Ki Tisa - כי תשא : "When you take"
Torah : Exodus 30:11-34:35
Haftarah : 1 Kings 18:1-39
Gospel : Matthew 9:35-11:1

Thought for the Week:

The Sages teach that in the month of Adar, joy increases. In Adar we celebrate the festival of Purim, a happy time of joy and gladness, as it is written [in Esther 8:17], "There was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday!" Joy is one of the foundations of our messianic faith. What better time to celebrate our joy in Messiah than in the joyous month of Adar at the joyous festival of Purim!

Commentary:

You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. (Exodus 30:25)

In this week's Torah portion, the LORD commanded the Israelites to make oil for anointing the priests and the Tabernacle. The oil is called the shemen haMashiach (שמן המשיח) i.e., "oil of the anointing." We could also call it "the oil of Messiah." According to Jewish tradition, the kings of Israel were initiated into office by being anointed with the shemen haMashiach. The word Mashiach (Messiah) means "anointed one." That is why...