A verse from Torah recalls Yeshua’s words that “every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (Matt. 13:53). The medieval sage Rashi noted that the phrase, “And it shall come to pass if you hear” in Deut. 11:13, i.e., ve’hayah im shamo’a tishme’u (וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ), is grammatically puzzling, since it the Hebrew reads “if you hear, you will hear,” which suggests that as we listen attentively to the words of Torah, we will hear more, and we will encounter spiritual connections and applications that are new and ready for this hour. The early sages commented: “If you listen to the old, you will listen to the new” (Berachot 40a). Focusing our attention on the commandments even while in exile is likened to practice for the world to come, since then they will not be new to you when the final redemption appears. Happy and blessed are all those who love the Torah (Psalm 1:1-2). More light comes as we live in the truth (John 13:17). As Yeshua also said: “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matt. 13:12).
Instead of fretting over the tests and struggles we inevitably face in this life, we might look for reasons to be grateful, for how else can we come to know that the Lord is with us apart from his ongoing deliverance? We ask the Lord for our daily bread (לֶחֶם חֻקֵּנוּ), but I wonder if we are not starving ourselves with fear of the future… Daily bread cannot be stored or hoarded lest it become spoiled and rotten (Exod. 16:20). We must live today in complete trust before the Lord our God, who is forever faithful and true. He it is who said, “Don’t be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow has its own troubles. Live one day at a time” (Matt. 6:34). It makes no sense to worry about the future if the LORD is the Good Shepherd who tenderly watches over your way (Psalm 23:1).
In this “Shavuah Tov” audio broadcast I discuss both the Jewish High Holidays — and how they relate to us as followers of Yeshua the Messiah — as well as the weekly Torah portion we will read for Shabbat Shuvah, namely parashat Vayeilech. I hope you will find it helpful. L’Shanah Tovah u’Metukah b’Yeshua Meshicheinu, chaverim! – “to a good and sweet year in our Messiah Yeshua, friends.”
ding for this week, parashat Nitzavim (פרשת ניצבים), is always read on the Shabbat immediately before the solemn holiday of Rosh Hashanah, and therefore it is the last portion read before the new Jewish year (see Exod. 23:16). In many synagogues, the opening and concluding paragraphs of parashat Nitzavim are also read during the Yom Kippur morning service.
In this audio podcast I discuss the the 40 day “Season of Teshuvah” or repentance leading up to the 
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