Mana 1

First Steps to Freedom: The Shabbat

Many people don’t want to have children. And those who do often don’t know what to do with them or how to raise them, so they end up in the hands of strangers or in the educational and social systems.

The,Statue,Of,Justice,Symbol,,Legal,Law,Concept,Image

What Is the Purpose of the Torah?

Many people don’t want to have children. And those who do often don’t know what to do with them or how to raise them, so they end up in the hands of strangers or in the educational and social systems.

Barley Aviv

Aviv (אַביב) — What Does It Mean?

Many people don’t want to have children. And those who do often don’t know what to do with them or how to raise them, so they end up in the hands of strangers or in the educational and social systems.

Free at last

Exodus – Claiming Our Freedom

Many people don’t want to have children. And those who do often don’t know what to do with them or how to raise them, so they end up in the hands of strangers or in the educational and social systems.

Happy New Year

From Babylon to the New year

It is curious that the calendar we currently use (called Gregorian) begins its count from January 1st, which is, in the northern hemisphere, a few days after the beginning of winter.

emuna_featured-img

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.

Yosef and Yeshua 2

Paralleles Between Yosef and Yeshua

The Scriptures often teach through patterns rather than direct explanations. The life of Yosef is one of those patterns — a life shaped by rejection, suffering, and eventual exaltation. These elements are not isolated details; they form a prophetic framework that prepares the reader to recognize the Messiah. When we place Yosef alongside Yeshua, the similarities do not serve mere comparison, but revelation. They show us how Yehovah works through adversity to bring redemption, and how His purposes move forward even when His servants are misunderstood, rejected, or mistreated. This perspective helps us read the text not only with understanding, but with discernment for our own walk.

The parallels between Yosef and Yeshua are not meant to remain as theological observations. They confront us with a question of response. Both lives demonstrate that faithfulness is proven under pressure, not in comfort. Betrayal did not derail Yehovah’s plan; it became the very path through which salvation was extended to many. In the same way, our trials are not obstacles to obedience, but opportunities to reflect the character of the Messiah. As Yosef remained faithful in obscurity and Yeshua in suffering, we are called to trust that obedience today bears fruit beyond what we can see. History remembers their faithfulness — our generation will be shaped by ours.