What’s So Great About Tentbuilders?
You gather at a Messianic synagogue or a church. People from hundreds of miles away have come. The group is not large, about thirty or so. But everyone there is connected heart and soul to messianic redemption, to a belief…
Book Discussion: Introduction to Messianic Judaism, Part 7
The fifth chapter in David Rudolph and Joel Willitts, eds., Introduction to Messianic Judaism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013) is about Messianic Jews and Jewish tradition, by my mentor and friend, Carl Kinbar. Before discussing the contents of this chapter, there…
Preview of the Ruth Class
It’s too late now to sign up for the Ruth class through the New School for Jewish Studies. But I will likely teach it again in 2014. So this is intended for those who long to know Hebrew, to translate…
Online Ruth Class, Starts April 18
You have to know some basic Biblical Hebrew. Must be able to read and pronounce all letters and vowels. Must know at least the basics of Hebrew grammar. If that fits you and you’d like to translate Ruth 1-2 with…
Ruth, Studying It, Learning from It, Shavuot
I know Passover has not happened yet. So it may be early to be thinking about Shavuot (known in Christianity as Pentecost), which is coming May 15. But Ruth is the megilla (scroll to be read) for Shavuot, and what…
One of the Missing Links in Bible Understanding
“Bible History for Beginners” (BH4B) is live today. You can register now at AncientBible.net. Sections 101-102 are completely loaded. When I get back from Israel on January 22, I will very quickly do the last bit of work to get…
Congregation Life: Shared Learning
There are two models of education in the congregation that bother me. I’ll explain the reason they bother me. What I really wonder is why these methods are accepted. Why do leaders engage in them? Why don’t congregants seek more?…
Jewish Mysticism: Sign Up for Rabbi Joshua’s Class
My good friend, Rabbi Joshua Brumbach in L.A., is about to teach an online class on “Jewish Mysticism.” He needs at least seven more students to make the class happen and it starts on October 28. Why take a class…
Torah Fitness
Exercise. Weight loss. Training. Habit. Study. Incremental goals. Best practices. A journey of many steps. Practice. Regularity. Frequency and intensity. Overcoming inaction. Baby steps. Sharpening the saw. There are many terms that come to mind in which we might compare…
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Law and Spirit, Shavuot, Ruth
For Messianic Jews, the fact that Ruth is the megillah for Shavuot is a bit of divine providence. Megillah means scroll and refers to the custom of studying certain biblical books on Jewish holidays. Shavuot is better known as Pentecost…