Torah

Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52

Parashat Ha’azinu is one of the most moving portions of Aurayta. It is largely made up of the Song of Mosheh, a sacred hymn given at the end of his life. This song is a living reminder of who Mar-Yah is, who His people are, and how He will remain faithful even when they falter. It is a passage that calls us to listen deeply, to remember carefully, and to walk humbly.

Listening with Creation (32:1–3)
Mosheh begins by calling on heaven and earth to listen: “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.” Creation itself is invited to bear witness to the covenant. In this way, Mosheh reminds us that faith is never private; it is part of the wider order that Alaha has made.

Read more

This Shabbat reading is one of the shortest portions in the Aurayta, yet it carries profound weight as it depicts Mosheh’s final words and instructions to Israel before his passing.

Mosheh states that his time of leadership is at an end, for he is one hundred and twenty years old and shall not cross the Jordan. He reassures Israel that Mar-Yah Himself will go before them into the land and that Yehoshua (Joshua) shall lead them in his place. Strength and courage are urged upon both the people and Yehoshua, for the conquest will be sustained by divine presence.

Read more

The name Ki Tavo—“When you have come in”—sets the tone of arrival, of transition from the wilderness sojourn to the settled life of covenant responsibility in Eretz Yisrael. This portion highlights two great themes: 1) the sanctification of the first-fruits and the tithe, and 2) the solemn proclamation of blessings and curses upon Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. At its heart, it emphasises covenant loyalty, thanksgiving, and the weight of Israel’s calling as a nation set apart for Mar-Yah.

The Offering of First-fruits (26:1–11)
The parashah opens with the command that upon entering the land, Israel is to bring the first-fruits of the produce to the sanctuary. This act of offering is a liturgical confession of Israel’s history and identity. The worshipper recites the creed:

“A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous” (26:5).

Read more

Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

Shalom!

This Shabbat’s reading is from Parashat Ki Teitzei (Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19), one of the richest portions of Aurayta, filled with a great multitude of laws that touch upon war, family, morality, commerce, justice, and compassion. It is a portion that demonstrates the extraordinary breadth of Aurayta’s concern, for it descends into the practical minutiae of daily life while simultaneously ascending into lofty moral principle. Indeed, this section is known for containing more commandments than almost any other portion of Aurayta, numbering according to rabbinic reckoning some seventy-four mitzvot.

Read more

Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9

Parashat Shoftim is deeply concerned with the establishment of righteous order within Israel. It sets forth laws concerning judges, priests, kings, prophets, warfare, and communal responsibility. The central theme is the necessity of justice grounded in the will of Mar-Yah, not in human ambition or partiality. The text demonstrates that Israel was to be a people distinguished by equity, truth, and covenantal faithfulness.

In the wider vision of the Scriptures, these ordinances point to the reign of Yeshua Mshikha, who is both the Judge and the King, the Prophet like unto Mosheh, and the One who brings final justice and peace. The Desposyni, as His family and heirs of the House of David, embody continuity with this ancient expectation, preserving the rightful order within the Assembly of Jerusalem.

Read more

Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17

In this week’s portion we see that Mosheh summons Israel to contemplate the profound reality of covenantal choice. “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse” (Deut. 11:26). This is a covenantal decree that touches the very destiny of the people of Israel. The blessing is linked to obedience, the curse to rebellion, and the nation is reminded that its future hinges upon fidelity to Mar-Yah.

This portion encompasses some of the most defining ordinances that would shape Israel’s collective identity. It sets forth the command to establish worship only in the place that Mar-Yah Himself shall choose, thereby eradicating idolatrous practices from the Land. It provides safeguards against false prophets and seducers who would lure Israel into apostasy. It reiterates dietary distinctions, establishing holiness as a visible marker in the life of the nation. It commands tithes for the Levites and the poor, institutes the release of debts in the Sabbatical year, and upholds the ethical obligation to liberate Hebrew servants. The parashah culminates with the laws of the three pilgrimage feasts—Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot—which sanctify Israel’s sacred time and bind the people together in communal worship.

Read more

Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25

Parashat Eikev follows directly upon the covenantal exhortations of Parashat Va’etchanan, but the tone here shifts from recalling Israel’s past failures to showing us the blessings that attend obedience and the dangers that accompany pride or forgetfulness. Our reading is a reminder that the walk of the covenant is not only about grand gestures, but about obedience in the seemingly small, everyday matters—the “mitzvoth” that might be metaphorically underfoot, yet which are foundational for the life of the Assembly.

This portion reveals the ancient covenant logic of cause and effect—faithfulness brings blessing, covenantal neglect brings loss. This is the dynamic reality of life under Mar-Yah’s sovereignty. The blessings described here—fertility, prosperity, security, and the defeat of enemies—are rooted in the relationship between Mar-Yah and His people, a relationship founded in mercy and truth, yet demanding steadfast love and obedience. Yeshua Mshikha, in the Sermon on the Mount, intensifies this very principle, teaching that the greatest in the Kingdom is the one who observes and teaches even the least of the Commandments (Matthew 5:19).

Read more

Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

Parashat Va’etchanan is the second parashah of Sefer Devarim, a book framed as the final testament of Mosheh to the generation born in the wilderness—those who will soon cross the Yarden into the Land of Promise. The portion begins with Mosheh’s earnest supplication to Mar-Yah for permission to enter the land, and proceeds to a solemn recapitulation of Israel’s sacred obligations under the covenant.

Read more

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.

Read more

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).

Read more