מורה הצדק

A Call to Discern the Appointed Times

31 July 2025 by

Shalom to the faithful remnant,

As we pass into the unfolding days of August, let us not forget the charge that was sounded at the threshold of this prophetic season. The time of shaking has commenced in the concrete movements of history, nature, and the human heart. It is a divinely appointed moment in which Mar-Yah is visiting the earth in judgement and in mercy. The watchword is no longer, “It shall come,” but rather, “It has begun.”

As it is written, “Surely Mar-Yah will do nothing, but He reveals His secret unto His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). And now the scroll is unrolling further. The events of August, whether seen on the stage of nations or within the still recesses of personal lives, are to be discerned as part of the divine plan. Let us therefore deepen our understanding, sharpen our perception, and press into the counsel of the Holy One.

Commentary on Parashat Devarim

30 July 2025 by

Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

With the reading of Parashat Devarim we start the final book of Aurayta. Some refer to Deuteronomy as a relisting of the Law, however, it is far more than a simple recapitulation. Delivered by Mosheh in the final weeks of his life, east of the Yarden in the plains of Moav, these speeches consist of prophetic urgency, historical remembrance, and covenantal gravity.

In its composition and structure, the Sefer Devarim reflects the form of an Ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaty recounting the sovereign’s past beneficence, stipulating the people’s obligations, and invoking blessings and curses. Yet, unlike pagan treaties, this is not a political document—it is a sacred testimony of Mar-Yah’s covenantal faithfulness and Israel’s vocation.

The Month of August 2025

31 July 202530 July 2025 by

Shalom brethren!

Be on the watch for events beginning in the month of August. For the days are not as they once were, and the rhythm of the times has shifted. The hourglass of the nations is being overturned, and the winds of change, long restrained by the sovereign hand of Mar-Yah, shall begin to stir with unusual intensity.

Let all who have ears to hear and eyes to see attend carefully to the signs which shall unfold as the eighth month dawns. The month of August is being reclaimed for a higher proclamation. Not by Caesar, nor by princes of this world, but by the will of the Holy One of Israel—Mar-Yah Tseva’ot, who does according to His pleasure in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.

As it is written in the Daniel: “And He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings, and sets up kings. He gives wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding” (2:21). So too shall the times be changed beginning in August—not by human hands alone, but by the sovereign decree of Mar-Yah.

Commentary on Parashat Matot-Masei

24 July 2025 by

Bamidbar (Numbers) 30:2–36:13; 28:9–15

Parashat Matot-Masei concludes the Book of Bamidbar with a strong theological, ethical, and eschatological resonance. Matot and Masei together form a double portion frequently read in tandem during the Shabbat prior to Tisha B’Av, the national day of mourning over the destruction of the Temple, evoking themes of covenantal responsibility, divine justice, territorial inheritance, and the longings of exile and return.

This portion addresses the sanctity of vows (30:2–17), the war against Midian (31), the settlement request of Reuben and Gad (32), the listing of Israel’s journeys (33), boundary and inheritance laws (34–36), and additional festival offerings (28:9–15). The reading is best approached with eyes fixed on Mar-Yah’s covenantal faithfulness and the messianic fulfilment found in Yeshua Mshikha, the true Heir of Israel and our Great High Priest (Hebrews 9:11–15).

Commentary on Haftarah Yirmeyahu 1:1–2:3

16 July 2025 by

“Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

The Haftarah inaugurates the period of the Three Weeks—a time of mourning that culminates in Tisha B’Av, the commemoration of the destruction of both Temples. Fittingly, the reading is drawn from the opening chapters of the book of the prophet Jeremiah, a seer whose life was interwoven with the tragic unravelling of the southern kingdom of Yehudah. This passage is full of theological tension; for example, there is a divine calling, a prophetic mission, the recalcitrance of the people, and the deep, aching heart of Mar-Yah, the Holy One of Israel, whose covenant has been spurned.

Commentary on Parashat Balak

9 July 20259 July 2025 by

Numbers 22:2–25:9

Parashat Balak brings us to the account where Gentile kings and pagan prophets attempt to manipulate divine reality, only to discover the unassailable sovereignty of Mar-Yah, the Most High. Situated on the cusp of Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land, this section of Bamidbar unfolds an encounter between Balak, king of Moab, and Bil’am, a Mesopotamian soothsayer whose oracles paradoxically reveal some serious truths about Israel’s destiny and the coming of Messiah.

The account oscillates between blessing and curse, fidelity and fornication, revelation and rebellion. It is a parashah uniquely prophetic, echoing forward to the Incarnation of Yeshua Mshikha and downward to the moral struggles that beset Israel and the Assembly in every generation. The themes of spiritual warfare, prophetic vision, and covenantal purity converge here with deep theological significance.

Commentary on Parashat Chukat

4 July 2025 by

Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1–22:1

The parashah opens with the phrase “זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה” — “This is the statute of the Torah…” (Numbers 19:2). The Hebrew word chok implies an edict or ordinance whose reason is not revealed. In contrast to mishpatim (judgments) that appeal to reason, chukkim are decrees given purely by the authority of Mar-Yah and to be obeyed in faith. The sages of Israel found the red heifer ritual particularly enigmatic.

It is here that the faith of Israel is tested—not by understanding, but by obedience. For us who walk in the way of Yeshua, we perceive in this statute a foreshadowing of the great purification that comes only through Him, the Lamb without blemish, and in this particular image, also a heifer—a sacrifice symbolising not only the male Passover lamb, but the maternal and nurturing life given up to sanctify the camp.

Commentary on Parashat Korach

25 June 2025 by

Numbers 16:1-18:32 Parashat Korach is one of the most arresting narratives within the wilderness journey of the children of Israel, for it lays bare the anatomy of rebellion—not merely political dissent, but spiritual insubordination. It exposes the dangers of ungrounded egalitarianism divorced from divine order and vocation. It also affirms Mar-Yah’s sanctification of priesthood, and … Read more

Commentary on Parashat Sh’lach

19 June 2025 by

Numbers 13:1-15:41

“Send for yourself men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel.” (Numbers 13:2)

Parashat Sh’lach (“send for yourself”) provides for us one of the most poignant and tragic narratives in the Aurayta (Torah) – the sending of the twelve spies into the Land of Canaan and the consequent failure of faith that leads to the judgment of an entire generation. It is a narrative consisting of themes of trust, vision, obedience, and the peril of collective fear. It also reintroduces us to the distinctive roles of leadership, especially as embodied by Caleb and Joshua, and offers a serious warning about how disbelief can deform a community’s future.

This portion also contains legal material—specifically, regulations concerning offerings and tzitzit. These serve as a theological counterbalance, reaffirming the enduring covenant between Mar-Yah and Israel, even in the wake of rebellion.

Commentary on Parashat Beha’alotcha

13 June 202513 June 2025 by

Numbers 8:1-12:16

Parashat Beha’alotcha contains various narratives and mitzvoth, themes of consecration, purification, divine order, human frailty, and the enduring mercy of Mar-Yah. The Parashah begins with the kindling of the menorah, symbolic of divine illumination and the sanctification of the inner life, and concludes with the prophetic emergence of seventy elders, a mirror of the heavenly council, and the chastisement of Miriam and Aaron for speaking against Moshe. These episodes reflect a continuous tension between the sanctity of the covenant and the persistent weakness of the human heart. This section of the Aurayta (Torah) invites us to contemplate both the divine light that guides Israel and the shadows that arise when faith falters.

The Lighting of the Menorah (Numbers 8:1–4)
“And Mar-Yah spoke unto Moshe, saying, Speak unto Aharon, and say unto him, When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.” (Numbers 8:1–2; LXX: “…the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.”)

This instruction follows directly upon the offerings of the tribal princes in the previous parashah and serves as a transition between the tribal leadership and the priestly service. The menorah, crafted of a single piece of pure gold (Exodus 25:31), represents not only unity in diversity but also the light of divine wisdom that must shine forth from the Sanctuary, illuminating both sacred space and the hearts of the people.

The seven lamps may also correspond to the sevenfold Spirit of Alaha described in Isaiah 11:2 and later referenced in Revelation 1:4. From our tradition, this particular menorah becomes a symbol of the fullness of the Rukha d’Kudsha, who enlightens the Assembly, which is the Body of Mshikha (Romans 12:5), and serves as a type of the light Yeshua proclaims in John 8:12. “I am the light of the world.”