Heavy Burdened
The next Torah Portion we can discover together is Yitro, the name of Moses’s father-in-law. You can read through this portion in Exodus 18:1-20:23. The most relatable enemy is being heavy-burdened. I often struggle to carry my burdens, those of others, and the burdens God has asked me to bear. There has to be a […]
Chaotic Waters
Oh LORD God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them~Psalm 89:8-9. From the Ancient Near Eastern perspective, water can be good or bad. For instance, water can be destructive to an agricultural society, and […]
Darkness That Can Be Felt
In the next Torah Portion labeled Bo, meaning “come” or “go forth,” we have more enemies. The last two plagues described in Exodus 10:1-13:16 include the enemies of darkness and death. Today, we will focus on the enemy of darkness. In the Bible, darkness can symbolize different things, including death as it is often paired […]
Hard Hearted
The Torah portion we left off at was Vaera, meaning, “I appeared.” You can find this story in Exodus 6:2-9:35. We must try hard to avoid an essential enemy in this portion- a hard heart. Pharaoh hardened his heart seven times from Exodus 7:13-9:35. Previously, I explained that the number seven often symbolizes completeness or […]
Who Am I?
The first Torah portion in Exodus is called Shemot, meaning “Names,” and entails Exodus 1:1 to Exodus 6:1. In this section of scripture, we witness Moses’ battle with self-doubt, a powerful enemy that many of us can relate to. The Bible tells us that we are made in the image of the Creator, a divine […]
And He Lived
Ay caramba, I have fallen behind again. Let’s go back a few Torah portions to where I left off. Vayechi is the last Torah portion of Genesis, which means, “And he lived,” which is curious since the portion describes Jacob’s final blessings, his death, and Joseph’s death. Death is going to be an enemy that […]
Bread of Affliction
Here we are in the Torah Portion labeled Miketz, meaning “At the End Of.” Genesis 41:1-44:17 fills in more colorful details to Joseph’s story. Up to this point, Joseph had endured affliction for 13 years. When he was seventeen, he went looking for his brothers, who sold him into slavery, and he began his reign in […]
A Hateful Heart
As we travel along in our Torah Portions, next on the menu is Vayeshev, meaning, “And he dwelt,” which includes Genesis 37:1-40:1. Packed full of internal and external enemies, we begin with a dad instigating jealousy and hatred in his children by giving Joseph a visual sign of favor, a special covering. Next, we have […]
Face to Face
One of my first concerts as a young tyke was a punk band called Face to Face. Little did I know that much of the Bible teaches us to walk face-to-face with God and others. In our current Torah Portion, Vayishlach, meaning “And He Sent,” we find the word face resounding as Jacob sees God […]
The Evil Eye
This week’s Torah Portion includes Genesis 28:10-32:3, named Vayetze, meaning, “And he left.” The current story tells us about when Jacob left Laban’s house to return home with his new family and loot. Laban became an enemy to Jacob; more specifically, the greed that consumed him became an obstacle Jacob had to overcome. The Bible […]