The GREAT Command and the GREAT Commission

שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יהוה  אֶחָד . וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ לְכוּ וַעֲשׂוּ אֶת כָּל הַגּוֹיִים לְתַלְמִידִים, וְהַטְבִּילוּ אוֹתָם בְּשֵׁם הָאָב וְהַבֵּן וְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְלַמְּדוּ אוֹתָם לִשְׁמֹר אֶת כָּל מַה שֶּׁצִּוִּיתִי אֶתְכֶם. וְהִנֵּה אֲנִי עִתָּכֶם כָּל הַיָּמִים, עַד לְקֵץ הָעוֹלָם These two scriptures are both foundational.  They are D’varim 6:4-5, and Matti 28:19-20.Continue reading “The GREAT Command and the GREAT Commission”

And I sought FAVOR: Can you say Grace = Torah?

Our Portion this week is called in Hebrew, “V’Etkhanan”, and the root word of this verb is “khen,” which means ‘grace’/’favor’.  Since we read only the middle portion this year, I’m going to resist going into all the nuances of that, and get straight to the point in our one third portion that is reallyContinue reading “And I sought FAVOR: Can you say Grace = Torah?”

The Raptor!

The Menociraptor in the pic was a surprise, and this post could also easily be about the ridiculousness of ‘evolution.’   But, alas, it is not.   It is about the ever burning and hotly debated topic that most call “The Rapture.” The one verse that most people use to assert there is a rapture is inContinue reading “The Raptor!”

Wonder WHO?

The following partial verse has been slightly ‘bent’ for certain purposes within certain theological circles: פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר אֲבִי עַד שַׂר שָׁלוֹם. This is: “Peleh Yoetz EL Gibor Avi Ad Sar Shalom” Wonderful Counselor Mighty Strong My Father Eternal Prince Shalom Reading it as the Masoretes ‘punctuated’ it: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty Strong, My FatherContinue reading “Wonder WHO?”