Torah

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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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