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By Joseph Shulam.  Written from Mevasseret Zion near Jerusalem, where travelers once arrived after ascending from Mediterranean coastal cities like Jaffa and Tel-Aviv. The reading in all the synagogues of God’s people on this next Shabbat is from the following texts:   The Torah portion of Shoftim: “Judges” Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9.  The reading from the prophets is from Isaiah 51:12 – 52:12.   From […]

By Joseph Shulam.  The book of Deuteronomy is the last book of the Torah, the fifth book in the Bible.  In truth, it is a book that records the last speech of Moses to the nation of Israel that came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea on dry land.  We are slowly but […]

By Joseph Shulam.  The Torah portion that we will be reading on Shabbat, August 16, 2025, is called Ekev.   From the Torah:  Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25. From the Prophets:  Isaiah 49:14 – 51:3. From the Gospel:  Matthew 16:13-20. EKEV is translated to English in the  NKJV in the following way:   “Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do […]

By Joseph Shulam.  The reading of this Shabbat is incredibly special to me for many years, but this year it is exceptional for me and my family.    Va’etchanan is translated in some of the English Bibles  “I pleaded with the LORD at that time”, saying: “O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant […]

By Joseph Shulam.  Torah Portion Devarim – Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22.  Haftarah (reading from the prophets) Isaiah 1:1-27. From the New Testament, Matthew 24:1-22. Starting the reading of the book of Deuteronomy is a sign that we are getting close to the end of the Hebrew year, and the high holiday season is around the corner. On the other hand, the book of […]

By Joseph Shulam. This week’s Torah reading is another one of my favorites because it demonstrates that our God, the creator of this universe, the father of Yeshua our Messiah, and the Lord of our planet Earth, is not a legalistic, harsh, and autocratic ruler. Our reading is a dramatic approval of human dignity by […]

By Joseph Shulam. Shalom from Lebanon, Tennessee. I am writing this Jerusalem Prayer List sitting near my wife in the hospital in Lebanon, Tennessee.  Marcia has been hospitalized since we arrived in the USA, and her situation is not simple or easy; in fact, it is very serious and complicated. We trust in God’s mercy […]

By Joseph Shulam. God inspires every Biblical text and is full of Truth and Grace at the same time.  The truth, most of the time in the Bible, gives us a good kick in the pants. Grace comes to mediate the truth and heal the painful realization that, most of the time, the truth of […]

By Joseph Shulam. This Shabbat reading from the Torah is Shelach Lekha, Numbers 13:1-15:41 “Send Men to Explore the Land of Canaan. The reading from the prophets is Joshua 2:1-2:24. And the reading from the New Testament is Hebrews 3:7-4:1.   Since I have liked spy stories since childhood, the reading this Shabbat is one of my favorites. It has every element of a good spy story.   […]

By Joseph Shulam. The good custom of reading the traditional Jewish Torah portions every week has so many healthy factors for the person themselves and their family.  My family was 120% secular, anti-all religions, and especially ultra-orthodox traditions.  Friday night, holiday nights, there was a family meal.  So, what was the conversation around the table? […]