4
Dec
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“Return, Isra’el, to YHWH your God, for your guilt has made you stumble.”
Did you know there was a god who retired? From our Hoshea series, Jeff and Yoel discuss the Israelites’ understanding of Canaanite/Phoenecian gods El and Ba’al, and the effect on their relationship with YHWH. Also, Hosea 12:14 leads to an intriguing discussion of Moses, Malachi and Elijah.
27
Nov
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“A son honors his father and a servant his master. But if I’m a father, where is the honor due me? and if I’m a master, where is the respect due me?”
We hear from the last prophet, Malachi, and learn about prophecy and the historical background of Malachi’s time.
20
Nov
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“‘My lord, king, didn’t you swear to your servant, “Your son Shlomo will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why is Adoniyah king?’”
In this week’s haftarah Chaye Sarah, we explore the mindset and character of King David as well as politics in the bible as the kingship passes from King David to Shlomo.
6
Nov
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“I will make you into a threshing-sledge, new, with sharp, pointed teeth, to thresh the mountains and crush them to dust, to reduce the hills to chaff.”
When do you know when biblical text is literal or metaphoric? We look at how to understand biblical metaphors and idioms with this week’s haftarah in Isaiah 40 and 41.
30
Oct
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“For me this is like Noach’s flood. Just as I swore that no flood like Noach’s would ever again cover the earth, so now I swear that never again will I be angry with you or rebuke you.”
We learn about Samaritans and the origins of the haftarah readings as a supplement to this week’s haftarah from Yeshayahu 54.
23
Oct
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“The blind I will lead on a road they don’t know, on roads they don’t know I will lead them; I will turn darkness to light before them, and straighten their twisted paths. These are things I will do without fail.”
Some history of ancient temple liturgy precedes our presentation of Haftarah Bereshit in which Isaiah describes the powerful promise to save and restore YHWH’s exiled covenant people.
20
Oct
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“Only be strong and very bold in taking care to follow all the Torah which Moshe my servant ordered you to follow; do not turn from it either to the right or to the left; then you will succeed wherever you go.”
Our haftarah presents the transition of leadership from Moshe to Joshua. This lesson is supplemented with history on the Torah reading cycle traditions.
9
Oct
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stand on my high places.”
Biblical poetry about God’s protection and deliverance is the common thread between this week’s torah portion and haftarah Ha’azinu.
2
Oct
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“Return, Isra’el, to YHWH your God, for your guilt has made you stumble.”
This week’s haftarah teaching from Hoshea holds a beautiful picture of repentance and God’s great love for Israel.
25
Sep
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
“…for he has clothed me in salvation, dressed me with a robe of triumph, like a bridegroom wearing a festive turban, like a bride adorned with her jewels.”
BarMitzvahs, cantillation, Yemenite brides and Edomites all take part in this week’s presentation of Haftarah Nitzavim.