Light of Torah
Feasting and Sobriety
At times, Deuteronomy can appear to the reader as a formidable list of rules (e.g., ch 11-16) as Moses impresses upon the Israelites...
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weekly insights
Light of Torah
- Aug 4, 2023
- 3 min
At the Edge of the Promised Land
In the Book of Deuteronomy Moses delivers a series of speeches as he prepares the Israelites for entry into the Promised Land. In chapter...
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Light of Torah
- Jul 28, 2023
- 3 min
Letter & Spirit of the Law
“Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord...” (Deut. 6:18). Over the centuries, this verse in Deuteronomy has attracted the...
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Light of Torah
- Jul 6, 2023
- 3 min
Moses PREPARES FOR HIS DEATH
In Numbers 27:12-23 God takes Moses up the mountain on the east side of the Jordan, overlooking the land into which his people will...
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Light of Torah
- Jun 30, 2023
- 3 min
Affliction, Healing, and a Bronze Serpent
We continue our Torah reflections, making our way through the Book of Numbers. Chapter 21 depicts yet another flashpoint in the...
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Light of Torah
- Jun 23, 2023
- 3 min
Fire in the Desert
Fiery tensions are unleashed in the Israelites' wilderness trek, as we continue our journey through the Book of Numbers. No sooner has...
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Light of Torah
- Jun 16, 2023
- 3 min
God's love for Israel
In the face of repeated rebellions by the Israelites, Moses is found pleading with the Lord to show mercy to the people. Such was the...
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Light of Torah
- Jun 9, 2023
- 3 min
Rebellion in the Wilderness
As the Book of Numbers continues the story of the Israelites’ epic wilderness journey, episodes of rebellion and conflict emerge. With...
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Light of Torah
- Jun 1, 2023
- 3 min
Generous Giving: A Lesson for Leaders
"Then...everyone whose spirit was willing...brought the Lord’s offering to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and...
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Light of Torah
- May 17, 2023
- 3 min
MOVING CAMP IN THE WILDERNESS
In Numbers 4:1-20 we find the Lord’s instructions concerning how the Tabernacle [a portable sanctuary] should be handled when the...
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Light of Torah
- May 11, 2023
- 3 min
Torah Math
Towards the end of the Book of Leviticus, we find in chapter 26 a listing of the blessings which will ensue if the people follow God’s...
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Light of Torah
- May 5, 2023
- 3 min
Hallowed Be Your Name
Leviticus 22:32 has been called ‘Israel’s Bible in miniature.’ This verse expresses two of Judaism’s key commandments. First, it warns...
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Light of Torah
- Apr 21, 2023
- 3 min
A Plague in the House
In the Hebrew Scriptures the term tzara’at can refer to a variety of skin ailments (translated in various ways, e.g., ‘scaly skin’,...
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Light of Torah
- Apr 14, 2023
- 3 min
Dietary Laws in Leviticus
With a title like that, I welcome my most diehard Light of Torah readers (and/or the very curious!) to this week's blog. Our focus for...
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Light of Torah
- Apr 1, 2023
- 3 min
‘The Life of the Flesh is in the Blood’
Chapters 6-8 of the Book of Leviticus continue with instructions for worship. They start with details about bringing sacrificial...
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Light of Torah
- Mar 24, 2023
- 3 min
Drawing Near to God: Two Views
This week, we turn to the Book of Leviticus, in our Light of Torah series of reflections. Compared to the action-packed stories of...
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Light of Torah
- Mar 10, 2023
- 3 min
Moses' Face Shone
What can a face reveal about divine presence? This reflection on the face of Moses follows the insights of traditional Jewish approaches...
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Light of Torah
- Mar 2, 2023
- 3 min
The Tabernacle
In John's Gospel we read, ‘And the Word became flesh and lived among us’ (1:14, NRSV). Lived among us. New Testament scholars consider...
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Light of Torah
- Feb 22, 2023
- 3 min
The Gift of a Willing Heart
Having received the stone tablets inscribed with the Decalogue (‘ten commandments’), in chapters 25-27 of the Book of Exodus, in this...
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Light of Torah
- Feb 16, 2023
- 3 min
'You Shall Not Oppress a Stranger'
The obligation to treat the ‘stranger’ with justice resonates powerfully in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Jewish sages are sensitive to...
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