tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77021522012-01-23T09:05:11.635-05:00TorahBlogTorahBlog is a complement to my <a href="http://www.torahbytes.org">TorahBytes</a> weekly commentary site.Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.comBlogger3661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-44738631333366835372012-01-22T15:40:00.000-05:002012-01-22T15:40:18.409-05:00Torahbytes: Humility (Bo)<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-19473059270861194772012-01-15T15:27:00.000-05:002012-01-15T15:27:49.581-05:00Torahbytes: Do You Know God's Name? (Va-Era)God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them." (Shemot / Exodus 6:2, 3; ESV)
The statement I just read often troubles readers of the Torah. When God appeared to Moses he told him that he did not make himself known to the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by the Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-39864137404530668902011-12-25T12:03:00.002-05:002011-12-25T12:03:58.009-05:00Torahbytes: Roots of Relational Difficulties (Va-Yiggash)Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father. (Bereshit / Genesis 44:33,34; ESV)
The story of Joseph is one of the longer and more involved narratives in the Bible. It is a wonderful story of God's Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-51047499108963906802011-12-20T09:00:00.003-05:002011-12-20T18:47:30.093-05:00Happy Hanukkah from Lord of the RingsNear the end of the film version of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers," Frodo's loyal companion, Sam, encourages Frodo in their quest:
Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo; the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-88533678234534167562011-12-19T17:04:00.000-05:002011-12-19T17:04:17.663-05:00Torahbytes: Dream Stories (Mi-Kez & Hanukkah)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-7402048912695831482011-12-11T16:36:00.000-05:002011-12-11T16:36:07.099-05:00Torahbytes: The Blessing Battle (Va-Yeshev)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-85046030748173800642011-12-04T16:19:00.002-05:002011-12-04T16:19:57.201-05:00Torahbytes: Foreign Gods in our Midst (Va-Yishlah)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-91827179592178893102011-11-27T17:40:00.000-05:002011-11-27T17:40:25.861-05:00Torahbytes: God and Human Dysfunction (Va-Yeze)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-67060130136694071092011-11-20T17:13:00.000-05:002011-11-20T17:13:07.370-05:00Torahbytes: It's a Baby! (Toledot)The children struggled together within her, and she said, "If it is thus, why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. (Bereshit / Genesis 25:22; ESV)
It seems to me that there are many people who claim to be pro-life who are not anti-abortion. It is common to claim to greatly value the unborn, but hesitate to be seen as coming on too strong toward others who may choose to Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-2289578675420446162011-11-13T12:12:00.002-05:002011-11-13T12:12:15.084-05:00Torahbytes: Burial vs. Cremation (Hayyei Sarah)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-52545999525889574742011-11-06T17:46:00.000-05:002011-11-06T17:46:22.689-05:00Torahbytes: Faith and Works (Va-Yera)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-59692851486204834912011-10-30T14:58:00.002-04:002011-10-30T14:58:42.751-04:00Torahbytes: How Blind Is Your Leap? (Lekh Lekha)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-14446448805623522292011-10-23T11:47:00.002-04:002011-10-23T11:47:32.830-04:00Torahbytes: Human Greatness (No'ah)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-5001356311295768172011-10-17T13:55:00.000-04:002011-10-17T13:55:20.205-04:00Torahbytes: Savior (Bereshit)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-32764415774775536312011-10-09T18:24:00.001-04:002011-10-09T18:26:55.535-04:00Torahbytes: Belonging (Sukkot)Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth? (Shemot / Exodus 33:16; ESV)
One of the strongest human desires is the desire to belong. It is not necessarily a desire that we are aware of, but we are made to connect with other people. While there are some people who thrive on being loners, most of us need to know thatAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-57345981397988281182011-10-03T11:39:00.002-04:002011-10-03T11:39:18.734-04:00Torahbytes: An Unreasonable Facsimile (Yom Kippur)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-57986748246627121942011-10-03T11:04:00.002-04:002011-10-04T10:53:54.573-04:00A Courageous OfferingIn the early 2000s a congregation in South Georgia decided to make a movie as an effective way to reach the general population with God's Truth. With a budget of $20,000, little to no experience, a crew of volunteers, much faith and lots of prayer, Flywheel was released in a few local theatres and to DVD a few years later. Flywheel has the look of an amateur film, but nonetheless effectively Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-31142027330511881202011-09-25T16:22:00.000-04:002011-09-25T16:22:08.215-04:00Torahbytes: Trusting in the God Who Is (Ha'azinu)The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. (Devarim / Deuteronomy 32:4; ESV)
I think that understanding this verse and its implications is key to truly knowing God and understanding how life really works. First, let me muse over what the words here are saying. The God of Israel is "the Rock" - absolutely Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-53475355258895067992011-09-19T09:39:00.002-04:002011-09-19T09:58:08.857-04:00Torahbytes: The Best Is Yet To Come (Nizzavim & Va-Yelekh)For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. (Isaiah 61:11; ESV)
Last week I made the claim that the biblical perspective of history, especially regarding the centuries since Yeshua's coming, is a positive one. I contrasted the traditional Jewish view of Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-58118977711134226502011-09-11T13:25:00.002-04:002011-09-11T13:25:57.224-04:00Torahbytes: Half Empty or Half Full? (Ki Tavo)<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-1928922939685043562011-09-04T16:14:00.003-04:002011-09-04T16:42:10.574-04:00Torahbytes: Living Right Doesn’t Come Naturally (Ki Teze)Because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. (Devarim / Deuteronomy 23:14; ESV)
My eldest daughter has been working as a missionary in Haiti for two years. I find her stories of life there overwhelming. Haiti is not like Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-13819020212152895302011-07-31T10:53:00.001-04:002011-07-31T10:56:00.516-04:00Torahbytes: Intersections (Devarim)The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain." (Devarim / Deuteronomy 1:6; ESV)
We recently bought our first GPS unit. As many of you are aware, a GPS is a pretty useful device. I like the way it gives you a real-time dynamic map as you drive. It's so nice to allow intersection after intersection to pass by without any worry that I will miss my turn. Then asAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-38712302093113408192011-07-23T22:23:00.001-04:002011-07-23T22:49:52.587-04:00TorahBytes: Changing Times (Masei)But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them. (Bemidbar / Numbers 34:55, 56; ESV)
Recently I saw a report from Israel about how a group of so-called ultra-orthodox were Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-66376421843766410472011-07-17T12:08:00.000-04:002011-07-17T12:08:08.370-04:00TorahBytes: Are You a Deist? (Mattot)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-36180275628573662562011-07-10T18:13:00.002-04:002011-07-10T18:13:59.887-04:00TorahBytes: When You're Right You're Right (Pinhas)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-5565353820513344252011-07-03T17:36:00.000-04:002011-07-03T17:36:34.395-04:00TorahBytes: Requirements (Balak)He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8; ESV)
For the past several years I have been fulfilling various roles for a high-tech firm. More recently I have been working in the area of software testing. An essential aspect of software development is the establishment of Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-65484776740460518822011-06-26T17:32:00.000-04:002011-06-26T17:32:46.373-04:00TorahBytes: Sing About It! (Hukkat / Rosh Hodesh)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-48983069183015951162011-06-19T11:38:00.000-04:002011-06-19T11:38:38.236-04:00TorahBytes: Go to God (Korah)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-22004196655993406182011-06-12T17:34:00.000-04:002011-06-12T17:34:51.249-04:00TorahBytes: Enter In (Shela Lekha)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-40796604245300928062011-06-05T11:33:00.002-04:002011-06-05T11:33:44.722-04:00TorahBytes: Delay (Be-Ha'alotkha)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-50585736338705656852011-05-30T20:41:00.002-04:002011-05-30T20:41:52.586-04:00TorahBytes: The Blessing of God's Name (Naso)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-74996989636190693952011-05-23T16:32:00.001-04:002011-05-23T16:40:12.337-04:00TorahBytes: God's True Identity (Bemidbar)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-33573586101794376122011-05-15T17:18:00.000-04:002011-05-15T17:18:00.991-04:00TorahBytes: You Don't Have To Be Afraid (Be-Hukkotai)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-90808444570123911902011-05-08T17:14:00.000-04:002011-05-08T17:14:18.747-04:00TorahBytes: Slavery (Be-Har)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-84893185301196614302011-05-01T16:48:00.001-04:002011-05-01T16:53:56.029-04:00TorahBytes: Blemishes (Emor)You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. (Vayikra / Leviticus 22:20; ESV)
The God of Israel was very particular with regard to the physical condition of the cohanim (English: priests) and the sacrifices. He gave Moses lists of physical deformities which would have disqualified people and animals from his service.
These high standards were not Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-45424297035534689102011-04-24T16:08:00.000-04:002011-04-24T16:08:11.097-04:00TorahBytes: A Real Solution to a Real Problem (Kedoshim)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-59503359219639170392011-04-17T18:08:00.001-04:002011-04-17T18:16:12.819-04:00TorahBytes: Favor with God (Pesach)And the LORD said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." (Shemot / Exodus 33:17; ESV)
Moses found favor in God's sight. What a concept it is that a human being could enjoy the favor of the Master of the Universe: God - the Creator, Savior, King, and Judge. The Hebrew word for "favor" in this verse is "ḥen" (with anAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-85054799608368123052011-04-10T10:45:00.000-04:002011-04-10T10:45:36.880-04:00TorahBytes: The Feel of Clean (Aharei Mot)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-83102065404403130562011-04-03T12:19:00.000-04:002011-04-03T12:19:24.644-04:00TorahBytes: What Do You Hear? (Mezora)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-28023217621400390832011-03-27T14:37:00.003-04:002011-03-27T14:43:38.294-04:00TorahBytes: Giving Birth Is not a Disease (Tazri'a & Hahodesh)And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, and he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-2036133522885898002011-03-20T11:25:00.003-04:002011-03-20T11:51:20.145-04:00TorahBytes: When Feeling Bad Is Good (Shemini & Parah)Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. (Ezekiel 36:31, 32; ESV)
This week's Haftarah (reading from the Prophets) includes one of the Hebrew Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-14653890514505430632011-03-13T16:58:00.000-04:002011-03-13T16:58:48.256-04:00TorahBytes: What Is Sin? (Zav & Zakhor)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-5912923935144704622011-03-06T14:39:00.000-05:002011-03-06T14:39:47.181-05:00TorahBytes: The People of God (Yayikra)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-6377134493491806462011-02-26T20:54:00.000-05:002011-02-26T20:54:53.028-05:00TorahBytes: The Visibility of God (Pekudei & Shekalim)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-38541510078204130032011-02-20T09:45:00.000-05:002011-02-20T09:45:27.537-05:00TorahBytes: You Are an Artist (Va-Yakhel)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-89641781695671444032011-02-12T22:01:00.000-05:002011-02-12T22:01:15.851-05:00TorahBytes: Avoiding the Philosophical Trap (Ki Tissa)The LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. (Shemot / Exodus 32:14; ESV)
I appreciate the study of theology. As we grow in our understanding of Scripture, we have the opportunity to get to know God better and be better equipped to live life the way God intended. However, I find that sometimes instead of theology, scripture study becomes nothing more than Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-23966850879964424622011-02-06T13:47:00.000-05:002011-02-06T13:47:32.773-05:00TorahBytes: No MSG (Tezavveh)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-47837970451932414382011-01-30T13:26:00.001-05:002011-01-30T13:29:43.976-05:00TorahBytes: The Key to Spiritual Riches (Terumah & Rosh Hodesh)Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." (Isaiah 66:1, 2; ESV)
When Solomon dedicated theAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-50766227792179616772011-01-23T18:02:00.000-05:002011-01-23T18:02:46.758-05:00TorahBytes: Liability (Mishpatim)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-569140690011755692011-01-16T16:28:00.000-05:002011-01-16T16:28:46.070-05:00TorahBytes: Presuppositions (Yitro)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-53724364082406937212011-01-09T22:12:00.000-05:002011-01-09T22:12:52.389-05:00TorahBytes: Don't Refuse God's Commandments (Be-Shallah)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-59838846645761820562011-01-02T18:19:00.002-05:002011-01-02T18:19:50.518-05:00TorahBytes: Noisy Lives (Bo)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-6243277290394259602010-12-19T17:02:00.002-05:002010-12-19T17:22:46.701-05:00TorahBytes: A People in Process (Shemot)Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-47753572781005609502010-12-12T15:15:00.001-05:002010-12-12T15:55:43.037-05:00TorahBytes: Misinformed Feelings (Va-Yehi)When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him." So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father gave this command before he died, 'Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.' And now, please forgive the transgression Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-71334847528038274132010-12-08T09:52:00.000-05:002010-12-08T09:52:04.118-05:00Hanukkah Day Eight: Taking Action<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-42276633010677703632010-12-06T09:12:00.002-05:002010-12-06T09:12:20.661-05:00Hanukkah Day Six: On being a lamp stand<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4ptAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-55575809695292589422010-12-05T19:35:00.000-05:002010-12-05T19:35:13.154-05:00TorahBytes: God Has the Upper Hand (Va-Yiggash)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-3575656595184785322010-12-05T10:40:00.002-05:002010-12-05T10:40:44.439-05:00Hanukkah Day Five: Taking a stand<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-74495828636743176512010-12-03T09:20:00.000-05:002010-12-03T09:20:20.174-05:00Hanukkah Day Three: Festival of LightsAnother name for Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, a name given to it by the first-century Jewish historian Josephus. The lighting of lights at Hanukkah may be due to its being patterned after the Festival of Sukkot (English: Tabernacles), which in ancient times featured the lighting of lamps.
We read in the Psalms, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 199:105; ESV). Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-19544107567493941952010-12-02T08:51:00.002-05:002010-12-02T08:51:48.302-05:00Hanukkah Day Two: The true miracle<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-25876869889166835802010-12-01T08:25:00.000-05:002010-12-01T08:25:29.092-05:00Hanukkah Day One: Heritage of LightTonight we light the first light of Hanukkah. Did you know that it was to a large crowd of Jewish people that Yeshua said the words, "You are the light of the world? (Matthew 5:14). The people of Israel are called by God to be a light. It is difficult for us to picture the state of the world when these words were spoken two thousand years ago, but most of it was it was in utter darkness - "havingAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-17175726853796522962010-11-29T20:45:00.000-05:002010-11-29T20:45:33.547-05:00TorahBytes: Waiting (Miketz / Hanukkah)After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile (Bereshit / Genesis 41:1; ESV)
The Torah, as well as the whole Bible, is not wordy. Perhaps that was due to the scarcity and cost of writing materials in those days, but the lack of lengthy description in no way diminishes its literary depth. So much is communicated in surprisingly few words. An example of this is found in Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-57514478804265204672010-11-21T17:34:00.000-05:002010-11-21T17:34:43.787-05:00TorahBytes: God Is in Charge (Va-Yeshev)Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. (Bereshit/ Genesis 37:3-5; ESV)The story Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-67027737156806015432010-11-15T20:38:00.000-05:002010-11-15T20:38:33.349-05:00TorahBytes: Getting a Hold of God (Va-Yishlah)And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Bereshit / Genesis 32:24-26; ESV)
You cannot encounter Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-62194074901885254332010-11-07T14:33:00.000-05:002010-11-07T14:33:04.340-05:00TorahBytes: A Biblical View of Life (Va-Yeze)Jacob became angry with her and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?" (Bereshit / Genesis 30:1, 2)When Jacob's wife Rachel could not get pregnant, she demanded children from him as if he could somehow make it happen. Jacob's response included the assertion that God was the one who had prevented her from getting pregnant.When we read statements like this from Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-17612153360494923522010-11-01T20:34:00.000-04:002010-11-01T20:34:09.660-04:00TorahBytes: Long-Term Picture (Toledot)Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!" (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright now." Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" Jacob said, "Swear to me now." So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-42489646395132218992010-10-24T21:19:00.000-04:002010-10-24T21:19:25.817-04:00TorahBytes: Forget Not the Promise (Hayyei Sarah)Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. (Bereshit / Genesis 25:5; ESV)
When God called Abraham in his old age to get up and go to an unknown land, God promised to make him into a great nation that would be a blessing to the other nations of the world. It would be another 25 years before God would give him and his wife Sarah, a miracle baby named Isaac. Sarah's inability to have children provides much Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-21945811198580105992010-10-17T12:52:00.000-04:002010-10-17T12:52:12.986-04:00TorahBytes: The Akedah (Va-Yera)<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-47533977857766335732010-10-10T15:40:00.000-04:002010-10-10T15:40:11.496-04:00TorahBytes: The Key to a Biblical Worldview (Lekh Lekha)
And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. (Bereshit / Genesis 15:6; ESV)
Last week (http://torahbytes.org/71-02.htm) I explained how the way we look at life greatly affects us. Even those of us who claim to derive our worldview from an objective source, such as the Bible, often unconsciously filter our beliefs through alternate lenses. Being unaware of these lenses Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-3264873827230990552010-10-03T17:49:00.001-04:002010-10-03T17:53:15.794-04:00TorahBytes: One Race (No'ah)
The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. (Bereshit / Genesis 9:18, 19; ESV)
Most of the time we don't notice how we look at life. Day by day, we don't normally notice that we relate to ourselves and to others, to situations and to the Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-6016428038198698772010-09-26T17:54:00.000-04:002010-09-26T17:54:25.665-04:00TorahBytes: Foundations (Bereshit)In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Bereshit / Genesis 1:1; ESV)
In the building of any structure, it is impossible to overemphasize the importance of a well-built foundation. No matter how strong a structure may be, if its foundation is weak, it will not stand. What's true in a literal, physical sense is also true spiritually and philosophically. The greatest-sounding Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-91782038462055192022010-09-19T15:34:00.000-04:002010-09-19T15:34:23.054-04:00TorahBytes: Binding Agreements (Sukkot)Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. (Shemot / Exodus 34:12; ESV)
This week's readings are special as they occur during the Festival of Sukkot (English: Tabernacles or Booths). Sukkot is a week-long, harvest thanksgiving festival that is celebrated after two weeks of intense spiritual preparation through the Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-59292338670392995342010-09-12T17:08:00.000-04:002010-09-12T17:08:10.321-04:00TorahBytes: Where Does God Live? (Yom Kippur)For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:15; ESV)
This verse is taken from the special Haftarah reading for Yom Kippur (English: The Day of Atonement), which begins Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-18082343760765039022010-09-05T17:38:00.000-04:002010-09-05T17:38:17.778-04:00TorahBytes: Shuvah (Ha'azinu / Shuvah)Blow the shofar in Zion... (Joel 2:5; translation mine) / Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, "Take away all iniquity..." (Hosea 14:2; ESV) / Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. (Micah 7:18; ESV)
Traditionally the Shabbat betweenAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-81799834506785258652010-08-28T20:59:00.001-04:002010-08-28T21:00:08.768-04:00TorahBytes: God's Secrets (Nizzavim & Va-Yelekh)
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Devarim / Deuteronomy 29:29; ESV)
I love the Bible! It's hard to believe that this week marks 34 years since I first came to know Yeshua as Messiah. Perhaps my love for the Scriptures has been at least partly fueled by how God used Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-6249821224024942062010-08-27T10:32:00.000-04:002010-08-27T10:32:50.587-04:00Movie Review: "To Save A Life", but at what cost?Theatrical Release: January 22, 2010DVD Release: August 3, 2010How can someone have an issue with the idea of inviting troubled lonely teens to see a movie that not only attempts to accurately and powerfully speak into their meaningless lives, but also gives them a reason to live? This seems to be the motive behind the film "To Save a Life" - a supposed attempt to provide a true-to-life depictionAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-13757195304075781252010-08-21T20:49:00.000-04:002010-08-21T20:49:32.516-04:00TorahBytes: The Promise Foundation (Ki Tavo)And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, "I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us." (Devarim / Deuteronomy 26:3; ESV)
This week's Torah portion describes what the people of Israel were to say when they presented some of their harvest first fruits. The individual was to verbally recount Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-84767810858239668942010-08-15T14:03:00.001-04:002010-08-15T14:08:59.829-04:00TorahBytes: The Cursed Messiah (Ki Teze)
And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. (Devarim / Deuteronomy 21:22-23; ESV)
I referred to these verses two weeks ago Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-35662278639992934502010-08-08T17:48:00.000-04:002010-08-08T17:48:16.252-04:00TorahBytes: Who Are You? (Shofetim)I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? He who is bowed Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-58021306544342652142010-08-01T15:03:00.000-04:002010-08-01T15:03:10.079-04:00TorahBytes: Backwards Logic (Re'eh)But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. (Devarim / Deuteronomy 13:5; ESV)
I first encountered this verse Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-49295179164256767822010-07-24T21:31:00.000-04:002010-07-24T21:31:30.726-04:00TorahBytes: This Is a Test (Ekev)And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by breadAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-48255950835788643632010-07-18T16:59:00.000-04:002010-07-18T16:59:28.979-04:00TorahBytes: The Torah Controversy (Va-Ethannan)You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. (Devarim / Deuteronomy 4:2; ESV)
Misunderstandings among New Covenant believers about the Torah stem partly from a lack of awareness over the issues the New Covenant writers were dealing with. New Covenant believers, especially of the Protestant variety, Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-24890216965738005112010-07-10T23:46:00.000-04:002010-07-10T23:46:13.098-04:00TorahBytes: Torah is Good for You (Devarim)
In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them... (Devarim / Deuteronomy 1:3; ESV)
In the New Covenant scriptures we read:All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-56445529843598786492010-07-04T14:31:00.000-04:002010-07-04T14:31:21.342-04:00TorahBytes: The Search for the Authentic (Mattot & Masei)And now what do you gain by going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates? (Jeremiah 2:18; ESV)
Some serious students of the Bible are keen to establish what they believe to be an authentic expression of biblical faith. While this could be said about almost all serious believers, some are more concerned than others Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-23412380743223128842010-06-20T13:07:00.000-04:002010-06-20T13:07:40.543-04:00TorahBytes: Don't Be Fooled by Appearances (Balak)And God came to Balaam (Hebrew: Bilam) at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you." So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. (Bemidbar / Numbers 22:20-22; ESV)
This week'sAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-17822546547961971802010-06-13T11:26:00.002-04:002010-06-13T11:26:44.474-04:00TorahBytes: Death Is Not Our Friend (Hukkat)Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him. (Bemidbar / Numbers 19:13; ESV)
In this week's parsha (Torah portion), we read about the ritual cleansing that is Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-81774784433163555252010-06-06T21:40:00.002-04:002010-06-06T21:44:48.207-04:00TorahBytes: Perspective (Korah)They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (Bemidbar / Numbers 16:3; ESV)This week's Torah portion includes a rebellious challenge by several key individuals of the community of Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-12047178865755269312010-05-30T18:10:00.001-04:002010-05-30T18:14:32.889-04:00TorahBytes: Don't Fear! (Shela Lekha)Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them. (Bemidbar / Numbers 14:9; ESV)A few years ago I wrote a TorahBytes message entitled The Fear Is Real, where I proposed that it was understandable that the Israelites who spied out the land of Canaan would be afraidAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-414260769410995402010-05-23T16:35:00.001-04:002010-05-23T16:37:45.471-04:00TorahBytes: Good Complaining (Be-Ha'alotkha)I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness. (Bemidbar / Numbers 11:14,15; ESV)The chapter in which these verses appear begins like this:And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-81618938929748593992010-05-16T17:29:00.002-04:002010-05-16T17:33:35.844-04:00TorahBytes: Some Things Only You Can Carry (Naso)All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. (Bemidbar / Numbers 4:27; ESV)The sons of Moses' brother Aaron were assigned by God to be priests (Hebrew: cohanim), whose primary responsibility was to offer the sacrifices. Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-42149146303770908642010-05-09T14:10:00.002-04:002010-05-09T14:13:05.740-04:00TorahBytes:Owned by God (Bemidbar)And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall beAlan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-51082378389758393152010-05-03T20:24:00.002-04:002010-05-03T20:44:58.110-04:00TorahBytes: Worthless Lies (Be-Har & Be-Hukkotai)O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: "Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit. Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!" Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-27209715291701650802010-04-25T12:35:00.000-04:002010-04-25T12:38:03.478-04:00TorahBytes: Waiting for Clarity (Emor)Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-2126982516498028352010-04-18T16:03:00.001-04:002010-04-18T16:05:53.831-04:00TorahBytes: Love Your Neighbor (Aharei & Kedoshim)You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (Vayikra / Leviticus 19:17,18; ESV)The Messiah was asked the question, "What is the greatest commandment?" (See Matthew 22:Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-14265068783032688332010-04-11T11:15:00.001-04:002010-04-11T11:17:28.391-04:00TorahBytes: Worth Investigating (Tazri'a & Mezora)So they took two horsemen, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, "Go and see." (2 Melachim / 2 Kings 7:14; ESV)This week's Haftarah is part of a slightly longer story that begins in the previous chapter. In those days the land of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom was called Israel or Ephraim with its capital in Samaria; the southern kingdom was Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-33072070965725111382010-04-04T11:52:00.003-04:002010-04-04T12:25:08.938-04:00TorahBytes: The Basis of Acceptance (Shemini)And Moses said, "This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." Then Moses said to Aaron, "Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people, and bring the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded." (Vayikra / Leviticus 9:6,7; ESV)Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-47331687904212473452010-03-28T17:17:00.002-04:002010-03-28T17:21:49.394-04:00TorahBytes: Seeing God (Pesach)The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-2372980051520612982010-03-21T14:29:00.002-04:002010-03-22T20:38:15.604-04:00TorahBytes: Only Judaism Explains Christianity (Zav)This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the ordination offering, and of the peace offering, which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai. (Vayikra / Leviticus 7:37,38; ESV)If you know anything about Christianity, Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-14394833886429310682010-03-14T17:30:00.001-04:002010-03-14T17:32:56.763-04:00TorahBytes: Return (Vayikra)Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. (Isaiah 44:21,22; ESV)With these words, Isaiah captures much of the essence of the message of the Hebrew prophets. The people of Israel - Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7702152.post-2567195986823110972010-03-07T21:14:00.001-05:002010-03-07T21:16:01.392-05:00TorahBytes: The Lost Art of Preparation (Va-Yakhel & Pekudei)Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day. (Shemot / Exodus 35: 2,3; ESV)One of the necessary implications of God's Sabbath laws is the need of preparation. The prohibition against making fires on Shabbat Alan Gilmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14857023214261866860noreply@blogger.com2