Noach (Noah)

Torah Portion:  Genesis 6:9–11:32 Haftarah Portion:  Isaiah 54:1–55:5 New Testament Portion:  Luke 17:26-27, Hebrews 11:7, 1Peter 3:20, 2Peter 2:5, 3:9-14

The concluding words of last week’s Torah portion read “but Noah found grace in the eyes of Yahweh.” (Gen 6:8)  We arrive this week at the building of the ark and the salvation of one family from a worldwide calamity.  Encompassed in the “secret place of the Most High. . . in the shadow of the Almighty,” Noah’s family rode out the mother of all storms. 

B’resheet – In the Beginning

Torah Portion: Genesis 1:1-6:8
Haftarah Portion: Isaiah 42:5-21
New Testament Portion: John 1:1-14, Colossians 1:1-22, Hebrews 1:2, 8-10, 11:13

It is, at best, a daunting task to put together a commentary on B’resheet, let alone attempt to do it in one day, having just returned from the Feast of Sukkot.  The opening portion of the annual Torah cycle not only gives us the Creation story, the fall of Adam and Eve, and approximately 1000 years of history of mankind, it contains the seeds of the most important themes in Scripture. 

Nitzavim – You are Standing Vayelech – He Went

Torah Portion: Deut. 29:9-31:30
Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10-63:9
New Testament: Luke 24:1-2

This week we have a delectable double portion of Torah. Except in leap years, these two portions are combined. It is a bitter-sweet scene. Moses is about to die and he knows that after his death the people he has nurtured and cajoled, rebuked, and interceded for will serve other gods and thus incur the wrath of God as well as all of the curses He has described. We enter where we left off last week, the vows just having been renewed, Moses delivers his last set of instructions to the Joshua Generation Bride: