This is Part 1 of a longer conversation... Professor Shir has a great fondness for the book of Deuteronomy and its connections throughout the Bible. He authored a course that provides a small taste of how influential Deuteronomy is in the theology portrayed in the gospels. Take the concept of...
A witness, or a testimony, the bare facts of something, is connected to the idea of empirical account, reporting, and an audit, a story one can see for himself. All the items: the altar, the water basin, Aaron’s clothes, the jewels, gold, all people, sacrifices, and rituals that were...
In Exodus 35:31, the craftsmen received abilities to do melakha “work” or “labor” or “craft” that was assigned to them. But besides all the knowledge and abilities, the Torah says in Exodus 35:35 ulehoret natan belibo “he put the ability to teach into his heart.” Betzalel was to...
Torah says that Olah was to be brought to the entrance of the tent. Why? Because not every offering is automatically accepted. The priests carefully examined offerings at the entrance, and only then were they presented to God on the altar. Today, people rarely think that their worship can be...
Sometimes we get tired of fighting for just about everything in life. Moses was at the end of his life, well over a hundred, and yet he was still in a fight. In Numbers 31, Moses was told that he must exact vengeance for what Midian did to Israel, and...
In Torah, in parsha Shemot (Exodus 6), we read how a new king arose in Egypt, a king who did not know Joseph. This was not great for Jacob's family. His fear of the Unknown (in his case, foreigners living in his land) led to panic, and panic...
The story of Pinchas can be hard to take in. Pinchas intervened by taking on God’s jealousy, and that changed everything. And in verse 12, God rewards him, and he says, hineni notein lo et biriti shalom “behold I give to him my covenant of peace.” Peace is not...
Thousands of years ago, ancient Hebrews believed that their God was not tied to a specific place. They called his throne Merkavah (chariot). A throne with wheels and floating Keruvim moved to where He needed to be. The Bible depicted this reality in the visions seen by prophets of old,...
Exodus 28:29 says, Venasa Aharon et shemot benei Israel “and Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel” bachoshen hamishpat, al libo - “on the breastplate of decision, over his heart.” Aaron’s vestments had a breastplate with 12 precious stones, and the names of the 12...