Nadav and Avihu: The Unlamented Sons

Posted by on Apr 16, 2023 in Bible Study

The story of Nadav, Avihu, and their father who lost his two sons in a “strange fire” and could not even mourn properly after their death. He did not raise his voice in crying, as a father would do for his dead children. He did not even say a word, for he had no breath left in him, only grief and deep sadness in his broken heart. He was devastated by his grief when his sons died, but he did not cry in the instant as he should have; he mourned them in his heart....

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Should a Gentile Convert to Judaism?

Posted by on Jan 30, 2023 in Bible Study

There are gentiles who convert the Rabbinic Judaism to serve Elohim in a better way, as they see it. While there are others who convert to Judaism for the purpose to emigrate to the State of Israel and be one with the chosen nation. The former is a religious while the latter is a political decision; they both have nothing to do with what YHVH Elohim says to those who desire to join themselves YHVH.  In the following, we would like to posit another way to look at this...

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Idols as Mental Substitutes in the Mind

Posted by on Dec 25, 2022 in Bible Study

The First Commandment of the Covenant of the Most High, which He made with the nation of Israel states, “You shall have no other gods before Me”, meaning “no gods are to be brought before the Creator”. This interpretation is not grounded well in the Hebrew text, as the connection between “other gods” and “before Me” is not well established in such a translation. We will explain in the following that this is not the way to interpret the verse, because although...

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Who Constituted the Canon

Posted by on Dec 19, 2022 in Bible Study

Tanak (the Hebrew Scripture) is Judaism’s the most authoritative and foundational text. The word “TaNaK” is an acronym of Torah (The Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). The Tanak is revered as a direct revelation (the Torah and the Prophets) by the Creator first to the nation of Israel and then to the nations, and the third part as inspired writings. The first book of the Tanak is Genesis, and the last book is Malachi. On the other side is the...

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Does Torah Mandate a Raped Girl to Marry Her Rapist?

Posted by on Sep 25, 2022 in Bible Study

Is it true that the Torah requires a raped girl to marry her rapist, and the only punishment to the rapist is a monetary fine? In our modern society, the mere suggestion that a raped girl marry her rapist is inconceivable and repulsive to say at least. The emotional and physical pain and fear the girl has suffered at the time of the rape, however, have long term metal effects that may last for life. In the past, women depended entirely on their fathers or husbands for...

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Plucking the Grains and the Laws of Men

Posted by on Sep 18, 2022 in Bible Study

Does the Torah allow trespassing of private property and taking advantage of the produce of the land? But it appears that Yeshua and his disciples entered unlawfully on someone’s property and ate some of his produced. The Torah however offers no possibility that any person could enter someone’s field at any time for any reason and eat the produce of the land. Such a trespassing would fundamentally interfere with a person’s right to hold private property....

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The Status of Woman in the Law of Divorce

Posted by on Sep 11, 2022 in Bible Study

It seems that in the law of divorce in Deuteronomy, the woman is depicted as completely passive in the divorce. If the husband finds no favor in his eyes on the account of uncleanness, he writes her a letter of divorce and sends her away so that she can remarry another man. The law of divorce thus applies solely on the husband, who is forbidden to take his ex-wife back. But what if the wife finds no favor in her eyes because she has found a matter of uncleanness in him. Can...

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Orpah and Ruth: The Stories of Two Gentiles

Posted by on Aug 7, 2022 in Bible Study

We will explore in the following vein the story of Orpah and Ruth, the daughters-in-law of Naomi, a story that poses a challenge for the careful reader. The matter will become clear once we understand why Orpah is included in the story in which Ruth is the main character. This will give us a better understanding of the Book of Ruth, the stories of two gentiles: Orpah and Ruth. This work has also a second object, which we will leave for the reader’s consideration at the end...

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The Parable of the Oak Tree

Posted by on May 30, 2022 in Bible Study

In a non-Hebraic culture, the word “trust” often has an abstract idea which not always reflects its true Hebraic meaning. Once this meaning is understood in its proper context, it opens the eyes to see its true meanings from Hebraic perspectives. The Suffering Messiah Psalm 22 reads, For You are the One who took me out of the belly. You made me trust* on my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from the womb. From my mother’s belly You have been my El[ohim]. Do not be far...

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Law, Order, Judges, and Police in the Bible

Posted by on May 8, 2022 in Bible Study

Civil order in a society rests upon a righteous judicial system of judges established by a constitution, and an impartial administration of justice established by competent police that ensures respect to the laws. The political system with elections and rule by majority, as we call it today “democracy”, was unknown to the Torah. Even the first king of Israel, Shaul, was not elected by the people but chosen by YHVH Elohim. But today there is...

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“Our Fathers Have Inherited Only Lies!”

Posted by on Apr 30, 2022 in Bible Study

Who made this confession: “Our fathers have inherited only lies” and why? While most of the commentators consider them to be the heathen nations, who will come to the faith of the true Elohim, what should give us pause, however, is that this interpretation is problematic. This interpretation fails to explicitly mention what would make the heathens convert so quickly. Moreover, those interpreters who advance this view are under the necessity of explaining another...

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Are Sacrifices Legitimate Without the Temple?

Posted by on Apr 18, 2022 in Bible Study

Today, there is great deal of debate in Judaism whether the Third Temple in Jerusalem should be built, who shall build it, and when. While all these are legitimate issues for the future Sanhedrin (the supreme judicial and ecclesiastical council in Judaism) to debate, all according to the last nine chapters in the Book of Ezekiel, what is left for us is to explain the matter whether sacrifices are legitimate without the Temple set in place. The Torah is very clear on the...

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