The book of Deuteronomy addresses the children of Israel as they draw near the end of their journey into the land, providing an interesting instruction from HaShem:
You shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime … You shall write on the stones all the words of this Law very clearly. (Deuteronomy 27:2, 8 NASB, emphasis mine)
The ArtScroll Chumash translates the Hebrew word behind “very clearly,” ba’er, as “well clarified.” The sages’ interpretation of this word gives us insight into God’s plan to reveal himself to all nations.
According to the Talmud, “They built the altar and plastered it with plaster, and they wrote on it all of the words of the Torah in seventy languages, as it is stated: ‘And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law clearly elucidated,’ indicating that it was to be written in every language.” That is to say, the sages of Judaism understood that the beauty of Torah should be accessible and understandable to all.
Unfortunately, though Yeshua’s followers are best positioned to make this happen, millennia of separation from the Torah and the Jewish roots of the Christian faith have obstructed our ability to share the beauty contained within God’s complete Word.
Torah Club has been instrumental in removing those blinders for many Gentile disciples. This has occurred primarily within the borders of the United States and through Torah Club resources written in English, but like the writing of his Word on the stones mentioned in Deuteronomy, God desires that Torah study be available for the people of all nations of the world.
The Torah Club team is currently working with several leaders and translators to see Torah Club materials translated into other languages. China and Korea are countries of particular interest and excitement.
As an example, Reverend Paul Sung, a Korean pastor, became a Torah Club Member in the inaugural year of Torah Club. His passion for the Word was ignited in ways he had not imagined. Part of that passion was a burning desire to see the people of South Korea be able to partake of the richness of the study. So Paul became a Torah Club Leader and, with our permission, translated the material in the workbooks for his Korean students.
From his work, other leaders have emerged in Korea, and the fire is spreading. A connection to Torah, Israel, and the Jewish people is growing and strengthening there. With this increasing need, a new burden has been placed on Paul Sung to share the study with all Koreans in their native language. Together we’re going to make that happen.
There’s a similar phenomenon happening in China, where a team of passionate Chinese disciples is hard at work laying the foundation for a complete translation of Torah Club. These nations are hungry to meet the Jewish Jesus, and they have an advantage that many of us do not.
While Western audiences have inherited a theology that lends itself to an anti-Torah, anti-Jewish perspective, the nations of the East—China, Korea, and others—see the story differently. They understand that Jesus is Jewish: The root of their Christianity springs from and is nourished by the story of Israel and the Jewish people, and their connection to that root has not been severed.
When we consider just how many people live in these countries and the power of Torah Club being easily accessible to them in their language, the potential impact is unimaginable. But we like to try to imagine it anyway. Imagine millions of Chinese and Korean believers connected to the God of Israel and the Messiah Yeshua. It would be world-shaking.
We’re not there yet, and there is much to figure out. Nonetheless, we believe that these words of Torah should be “well clarified”—available and understandable to the whole world. The task is monumental, but with God’s help and in his perfect timing, Torah Club will speak to everyone in their own tongues.
