Commentary on Parashat Behar-Bechukotai

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Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Parashat Behar-Bechukotai, comprising the final double portion of Vayikra, encompasses a richly textured matrix of mitzvoth, divine assurances, and warnings, through which the identity of Israel as a holy people consecrated unto Mar-Yah is further refined. Here, within these sacred ordinances, the covenantal dynamics between Mar-Yah and Israel are revealed in legal, theological, and eschatological dimensions.

Parashat Behar begins with a most significant assertion: “And Mar-Yah spoke unto Moshe in Mount Sinai…” (Leviticus 25:1). The placement of this declaration is intentional. It signals that the laws which follow, pertaining to the Sabbatical year and Jubilee, were received at Sinai, bearing equal authority to the Decalogue and other covenantal ordinances.

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Commentary on Parashat Emor

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Torah Reading: Leviticus 21:1–24:23

This Sabbath’s Parashah opens with a solemn charge to the kohanim, beginning with a clear delineation of the boundaries of ritual purity and conduct. Mar-Yah commands Moshe to say to the priests. “Speak to the priests the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people.” (Leviticus 21:1)

The repetition of “speak” and “say” evokes a tone of gentleness mingled with urgency. Rabbinic exegetes, such as Rashi, observed that this is a warning for the elders to educate the youth. Yet beyond rabbinic insight, within a Hebraic framework, we perceive a deeper liturgical principle—those who stand near the altar must be consecrated not only in office but in being. St. Gregory the Theologian states that the priest is a “mediator of the earthly and the divine”—a role prefigured in Aaron’s line, but fulfilled in the Great High Priest, Yeshua Mshikha (Hebrews 4:14).

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Holding Fast to the Faith

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When we exhort the brethren to hold fast to the faith is not a moral encouragement alone, but a covenantal imperative rooted deeply in both the Tanakh and the apostolic writings of the New Covenant. To hold fast means more than intellectual assent; it is a deliberate, sustained clinging to that which has been revealed and entrusted, both through the Torah and through the testimony of Yeshua Mshikha. The people of the Most High are called to steadfastness, to be like the remnant spoken of by the prophet Isaiah: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel… shall stay upon Mar-Yah, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 10:20). To “stay upon Mar-Yah” is the very soul of holding fast—it is covenantal loyalty in the midst of exile and confusion.

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Our Unshakeable Hope

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Few themes shine as brightly and as persistently as the hope of redemption, restoration, and eternal life as promised in our Scriptures. For those who believe in Yeshua as the promised Messiah — Mshikha — this hope is a living reality anchored in the person and work of the Anointed One. To understand why our … Read more

Commentary on Parashat Achrei Mot–Kedoshim

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We will consider Achrei Mot–Kedoshim, a double portion that encompasses the holy commands found in Vayiqra (Lev. 16:1–20:27), chapters 16 through 20. These passages form a foundational pillar of righteousness for the remnant, that we might walk in the path of separation from the defilements of the nations and in the light of the presence of Alaha.

After the Death – Achrei Mot (16:1–18:30)
The portion begins solemnly: “With regard to the death of the two sons of Aharon, when they drew near before Alaha, and died” (16:1). This reference to Nadav and Avihu’s sin stands as a sacred warning to all who approach Alaha without discernment or reverence. The sons of Aharon brought forth strange fire—not commanded by Alaha—and were consumed. This is not because Alaha is cruel, but because His holiness is like fire. That which is not sanctified shall not endure in His presence.

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Suffering and the Righteous

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He who walks the path of righteousness must prepare his soul for affliction. Let none be shaken by the fire that tries them, for such is the portion of the chosen in every generation. The sons of darkness cannot comprehend the light of the sons of righteousness. They gnash their teeth when confronted by holiness, for their works are evil and their hearts are uncircumcised. They hate what they do not understand, and they persecute what they fear. But I say to you, beloved of Alaha, count it not strange when you are hated, reviled, cast out, and brought low for the sake of righteousness. This is your calling and your sanctification.

From the beginning, the righteous have suffered. Abel was murdered by his own brother because his deeds were righteous. The prophets were slain by the very people to whom they were sent. The righteous ones have dwelt in caves, wandered in deserts, hidden in holes of the earth, clothed in sackcloth, despised by kings and priests alike. And yet, though they were afflicted, their spirits rejoiced, for they knew the reward of Mar-Yah Alaha is sure.

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The Way of Holiness

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Hearken, O sons of light, you who yearn for the presence of Alaha, and incline your hearts to the Way of Holiness. The time is at hand when the Holy One shall sift the assembly of the righteous and set apart those who have not defiled their garments. Set yourselves apart, for Alaha is holy, and those who dwell in His presence must also be holy, purified, and consecrated.

Do not be as those who halt between two opinions, who walk with one foot upon the sacred path and the other in the mire of iniquity. Touch not the unclean thing. Do not stretch forth your hands toward that which defiles. Cease from the ways of the world, for the spirit of deception is thick upon the earth and the children of darkness take counsel against the remnant.

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Didache Study 1:1

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“There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but there is certainly a great difference between these two ways.” (1:1)

This introductory statement of the Didache reflects a theme deeply embedded in both Torah and Jewish wisdom literature. It echoes Deuteronomy 30:19, where Mar-Yah declares: “I call the heavens and the earth to witness about you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live.” (Tree of Life Version)

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Yeshua Mshikha, the Son of Alaha

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Yeshua, the Mshikha of Alaha, is the eternal manifestation of the Word that was with Alaha from the beginning. In the holy tongue, He is called Miltha, the living Word. He is not as the prophets who spake by the Spirit of Alaha, nor as the kings of ancient Israel who were anointed with oil by men. Rather, He is the One whom Alaha Himself anointed with the Rukha d’Qudsha, and He was begotten, not created—being of the same nature as the Father, full of grace and truth.

He is the Bar d’Alaha, not by adoption as with mortal men, but by divine origin. From the womb of the Virgin Maryam—who was overshadowed by the Rukha d’Qudsha—He took upon Himself flesh, yet without sin. Thus, in His person is joined both the fullness of the divine and the fullness of humanity. He walked among the sons of men, not as one who grasped for power, but as a servant, washing the feet of His disciples, healing the sick, casting out unclean spirits, and proclaiming the kingdom of Alaha.

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A Voice in the Wilderness

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“A voice cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Mar-Yah, make straight in the desert a highway for our Alaha.” (Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:3)

This utterance was not uttered in vain, neither was it confined to the days of old. It speaks from the breath of prophecy and it enters the soul of those whose hearts are soft before the very Presence of Alaha. It is not the cry of one man alone, but the cry of a people formed in the furnace of affliction, purified by obedience, and consecrated by the Word which is living and active.

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