Deu 21:10—25:19

Seventy-four of the 613 commandments in Torah are included in the Parsha of Ki Teitzei. Ki Teitzei means, “when you go.” The first verse of the reading in Ki Teizei (NASB) caught my attention: “When you go out to battle against your enemies” and the verses on “laws of mixtures.” How important it is for us to remember when we go out to battle against our enemies to walk with God and let go of mixtures in our lives…

Deu 7:12—11:25

Eikev [And if you] obey [these rules]
The commandments are the central theme of the book of Deuteronomy, especially as it relates to our capitulation of them. Throughout the book, we are faced with the question of what our core motivation should be in observing the precepts of God. Do we adhere to them in order to get a reward … or to avoid punishment … or out of love for God? …

Num 22:2-25:9

The parasha for this Shabbat is titled Balak. According to Joshua 24:9, Balak son of Zippor was the king of Moab, and thus a descendant of Abraham’s nephew Lot (Genesis 19:36-37). The Moabites were not descended from Abraham, but from Abraham’s brother Haran (Genesis 11:27). The Moabites lived in the area of modern Jordan, between Mount Nebo in the north and the Kingdom of Edom in the south, bordering the Dead Sea…

Num 16:1-18:32

The pattern in the wilderness is unmistakable – God moves mightily, and His people end up grumbling. It almost seems unthinkable that people could have the audacity to see the very provision of God in front of their eyes day after day, yet respond by grumbling and complaining.

Num 13:1-15:41

There are a number of important spiritual insights which emerge from this week’s Torah portion. 

First, we see the destructive power of grumbling and complaining. This had been Israel’s habit in the wilderness in the months leading up to this momentous account, where the 12 spies are sent into the promised land. In fact, even before the children of Israel had miraculously crossed the Red Sea, they were complaining. (See Exodus 14:10-12, then 15:23-24; 16:2-3, 6-9; 17:1-3; it really is devastating to read these verses, one after the other.) …