The Weekly eDrash

Most Recent Teachings

 

Parasha: Vayakhel, Pekudei

Torah with an Occupation

And all the skillful men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was performing. (Exodus 36:4) The building of the Tabernacle required each person to contribute to the work from his own skill set. The tanners did the tanning, weavers did the weaving, carpenters did the carpentry, metal smiths did the smithing and so on. Each person had something to offer
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Parasha: Ki Tisa

The Word Made Stone

Tags:  Mount Sinai, repentance, word made flesh

When Moses descended, he carried the Word of God--not the Word made flesh, but the word made stone upon the two tablets of the covenant. Like two copies of a contract agreement, these tablets were tokens of the covenant relationship between Israel and God. The tablets also teach us about Messiah. The Torah tells us that these tablets were inscribed by the finger of God. Exodus 32:16 says, "The tablets
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Parasha: Tetzaveh

Garments for Honor

Tags:  clothing, dress, garments, glory, holiness, priesthood

You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. (Exodus 28:2) The LORD commanded the children of Israel to make special garments for the priests to wear while they officiated in the Tabernacle. The garments are described as holy garments for glory and for beauty. The garments of the priesthood were set apart for the purpose of serving God in the Tabernacle. They were not
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Parasha: Terumah

The Little Sanctuary

Tags:  church, little sanctuary, prayer, Presence, sacrifices, synagogue, tabernacle, temple, worship

According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it. (Exodus 25:9) In today's world, a person might attend church or synagogue. Churches and synagogues are descendants of the Tabernacle. The synagogue is modeled after the Tabernacle in that the prayer services remember the daily sacrifices that took place in the
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Parasha: Mishpatim

Slavery Laws in the Bible

Tags:  enslavement prevention, freedom, human rights, retirement plans, slavery, subjugation, wages, worthy compensation

If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. (Exodus 21:2) It seems that by offering laws regarding slavery, the Bible is condoning it. Slavery is ugly. Slaves in North America were kidnapped, maltreated, bought and sold, subjugated to all sorts of cruelties and denied basic human dignities. Why does the Torah give
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Parasha: Yitro

The Impassioned God

Tags:  bride, idolatary, idols, jealous God, ketubah, paganism, sacred marriage, zealous God

You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me. (Exodus 20:5) Jewish tradition maintains that the first commandment is the commandment to believe in God. Christian tradition has the first commandment as the prohibition on worshipping other gods. Eastern Orthodox
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