Tzvi ben Daniel – A Rood Awakening

Parasha 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.

Parasha 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.

Parasha 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.

Parasha 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.

Parasha 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.

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The history of the Apocryphal Books

One of the oldest books found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran is the Book of Enoch.

The Bibles we have today include a compendium of books that were written at a particular period in history. The word canon, whose origin is generally traced to the Greek κανών which is a measuring rod, actually comes from the even more ancient Hebrew קנה (cané) which is a reed, and, precisely, was used for measuring. So we can deduce that the biblical canon refers to the group of books that have authority in terms of religious doctrine, whether in Christianity, Judaism, or Catholicism, whose respective canons differ from one another.

Needless to say, such authority in doctrinal matters was decided by the religious leaders of the time, so it is logical to attribute a certain subjectivity to such selection. Although most Christians consider the 66 books of their canon as the only “inspired” or “worthy of being taken as doctrinal”, the reality is that depending on the religious culture in which one has been raised, this will change. Just imagine that until before Martin Luther, works such as the books of Tobit or Judith would have been common knowledge.

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – OCTOBER 13, 2017: One of the Dead Sea Scrolls, on display at the Book Museum. Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Israel

How old are these books?

The biblical period covered by the apocryphal books is mostly limited to the Second Temple period, between the last prophets, concluding with Malachi, and the New Testament literature. This spans from around 300 BCE to 50 or 100 CE. There are later works from this time that were used by the so-called Church Fathers, but these would be included in another category as they relate exclusively to the New Testament and were written even after the closure of the Jewish canon in the 1st century.

One of the oldest books found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran is the Book of Enoch. This book, not included in the Jewish or Catholic canon, appears in more than ten different manuscripts in Qumran, written in what is believed to be the original Aramaic. Communities of believers in Syria and Ethiopia also preserved this book in their own languages (in Syria, Aramaic was spoken but had a different type of script, in contrast to the Essenes, who wrote Aramaic with the Hebrew letters we know today, which are originally Aramaic).

Other well-known works found in Qumran include the Book of Maccabees, Ben Sira, and Tobit.

Who decided which books entered the canon?

In the case of Judaism in Israel, a rabbinic assembly was formed, gathering in the city of Yavne around the year 100 CE. Although most writings in the Torah and the prophets were widely accepted, there was some controversy surrounding different books among the writings, such as the Song of Solomon and Daniel, the latter being written in Aramaic. One of the main reasons why many apocryphal books did not enter the Jewish canon was precisely because there were no Hebrew copies.

Other Jewish communities did not necessarily accept the authority of the rabbinic leadership in Israel and continued to use books they considered worthy of study. This is the case with the Ethiopian community of Beta Israel, which included, among others, the aforementioned books, the Book of Jubilees, the Testament of Abraham, the Testament of Isaac, and the Testament of Jacob.

The Catholic Church defined its canon at the Council of Rome in the fourth century, commissioning Jerome to translate the list of books into Latin. In the Eastern Church in Syria, different lists were maintained, and a unanimous decision regarding the canon was never reached. Some “extra” epistles found there include the Prayer of Manasseh and Psalm 151, while, for example, the Book of Lamentations is excluded.

During the Protestant Reformation, Luther decided to differentiate from the Catholic canon and moved seven books (Tobit, Judith, 1–2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch), placing them in the Apocrypha section (“books not considered on par with the Holy Scriptures but worthy of being read and studied”). Despite moving them, at least he included and promoted their study. Unfortunately, this distinction paved the way for their eventual exclusion altogether.

Is it relevant to study these books?

If we limit ourselves to what Martin Luther said, then yes. Beyond Luther, it is worth delving into the historical context of each work. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls shed new light, confirming that Jewish communities of this time, even in the Land of Israel, considered many of these works worthy of study. In each of these books, we can appreciate not only ethical, moral, or spiritual messages but also the cultural environment of the Jewish people in a period of history that is unfortunately absent from our current Bibles.

Emuna (אֶמוּנָה) – The faith that sustains us

Emuna, our faith, as well as truth, is what we rely on. That’s why this word has the definition of being a support.

What is faith? Did you ever try to define it? If we can’t explain what it is, can we claim to possess it?

In the dictionary, this word is associated with belief and hope, and while this is true in Hebrew as well, the meaning of the word emuna (אֶמוּנָה) is much more comprehensive.

First, we must understand that the noun emuna comes from a verb. This verb is amán (אָמַן). Amán means to believe, but it also has various physical or practical implications, as we will see below.

And he believed in Yehovah, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:6

The verb “believed” (הֶאֱמִן) here comes from the verb amán (אָמַן). And in the context of Abraham’s story, we see how he was a man of action and received this visitation from Yehovah after he had already left his homeland. His emuna led him to take action.

Emuna is related to truth:

A faithful (emunim) witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies. Proverbs 14:5

Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth (emunim) may enter in. Isaiah 26:2

In both cases, the word related to truth comes from the word emuna.

Emuna, our faith, as well as truth, is what we rely on. That’s why this word has the definition of being a support. Something that holds up another thing. A faithful person (who has faith) in Hebrew is ne’emán; a person who has a firm support base.

Perhaps one of the most impressive figures that this word can teach us is in its relation to a mother; em (אֵם). A mother is the one who holds and sustains the baby. This word is embedded within the word emuná and the verb amán. There is another similar word, omén (for a man) or omenet (for a woman), which comes from the word em (mother), but it does not necessarily refer to a biological mother but to someone who cares for and sustains a baby. In the Spanish of the Reina Valera translation, it can be translated as a nanny.

Then Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became his nurse (omenet). Ruth 4:16

Or in the following case, where Moses complains to Yehovah in the desert about the children of Israel:

Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian (omén) carries a nursing child, to the land which You swore to their fathers?’

All these different concepts converge at the root of the word emuná. Faith requires support, and it also requires action. A faithful person is a steadfast person.

Perhaps some of these things help put into perspective the words of Ya’akov (James) when he wrote, Show me your faith (emuná) without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Total relaxation. Handsome young man keeping eyes closed and holding hands behind head while sitting in big comfortable chair at home

Shabbat, the First Commandment

In these erratic times in which we live, where we spend most of our time working to acquire material possessions, separating the Sabbath day from the rest of the days is a true sign (Exodus 31:17) that reminds us of whom we truly serve.

When a person begins to delve into the study of the Bible and leaves behind religious conditioning, they realize that there are numerous commandments contained within the pages of the Torah. Not coincidentally, the word Torah is translated as “law,” despite the more appropriate translation being “instruction.”

These instructions were not created by the Almighty to overwhelm us or confine our existence to religious confinement, but rather to learn how to navigate this world and guide our families and communities.

According to rabbinic accounts, there are 613 commandments contained in the first five books of the Bible. It is important to note that not all of these apply to everyone. Many of these commandments are exclusively related to the service of the Temple and the priesthood, while others are specific to judges, women, men, and so on.

Most people are familiar with the Ten Commandments, which represent the statements that the Creator Himself spoke from Mount Sinai and dictated to Moses:

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:27-28

Among these Ten Commandments, which even most Christians pride themselves on observing, is the Sabbath, the fourth commandment:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

Although this verse speaks of “remembering” the Sabbath, in the recounting of the commandments in Deuteronomy 5, it speaks of “keeping” it.

Why is the Shabbath the first commandment?

When the commandment of the Sabbath was first declared by the Creator in Exodus 20, it appears in the fourth position. So why do I say that the Sabbath is the first commandment?

Simple, when we follow the chronology of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, on their way to Mount Sinai, in the second month, they complained and received manna from heaven. A few days after the manna started to fall, Moses told them:

“Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.” Exodus 16:23

This is how we can see that the Sabbath was introduced weeks before the Israelites reached Mount Sinai and had implications regarding the collection and preparation of food.

Where does the Sabbath come from?

The Sabbath is defined in the creation week at the beginning of the book of Genesis. Thousands of years before the Torah was given and even before Abraham was chosen, the Creator established this model and pattern of seven days. When we study different elements of Creation, we realize that the number 7 is extremely relevant and cannot be altered, whether it’s the 7 musical notes (do re mi fa sol la si), the 7 colors of the rainbow, or the 7 days of the week. Throughout the Biblical narrative, we encounter this number time and time again.

Conclusion

Being the first commandment that appears after the Israelites’ liberation from slavery, we see that it holds special importance. It is no coincidence that most believers interested in the Hebrew roots of Christianity begin with this very commandment.

For more information about the Sabbath day, click here.

The Potter and the Vessel

The way the Creator helps us grow spiritually is through the suffering of the flesh.

Isaiah 64:8 tells us:

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Our father is YeHoVaH, and in this verse, Isaiah tells us that it was He who formed us. Don’t be deceived that He is talking solely about Adam, who was the first man who was “literally” formed from the dust of the earth! He is talking about all of us.

He who formed us, He who works with the clay, is The Potter. The word for “potter” in Hebrew is yotzer (יוצר), and it is related to the root of the verb “to form” (yatzar, יצר) in the verse from Isaiah above. The Father is The Potter, and it is He who forms us. But what does “form” mean in this context?

A clue to this meaning is provided by a striking prophetic image in Jeremiah chapter 18:1-6:

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from YeHoVaH: ‘Go down to the potter’s house [yotzer], and there I will give you my message.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands, so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of YeHoVaH came to me. He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares YeHoVaH. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel’.”

Here we see how the potter works on his creation in the same way that YeHoVaH works with us – it is the very same idea that Isaiah mentions.

Returning to the question posed earlier, what does it mean that He forms us, that He works in us? Obviously, our body is already formed from the womb of our mother. But throughout our lives, we experience all kinds of situations that make us grow spiritually. The end product that the Creator wants to make of us is not about physical beauty or perfection but about spiritual identity.

But how do you grow spiritually?

This is an aspect that will probably displease our earthly natures. For remember, the spirit is at enmity with the flesh (Rom 8:7).

The way the Creator helps us grow spiritually is through the suffering of the flesh. How do we know? As the Hebrew makes clear, we can find the same linguistic root for the words “form” and “potter” in many words that we associate with suffering.

For example, the word “tribulation,” translated as “anguish” in Jeremiah 30:7, is tzara (צרה). The word for “Egypt” in Hebrew is Mitzraim (מצרים), understood as “a narrow and suffering place.” The “narrow path” that Yeshúa speaks of is the tzar (narrow, suffered) path.

And this is where we can associate suffering with the heavenly potter working on us all. Each of these examples has to do with our suffering, but at the same time, with an insatiable desire to reach out to our Creator, to call him from the midst of our tears, to surrender to his will.

In this context, we can understand how Shaul (Paul) says in Romans 5:3 that “we exult in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces patience.”

And we can also understand how Ya’akov (James) says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (1:2).

Joy within suffering is found when we realize that the Creator is working on us just as the potter works on his pot. Through the pressure of his fingers, he molds and refines his creation and removes roughness. It is when we identify with the spirit, rather than the flesh, that we can appreciate and even rejoice, in our times of trial and tribulation.

The Kingdom of Heaven – Maljut haShamaim

Just as there are kingdoms and empires in this world which are born, expand, and ultimately pass away, there is also in contrast a kingdom that is eternal – the kingdom of God.

The term “the Kingdom of Heaven” is famous in Christianity since it is used by Yeshua throughout his ministry – from exhorting people to “become little children” in order to enter it (Mt 18:3); comparing it to a treasure hidden in a field (Mt 13:44) or a mustard seed (Mt 13:31); to even talking about how the halakhic rules would be within the Kingdom (Mt 22:29).

What many people do not know is that this term, “Malchut haShamaim” (the kingdom of heaven), and the term “Malchut Elohim” (the kingdom of God; sometimes “Malchut Shaddai”), were terms widely used in the Jewish temporal context in which Yeshua lived.

The Roman Empire had complete sovereignty over the land of Israel and economically oppressed the people through tribute (i.e., taxes) to the emperor. Dissident Jews who decided to refuse or even question those authoritarian imperialist regulations were crushed by the Roman military arm, and their bodies were displayed on crucifixes as an example for others so that everyone would think twice before rebelling or questioning their authority. The Zealots were a dissident group, mentioned in the New Testament, who fought against the Roman authorities, hoping to regain Jewish autonomy, just as the Maccabees fought against the Greeks a couple of centuries before.

A thought, rooted in biblical doctrine, became popular during that time: just as there are kingdoms and empires in this world which are born, expand, and ultimately pass away, there is also in contrast a kingdom that is eternal – the kingdom of God.

A very clear picture of this appears in the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream given by Daniel in the second chapter of his book: In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end but will itself endure forever.

Pray for our leaders! - 1 Timothy 2:1-2