Rabbi Angel on Parashat Bo

Moses Judah (1735-1822) is a relatively unknown American Jew, a member of New York’s Congregation Shearith Israel throughout his life. He had fought in the American Revolution, had served in various synagogue offices, and generally led a quiet life. He is buried in Shearith Israel’s historic Chatham Square Cemetery. He died on Yom Kippur. In [...]

New Moon Report

Karaite Korner Newsletter #363
New Moon Report
Eleventh Biblical Month
January 2009
On Tuesday January 27, 2009 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The
new moon was first sighted from Jerusalem by Ziw Arieli at 17:25 and a
few seconds later by Nehemia Gordon. Over the next few minutes the
moon was sighted from the same location by Miri Burgin, Johan [...]

A note

I have posted all of Parashat Bo today because there is a winter storm heading our direction, and I wanted to be sure the whole week’s portions were up for study in case our internet (or power) goes out for a few days.   Shalom!

Kollel Bo

Kollel Bo
I Corinthians chapters 13 & 14

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

The loud instruments are used as a figure of speech, rather like we would say someone is “full of hot air.” [...]

Epistle Bo

Epistle Bo
I John chapter 2

1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yeshua HaMashiach the righteous:
1Jo 2:2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins [...]

Talmidim Bo

Talmidim Bo
Mark 6:31-8:24

Mar 6:31 And he [Yeshua] said unto them, “Come you yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while” – for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Here Yeshua finds rest in the wilderness with His talmidim. In other words, the [...]

Haftarah Bo

Haftarah Bo
Jeremiah 46:13-28

Jer 46:13 The word that YHWH spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

As frequently happens in Hebraic literature, first you get an overview, then you get the details.

Jeremiah, continued:
Jer 46:14 Declare you in Egypt, and [...]

Torah portion Bo, part two.

Torah Portion for Parashat Bo, part II
Exodus 10:1-13:16

Exodus, continued:
Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am YHWH.
Exo 12:13 And the blood [...]

Torah Portion Bo, part one.

Torah portion Bo
Exodus 10:1-13:16

Bo (Go!) is “my” parashat. If bat mitzvot had been in vogue back in the dark ages when I was 12, this would have been what I would have had to teach about. They say that your parashat is supposedly a special message just for you – which very amazingly turned out [...]

VaEra – We have dragged ourselves down.

From Arutz Sheva:  IsraelNationalNews.com
Va’era: Faith Breeds Confidence
by Rabbi Lazer Gurkow
We have spent decades dragging ourselves down.

Our Grandparents
I stand in awe of my grandparents’ generation, who fought two world wars and overcame a depression in the span of three short decades. They stood up to the twin evils of Nazism and Communism, and created peace, stability [...]

Prayer for Obama

A message from Nehemia Gordon:
Karaite Korner Newsletter #362
The Presidential Prayer Council
I recently received an invitation to be a part of the leadership team
of the “Presidential Prayer Council”, a worldwide interfaith movement
of offering prayers for the success of the new American President
Barack Obama. At first I was hesitant to join in this program of
prayer. As both [...]

Kollel VaEra part two.

Kollel Va’Era
I Corinthians Chapters 11 and 12.

Part Two: I Corinthians chapter 12

Shaul now changes topics to address another question that was written to him.

Corinthians, continued:
1Co 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
1Co 12:2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as you were [...]

Kollel VaEra part one.

Kollel Va’Era
I Corinthians chapters 11 & 12.

Part One: I Corinthians chapter 11
Shaul is now leaving the topic of eating clean meat sacrificed to idols and answering a different question they had written to ask him.

1Co 11:1 Be you followers of me, even as I also am of Messiah.
1Co 11:2 Now I praise you, [...]

Epistle VaEra

Epistle Portion Va’Era
I John Chapter 1

1Jo 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

In the Tanakh, Yeshua, as YHWH Incarnate, said to us:
Deu 32:46 And he said [...]

Talmidim VaEra

Talmidim Portion Va’Era
Mark 4:21-6:30

Mar 4:21 And [Yeshua] said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
Mar 4:22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it [...]

Haftarah VaEra

Haftarah Portion Va’Era
Ezekiel 28:25-29:21

Unfortunately, these chapters of Ezekiel do not appear intact in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Eze 28:25 Thus says Adonai YHWH; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, [...]

Torah Portion VaEra

Torah Portion Va’Era
Sh’mot (Exodus) 6:2 to the end of chapter 9.

Most of the book of Exodus is one of the 8 biblical manuscripts found in the paleo-Hebrew, so we can be reasonably sure that it has been transmitted to us pretty well intact (Job is the only non-Torah text in the paleo, by [...]

Kollel Shmot

Kollel Shmot
I Corinthians chapters 9 & 10

The subject of the last chapters was “eating meat sacrificed to idols,” and as we will see, these chapters continue that discussion. There is no other context.

1Co 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an emissary? Haven’t I seen Yeshua the Messiah, our Adonai? Aren’t you my [...]

Epistle Shmot

Epistle Shmot
2 Peter Chapter 3

2Pe 3:1 This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you;
2Pe 3:2 that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the mitzvot of us, the [...]

Talmidim Shmot

Better late than never!

Talmidim Shmot
Mark 2:1-4:20

Mar 2:1 When he [Yeshua] entered again into Kefar-Nachum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house.
Mar 2:2 Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them.
Mar 2:3 Four [...]