual in the face of the complexities of governing and administering justice for an entire nation.

There is a change of course when his father-in-law, Jethro, gives him some excellent advice. This key moment will mark the beginning of a more structured judicial system, laying the foundations for the future legislation found in the giving of the Torah.

In Jewish thought it is understood that:

“The Torah considers any judge who judges with absolute truthfulness, even for a single hour, as if he had become God’s partner in the work of Creation.”
Talmud, Shabbat 10a

It is interesting that the Creator did not wish to judge each individual ‘personally’, but rather it was His will that men learn the ways of His justice and then be able to judge themselves.

Just as man was created in the image and likeness of the Creator, who is Judge and Sovereign of all Creation, so too must man learn how to execute justice in an impartial and responsible manner.

Parashah va’Era – I appeared

The God who appeared to Abraham and made a covenant with him is the same God who appeared to Moses in the bush. Curiously, this parashah opens by questioning whether Abraham had known Him by His Name:

I appeared to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Yehovah (Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh).
Exodus 6:2

It is a fact that the Almighty had indeed appeared to our patriarchs, not only Abraham, but also Isaac and Jacob, revealing His Name. There are examples of all of them calling on His Name, or erecting altars or calling places with the Name.

And there are two explanations to the verse quoted. One of them can be related to the Hebrew syntax, where the last portion could be understood as a kind of rhetorical question (at least according to the medieval biblical commentator Rashi): –[Had I] not made myself known to them by the name Yehovah?

On the other hand, we could deduce that despite having made Himself known to the patriarchs by that Name, they would not know the full magnitude of Yehovah’s power until the generation that experienced the exodus. This event, which would forever change the history of the family of Israel, would manifest the power of the Creator over His creation in a massive way, and would become a testimony for all future generations.

After making His existence manifest before the eyes of all Egypt, the Creator will manifest Himself by opening the Red Sea and at Mount Sinai, in order to create an impression on His people that would last for millennia to come.

This is the testimony that millions of people around the world fervently believe: that Yehovah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has power over all His Creation; then, now, and until the end of time.

Parashah vaYgash – He approached

From the earliest childhood Yosef, son of Ya’akov, was considered a special person. Having been born of the one who was “the woman he loved”, and occurring in his old age, Ya’akov considered him as a leader from his youth. All this was confirmed by the revelatory dreams that were given to Yosef, which led to his enmity with his brothers.

Prophetically, in his own lifetime, Yosef saw the fulfillment of those omens, but what neither he, nor anyone of his generation knew, was that he would become a prophetic archetype, upon which exiles and returns to the Promised Land would be declared hundreds of years later. Yosef became the leader of Egypt during his own lifetime, but he would continue to be the leader of his people until the end of days.

Parashah Vayshlach – The meaning of Israel

The name Israel appears for the first time in this section of the Torah. Jacob is named after the mysterious being with whom he wrestled until dawn on his way back to the land of Canaan.

What Jacob did not know at the time is that this name, through his descendants, would become the emblem of a great nation that would endure through the centuries and millennia.

The name Israel was used from the most remote times in which the tribes settled in the Land under the leadership of Joshua, until the present times in which a completely secular movement such as Zionism, chose for the ancestral Land the same name that Jacob received on that distant night.

From the first man who was called Israel, constituting himself as a nation and eventually settling in a land, through the prophetic declarations and promises of blessings to come, to our times when a modern state exists in the world, with millions of people who identify with it, the name of Israel will remain throughout the ages, as a testimony to the God of Jacob.

Parashah Chaiei Sarah – The life of Sarah

Genesis 23:1 - 25:18

The name of this section of Scripture is translated as “The Life of Sarah”. Sarah is known as the first of the matriarchs and from her womb came the son of promise, from whom all the people of Israel descended.
Although her life was not easy, and at times her faith was tested, Sarah accompanied Abraham to the end and her legacy endures to this day.

Abraham is the one who is usually remembered as “the father of faith” and “the father of the people of Israel”, but not many take into account that a mother was also necessary to carry out this promise. We cannot underestimate the importance of that woman who, with her faith and perseverance, helped Abraham himself to overcome the trials and challenges that would lead him to become the father of our people.

Parashah Vayera

Abraham stands as a monumental figure in the history of faith, not only revered as the father of nations but also celebrated for his unwavering devotion to Yehovah. His journey is a story of profound challenges, acts of obedience, and a commitment to a covenant that would shape the spiritual heritage of countless generations.

Abraham’s life is marked by encounters with the divine that test his faith, shape his character, and ultimately reveal his role as a leader, a father, and a prophet. Each of these pivotal moments—from receiving the promise of a son in old age to the ultimate test on Mount Moriah—offers us valuable insights into the nature of faith, the demands of obedience, and the deep trust required to walk with God.

This infographic seeks to capture some of these defining moments, allowing us to reflect on how Abraham’s experiences continue to resonate today as examples of spiritual courage, integrity, and a vision for a future defined by divine purpose.

Abraham’s story leaves us with a legacy of faith that transcends time and culture, challenging us to examine our own relationship with the divine. His life exemplifies a faith that is not passive but active, marked by a willingness to step into the unknown and to hold onto promises even when they seem impossible.

Through Abraham, we learn that true faith often requires sacrifice and patience, trusting in a purpose that is greater than ourselves. As we consider his journey, we are reminded that our own lives, too, are part of a larger tapestry, woven together by a divine hand that invites us to be participants in a story of redemption, justice, and hope.

In Abraham’s footsteps, we are inspired to seek a faith that not only believes but acts, a faith that calls us to live with courage, compassion, and a commitment to the enduring principles of righteousness and love.

Parashah Noach (Noah)

The story of Noah is one of the most mythical in the entire Torah. Noah was the tenth since Adam and the world had already become corrupt and forgotten its purpose. All of Creation would be destroyed, return to a state of purity and experience a new beginning through Noah and his descendants.

The story of the Flood, and the answer to whether or not it really happened, is one of the main markers separating those who believe in biblical history from those who believe in the theory of evolution.

Although not everyone agrees with the conclusions of Ron Wyatt and the Turkish authorities, there is no doubt that this discovery served as a trigger to get us, believers and non-believers alike, thinking about the veracity of the biblical stories and how they may have unfolded.

I encourage you to supplement your biblical studies with the historical context of each era, archaeological discoveries and extra-biblical material in order to gain a more comprehensive perspective of the stories that constitute our faith.

Parashah B’reshit

The beginning of the Torah (the Pentateuch) is probably the most mysterious text of all the Scriptures. In an extremely succinct manner it communicates to the reader the most amazing feats, in which Elohim (the Hebrew term used for “God” in Genesis 1) creates the world out of nothing.
The lack of detail in this narrative can be attributed to the fact that the author of Genesis is not trying to explain in a scientific way how the Creator does the work of creating each of the elements, but rather the fact that there is a Creator. That the world did not come “out of nothing” but that a Higher Being who pre-existed the world was the author of all that we see and experience with our senses today.
Having established that, it is interesting to consider the way in which the work of creation is communicated to the reader. There is a specific order that emerges from the first words expressed; “let there be light…”.
In the following infographic we can appreciate the thematic connection connecting the first 3 days of creation with the following 3 days, leaving the seventh day as unique in its category. This scheme can be appreciated in the seven arms of the menorah, which was in the Tabernacle.

The first portion of Scripture covers a great deal of history. From the days of creation, through the expulsion from Eden, the first murder in history, all the generations up to Noah, and the spiritual state of mankind that precipitated the flood, which is developed in the next portion.

As we progress through these chapters, we learn that man’s propensity to sin is something that manifested itself from the beginning, and even though the Creator had not yet delivered His Law to mankind, there was always a parameter of righteousness, which is used as the lens through which we analyze these events.

All posts by : Tzvi ben Daniel