As an introduction to this topic, a (relatively) short introductory note would be helpful. On a regular Shabbat, the Parshah of the Week, which is divided into seven portions, is read publicly in the shul, or synagogue. For each of the seven portions, one congregant is "called up" to make "brachot," or blessings, on the [...]

The New Moon is the most pivotal date in the Jewish Calendar. Without the New Moon, we could not have any of the Jewish Holidays. All the Jewish Holidays revolve around the date of the New Moon. The New Moon tells us which day is the first of the month. The Bible says: Tehelim / [...]

January-February 2008 / Tevet-Shevet-Adar I 5768 No sooner do we deal with one false teaching about Israel and who she is, like “Replacement Theology,” where they claim that the church has replaced Israel, than another false teaching pops up. I’m talking about the “Ephraimite Theory.” Perhaps you have already heard about it and have been [...]

March-April 2008 / Adar I-Nisan 5768 Considering we are approaching the holiday of Purim, perhaps, I thought, Purim should be the subject of this newsletter. Purim commemorates the victory of the Jewish people over an attempt of the enemy to annihilate them, and, after all, the scenario of Purim has repeated itself over and over [...]

May-June 2008 / Nisan-Iyar-Sivan 5768 As we study the Feasts of Pesach and Shavuot we cannot forget the intermediate days of the Counting of the Omer. In traditional Judaism the Counting of the Omer is a time of semi-mourning. There are no weddings, no celebrations, no cutting of hair and no listening to music. On [...]

July-August 2008 / Sivan-Tammuz-Av 5768 Judaism, at the time of Messiah, was the Judaism of the Pharisees. They followed the customs, traditions and Oral Law (Mishnah) as developed over the centuries from the time of Ezra, the scribe. So, when the Gospel writers wrote their letters they composed them in the framework of the culture [...]

September-October 2008 / Elul-Tishri-Cheshvan 5768 These are very unique times we are living in; things are changing and happening very rapidly all around us. We can hardly keep up with all the events that are taking place around the world – Israel, Iran, Afghanistan, Darfur, Russia and now Georgia (the country) . God has truly [...]