- Main Page
- Torah Readings
- Holiday & Monthly commentary from Min. Garrett
- Weekly drash from Jonathan
- Weekly parashah commentary from Min. Garrett
- Contact Us
- Membership
- Mission and Vision Statements
- Statements of Belief
- Books
- Articles by Min. Garrett
- Other Ministries
- Music Links
- Morning Prayers
- CAP/USAF News
- Jewish Calendar and Jewish History
Skip to content
Almond blossoms in Israel
Brothers walk together through a blossoming almond grove in Israel.
Posts By Minister Dr. Donald H. Garrett
Beshalach
On January 30, 2021 0 Comments
- First Fruits of Zion
TORAH PORTION for Shabbat: January 30, 2021
- Beshalach (בשלח | When he sent)
- Torah: Exodus 13:17-17:16
- Haftarah: Judges 4:4-5:31
- Gospel: Matt 14:22-33
Manna can teach us about money and materialism. (Image: © Bigstock/AndreyPopov)
Manna, Money, and Materialism
The journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai symbolizes spiritual growth. Israel leaving Egypt can be compared to the new believer, a born-again infant. The baby has to learn to walk, to talk, and to eat solid foods. Israel’s first forty-nine days in the wilderness were filled with growing experiences.
Soon after leaving Egypt, their food supplies were exhausted. Facing starvation, the children of Israel cried out, again complaining that it would have been better to have died in Egypt with a full stomach than to die of starvation in the wilderness. Miraculously, the LORD sent a flock of quail for meat, and introduced them to the angelic bread with which He would sustain them in the wilderness for the next forty years.
Every morning, a layer of dew settled over the camp of Israel. When the dew evaporated, it left behind a thin, flake-like covering that the Torah compares to frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they asked, “What is it?” The Hebrew word man (מן) means “what.” Manna essentially means “whatchmacallit.”
Manna was amazing stuff. It had all the nutrition necessary to sustain a large population for forty years. It appeared every morning and in an adequate amount so that no one went hungry. It could be cooked, boiled or baked. However, it could not be stored. If anyone tried to hoard it, it turned rancid overnight.
Manna can teach us about money and materialism. God provides the bounty of the material world for our welfare. He provides adequately for our needs, sometimes in scarcity, sometimes with abundance, but always with sufficiency. “He who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack” (Exodus 16:18). When we try to hoard wealth, though, it can turn into something spiritually ugly. Just as the manna turned rancid and wormy, hoarded wealth sickens the soul. It causes us to cling to material things. We no longer need to rely on God because we can rely upon our savings and investments. We no longer need to pray for our daily bread, as Yeshua taught us to do. As Yeshua warned us, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23).
Not that there is any special merit in being poor. But it is much more difficult to be affluent and keep your spiritual footing. The wealthy disciple must exercise constant vigilance against the deceits of wealth. He must keep his hand open and generous, and he must be able to lay it all aside for the sake of the kingdom.
Soon after leaving Egypt, their food supplies were exhausted. Facing starvation, the children of Israel cried out, again complaining that it would have been better to have died in Egypt with a full stomach than to die of starvation in the wilderness. Miraculously, the LORD sent a flock of quail for meat, and introduced them to the angelic bread with which He would sustain them in the wilderness for the next forty years.
Every morning, a layer of dew settled over the camp of Israel. When the dew evaporated, it left behind a thin, flake-like covering that the Torah compares to frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they asked, “What is it?” The Hebrew word man (מן) means “what.” Manna essentially means “whatchmacallit.”
Manna was amazing stuff. It had all the nutrition necessary to sustain a large population for forty years. It appeared every morning and in an adequate amount so that no one went hungry. It could be cooked, boiled or baked. However, it could not be stored. If anyone tried to hoard it, it turned rancid overnight.
Manna can teach us about money and materialism. God provides the bounty of the material world for our welfare. He provides adequately for our needs, sometimes in scarcity, sometimes with abundance, but always with sufficiency. “He who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack” (Exodus 16:18). When we try to hoard wealth, though, it can turn into something spiritually ugly. Just as the manna turned rancid and wormy, hoarded wealth sickens the soul. It causes us to cling to material things. We no longer need to rely on God because we can rely upon our savings and investments. We no longer need to pray for our daily bread, as Yeshua taught us to do. As Yeshua warned us, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23).
Not that there is any special merit in being poor. But it is much more difficult to be affluent and keep your spiritual footing. The wealthy disciple must exercise constant vigilance against the deceits of wealth. He must keep his hand open and generous, and he must be able to lay it all aside for the sake of the kingdom.
Tu B’Shevat
On January 27, 2021 0 Comments
- From the President
Happy Tu B’Shvat,
In the photo above, an Israeli girl plants a sapling on Tu B’Shvat
“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.” (Psalm 92:12)
The holiday of Tu B’Shvat—the New Year of Trees—begins tonight at sunset in Israel.
Although the traditions attached to this holiday are deeply rooted in Jewish history, one of the newer traditions is tree planting. Throughout Israel, people are outside planting saplings today—students, families, employees, soldiers, and new olim (immigrants).
This is a beautiful day to get out in nature and enjoy God’s creation. The trees are already beginning to bloom, with the almond among the very first to flower.
Its blossoms remind us of the miracles that the Lord (Adonai) has in store for us. Just as the coldest, darkest winters always end, and the earth brings forth fruit, so too in our lives: even the darkest of days end and God has something fresh in store for us.
Almond blossoms in Israel
“Blessed is the one … whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:1–3)
Planting a seed is an act of faith.
When we plant a seed, it doesn’t spring up overnight. It grows unseen inside the earth. We cannot see its transformation as it puts down roots that draw nourishment from the earth. Then it pushes past the surface toward light, eventually bearing fruit.
When we plant a seed, it doesn’t spring up overnight. It grows unseen inside the earth. We cannot see its transformation as it puts down roots that draw nourishment from the earth. Then it pushes past the surface toward light, eventually bearing fruit.
As we celebrate the growth of trees that produce oxygen for us to breathe and fruit to eat, we remember that many Bible verses compare people to the trees of the field. (Deuteronomy 20:19)
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” (Isaiah 61:3)
Brothers walk together through a blossoming almond grove in Israel.
Tu B’Shvat is a day to ask ourselves if we, like a tree, are reaching upward toward the Light.
Are we making sure that our fruit is sweet, and that we are adding another ring of growth in the Lord as each year passes?
Also, are we nurturing the potential in others by caring for those saplings that have been entrusted to us, watering them and sheltering them?
As the sap begins to rise in the trees here in Israel, preparing them to bear leaves, flowers, and fruit, please sow the Good Seed of the Word of God in Israel.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” (Proverbs 11:30)
Students plant a tree on Tu B’Shvat in Israel
Bo
On January 23, 2021 0 Comments
- First Fruits of Zion
TORAH PORTION for Shabbat: January 23, 2021
- Bo (בוא | Come)
- Torah: Exodus 10:1-13:16
- Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28
- Gospel: John 19:31-37
The plague of darkness symbolized a defeat of the Egyptian sun god, chief over the pantheon. (Image: Gustave Doré, 1832-1883, Wikimedia Commons.)
Darkness
The ninth plague on Egypt was the plague of darkness. It was not normal darkness like that of an eclipse. It was a supernatural darkness, “even a darkness which may be felt” (Exodus 10:21). The darkness persisted for three days. Not even artificial lights such as lamps and torches could pierce the blackness. The Egyptians stayed indoors for the three-day duration. But the Israelites had light.
The plague of darkness symbolized a defeat of the Egyptian sun god, chief over the pantheon. It also symbolized the spiritual darkness of Egypt. Though the Israelites were the slaves and the Egyptians the masters, the plague of darkness illustrated that it was the Egyptians who were in servitude. They were enslaved to the adversary and their false gods. They were under the dominion of the kingdom of darkness. Though the Hebrews were slaves, they were spiritually free. As servants of the truth, they were part of the kingdom of light.
A person in spiritual bondage might not know (or will not admit) that he is in bondage. He feels as if he is in control of his life, calling the shots and making decisions, but ultimately, he serves a great emptiness.
For example, a man with an alcohol addiction tells himself that he could stop at any time, and that he only needs a drink to “take the edge off.” It is obvious to everyone around him that he has a compulsive disorder and his alcohol consumption is out of control, but the man continues to deny the problem.
In the same way, human beings without faith and without God live in a state of denial. They refuse to admit that a great vacuum exists within them. Their souls are starving for light, but they don’t know it, nor do they know how to feed it.
The Apostle Paul tells us to give “thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).
The plague of darkness symbolized a defeat of the Egyptian sun god, chief over the pantheon. It also symbolized the spiritual darkness of Egypt. Though the Israelites were the slaves and the Egyptians the masters, the plague of darkness illustrated that it was the Egyptians who were in servitude. They were enslaved to the adversary and their false gods. They were under the dominion of the kingdom of darkness. Though the Hebrews were slaves, they were spiritually free. As servants of the truth, they were part of the kingdom of light.
A person in spiritual bondage might not know (or will not admit) that he is in bondage. He feels as if he is in control of his life, calling the shots and making decisions, but ultimately, he serves a great emptiness.
For example, a man with an alcohol addiction tells himself that he could stop at any time, and that he only needs a drink to “take the edge off.” It is obvious to everyone around him that he has a compulsive disorder and his alcohol consumption is out of control, but the man continues to deny the problem.
In the same way, human beings without faith and without God live in a state of denial. They refuse to admit that a great vacuum exists within them. Their souls are starving for light, but they don’t know it, nor do they know how to feed it.
The Apostle Paul tells us to give “thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).
Vayera
On January 16, 2021 0 Comments
- First Fruits of Zion
TORAH PORTION for Shabbat: January 16, 2021
- Vayera (וירא | He appeared)
- Torah: Genesis 18:1-22:24
- Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:1-37
- Gospel: Luke 17:28-37
Painting by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, French, 1836-1902 — God’s Promises to Abram (Image: The Jewish Museum, New York. Public Domain)
The Friend of God
If God had said, take your son, your other son, Ishmael, whom you love, Abraham would have found the trial just as heartbreaking and difficult. The real test was not about Abraham’s affection for Isaac as much as it was a test of his faith in the promises of God. Everything Abraham believed and hoped for rested on Isaac.
The Bible calls Abraham “the friend of God” because God and Abraham had a mutual covenant partnership. Abraham was the “friend of God” in the sense that he was God’s “covenant partner.” God “tested” Abraham to test the extant of Abraham’s loyalty to the covenant relationship. Abraham passed the test. He proved his devotion by obeying God and bringing Isaac as a sacrifice. When God saw that Abraham had chosen to keep and honor the covenant, He reconfirmed the covenant, saying, “Because you have done this thing and not withheld your son …” (Genesis 22:16). In other words, the fulfillment of the covenant promises God made to Abraham were contingent upon Abraham’s obedience in offering his only son. Because Abraham willingly offered up his son, God agreed to keep His obligations to Abraham.
A covenant is a two-way relationship. Abraham met the test and proved his loyalty to his covenant friend. That left the ball in God’s court, so to speak. It was God’s turn to prove His own loyalty to the covenant. In so doing, the Almighty could not bring to the table less than Abraham had brought. Abraham demonstrated his covenant loyalty through willingly sacrificing his only son, and by doing that, he obligated the Almighty to reciprocate. Abraham’s demonstration of covenant loyalty demanded God’s demonstration of covenant loyalty. The sacrifice of Isaac not only foreshadowed the sacrifice of Yeshua, it demanded it.
In the Gospel of John, God Himself takes on the role of Abraham and demonstrates His faithfulness before the entire world by sacrificing His Son. In language so reminiscent of the first verses of Genesis 22 that it can hardly be coincidental, the apostle John says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). In another place John said, “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). With similar language, Paul said, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us” (Romans 5:8).
The sacrificial death of God’s Son demonstrates God’s love and faithfulness. Christians take that for granted, but long before the story of Yeshua or the writing of the first gospel, there was Abraham—a father willing to sacrifice his only begotten and beloved son as a demonstration of faithfulness and love.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” (Hebrews 11:17-18)Abraham’s obedience testifies to his great faith in God’s promises and his selfless devotion to the LORD. The near-sacrifice of Isaac vindicated God’s choice of Abraham in our eyes and the eyes of the world. James the brother of our Master says that Abraham our father was “justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar … and he was called the friend of God” (James 2:21-23).
The Bible calls Abraham “the friend of God” because God and Abraham had a mutual covenant partnership. Abraham was the “friend of God” in the sense that he was God’s “covenant partner.” God “tested” Abraham to test the extant of Abraham’s loyalty to the covenant relationship. Abraham passed the test. He proved his devotion by obeying God and bringing Isaac as a sacrifice. When God saw that Abraham had chosen to keep and honor the covenant, He reconfirmed the covenant, saying, “Because you have done this thing and not withheld your son …” (Genesis 22:16). In other words, the fulfillment of the covenant promises God made to Abraham were contingent upon Abraham’s obedience in offering his only son. Because Abraham willingly offered up his son, God agreed to keep His obligations to Abraham.
A covenant is a two-way relationship. Abraham met the test and proved his loyalty to his covenant friend. That left the ball in God’s court, so to speak. It was God’s turn to prove His own loyalty to the covenant. In so doing, the Almighty could not bring to the table less than Abraham had brought. Abraham demonstrated his covenant loyalty through willingly sacrificing his only son, and by doing that, he obligated the Almighty to reciprocate. Abraham’s demonstration of covenant loyalty demanded God’s demonstration of covenant loyalty. The sacrifice of Isaac not only foreshadowed the sacrifice of Yeshua, it demanded it.
In the Gospel of John, God Himself takes on the role of Abraham and demonstrates His faithfulness before the entire world by sacrificing His Son. In language so reminiscent of the first verses of Genesis 22 that it can hardly be coincidental, the apostle John says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). In another place John said, “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). With similar language, Paul said, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us” (Romans 5:8).
The sacrificial death of God’s Son demonstrates God’s love and faithfulness. Christians take that for granted, but long before the story of Yeshua or the writing of the first gospel, there was Abraham—a father willing to sacrifice his only begotten and beloved son as a demonstration of faithfulness and love.
Shemot
On January 9, 2021 0 Comments
- First Fruits of Zion
TORAH PORTION for Shabbat: January 9, 2021
- Shemot (שמות | Names)
- Torah: Exodus 1:1-6:1
- Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23
- Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
Young person on a precipitous mountain path. (Image: © Bigstock)
Ordinary Life
When Moses got up that morning and counted the sheep, he did not say to himself, “I think I’ll take the sheep out on the west side of the wilderness over by the Mountain of God.” Mount Horeb was simply Mount Horeb, an indistinct rock in the wilderness like so many other hills and mountains, completely ordinary looking. There was nothing special about it. Mount Horeb became Mount Sinai, the mountain of God, simply because God chose it, not because it was taller, mightier or holier than any of the surrounding hills and mountains.
In a similar way, Moses became Moses, the Man of God because God called him, encountered him and commissioned him, not because he was more pious, mightier, smarter or more eloquent than other men. God is in the ordinary, and encounters with God happen in ordinary places. But when God is encountered, the ordinary is immediately transformed into the extraordinary. The very ordinary Mount Horeb was transformed into the extraordinary, Mount Sinai because of God’s presence was there. The very ordinary Moses, a simple Hebrew exile from Egypt, a shepherd in the wilderness, was transformed into Moses the Man of God, the greatest prophet of all time because he encountered God. God transformed the ordinary man into something extraordinary.
Most of us do not regard ourselves as extraordinary people. You probably think of yourself as a fairly ordinary person with a fairly mundane life. From God’s perspective, that is perfect. You are the perfect person with whom He can do extraordinary things. He is not looking for prophets; He is looking for normal people who are carrying on under normal circumstances.
When Moses saw the burning bush, he turned aside to investigate. Only then did the Holy One reveal Himself to Moses. Our problem is that we do not take the time to turn aside and investigate. We all intend to grow spiritually. We all imagine that one day, we will take time to study, take time to grow in Torah, to do a mitzvah, to pray regularly. But you can’t take good intentions to the grave. A famous rabbi once said, “Do not say to yourself, ‘When I have more time, I will study Torah. Perhaps you will not have more time'” (m.Avot 2:4) Do not say, when I have more time, I will turn aside, you might not have more time.
In a similar way, Moses became Moses, the Man of God because God called him, encountered him and commissioned him, not because he was more pious, mightier, smarter or more eloquent than other men. God is in the ordinary, and encounters with God happen in ordinary places. But when God is encountered, the ordinary is immediately transformed into the extraordinary. The very ordinary Mount Horeb was transformed into the extraordinary, Mount Sinai because of God’s presence was there. The very ordinary Moses, a simple Hebrew exile from Egypt, a shepherd in the wilderness, was transformed into Moses the Man of God, the greatest prophet of all time because he encountered God. God transformed the ordinary man into something extraordinary.
Most of us do not regard ourselves as extraordinary people. You probably think of yourself as a fairly ordinary person with a fairly mundane life. From God’s perspective, that is perfect. You are the perfect person with whom He can do extraordinary things. He is not looking for prophets; He is looking for normal people who are carrying on under normal circumstances.
When Moses saw the burning bush, he turned aside to investigate. Only then did the Holy One reveal Himself to Moses. Our problem is that we do not take the time to turn aside and investigate. We all intend to grow spiritually. We all imagine that one day, we will take time to study, take time to grow in Torah, to do a mitzvah, to pray regularly. But you can’t take good intentions to the grave. A famous rabbi once said, “Do not say to yourself, ‘When I have more time, I will study Torah. Perhaps you will not have more time'” (m.Avot 2:4) Do not say, when I have more time, I will turn aside, you might not have more time.
Return to Torah Readings
We support the Armed Forces of the US and Israel
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
American Friends of Our Armed Forces