The Weekly eDrash

Most Recent Teachings

 

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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Parasha: Yitro

Fundamentals of Faith

Depending on how you count, there are at least 613 commandments in the books of Moses. In Exodus 20, there are ten big ones. It is erroneous to say "The Ten Commandments are valid but the rest of the laws of Torah are obsolete" because there is no actual distinction between the commands of the Decalogue and the imperatives and prohibitions of the rest of the Torah. The same God
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Parasha: Beshalach

No Shortcuts

Tags:  character, dreams, goals, maturity, overcome

Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." (Exodus 13:17) The children of Israel had a quick lesson to learn about following God. They knew they were heading to the land of Canaan. They
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Parasha: Bo

The Passover Lamb

Tags:  atonement, blood, confession, lamb, protection, sacrifice, sign, sin

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, "On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household." (Exodus 12:3) The instructions were simple and straightforward. On the tenth day of the month, every family was to select an unblemished lamb or goat. On the fourteenth day of the month, they were to
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Parasha: Va'era

What's His Name?

In Exodus 6:2-3, God tells Moses that He previously appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob under the name of El Shaddai (God Almighty). Now He is describing His name to Moses as YHVH (Adonai, LORD), a name, He says, which He did not make known to the patriarchs. He said, "I am the YHVH; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai, but by My name, YHVH,
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