God and Humanity
Revelation, prophecy, free will, providence and the relationship with God.
61 articles- The Tree of Knowledge of Good and EvilEating the tree of knowledge’s fruit separated humanity from animals and drew it closer to God; violating the command established human independence before HimFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “Behold, the Man Is Become as One of Us”The Torah narrows the gap between humanity and the sons of God, making eternal life the decisive questionFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “Three Men”From the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- “And the Elder Shall Serve the Younger”From the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- A New World OrderAfter the flood, humanity did not change; the LORD’s approach changed, and moral law became necessaryFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “And There Wrestled a Man with Him”From the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- NimrodNimrod is a positive figure – history’s first heroFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “Lest We Be Scattered Abroad upon the Face of the Whole Earth”The fear was of remaining earthly, rather than of dispersal throughout the earthFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “Three Men”The LORD Himself visited Abraham accompanied by two angelsFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Argument from MoralityGod is bound by morality rather than being its sourceFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”About 3 min readPodcast (Hebrew)
- “A Three-Day Journey” and the Borrowed VesselsFrom the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- A Study of the Splitting of the SeaFrom the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- A Study of the Revelation at SinaiFrom the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- Abraham’s Servant at the SpringThe servant sought a sign to convince Rebekah’s family, rather than proof for himselfFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Meeting Tent, the Veil, and the Incense AltarFrom the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- The BasinFrom the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- “The Elder Shall Serve the Younger”The enigmatic prophecy described a struggle, rather than determining its outcomeFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The People Did Not Journey Until Miriam Was Brought InFrom the book “In Search of Lost Meaning”
- An Angel’s MissionGod prevents Jacob from fleeing again and compels him to meet his brotherFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Sun and Moon in Joseph’s DreamAn alternative interpretation: the sun represents Pharaoh and the moon his viceroy JosephFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Every Person Has His HourThe chief cupbearer forgot Joseph so he would reach thirty, the age required for high office in EgyptFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- How Does One Interpret a Dream?Joseph reverses the Egyptian conception: interpretation reveals the future rather than determining itFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- A Sign from the FutureA sign that fulfills, rather than provesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Frogs That Did Not Return to the NileThe LORD’s response to Moses’ excessive independenceFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- A Covenant of BloodAll firstborn belong to the LORD; the firstborn of Israel were therefore also in danger, and only an active intervention exempted themFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- A New Reading of the Parting of the SeaThe Egyptians drowned while fleeing, rather than pursuing – as punishment for their deeds, rather than as Israel’s rescueFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Who Brought the Israelites out of Egypt?The miracles of manna and quails prove that the departure into the wilderness followed the LORD’s command, rather than Moses and Aaron’s initiativeFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “And If Thou Make Me an Altar of Stone”Encountering God as a departure from the human sphereFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “To Whom Then Will Ye Liken God? Or What Likeness Will Ye Compare unto Him?”The human dimensions of the Tabernacle and its furnishings express the LORD’s closeness to humanityFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Connection between Facebook and ShowbreadShowbread: bread of a face-to-face encounter with the LORDFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- What Was the Role of the Incense Altar?The incense altar created a screening cloud that allowed the LORD’s glory to dwell in the Tent of Meeting and protected humanity from the intensity of revelationFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Why Does a Census Lead to a Plague?Lifting the head exposes a person to the LORD’s examination and, in large numbers, to a plague; the contribution atones and protects against judgmentFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The LORD’s Book“Thy book which Thou hast written” is the divine plan for the future, and Moses refuses to participate without IsraelFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Encounter outside the CampThe outer Tent of Meeting presents a mutual encounter between the LORD and His seeker, independent of a fixed place, institution, or permanenceFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Moses’ TentThe need to leave the camp to encounter the LORD directly, rather than through MosesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Connection between Anointing Oil and IncenseAnointing oil appears with incense because both enable the divine presence to dwell in the TabernacleFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Eighth Day’s MistakesThe eighth day followed human initiative rather than an explicit command, resulting in three fundamental mistakesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- What Does the LORD Require of You?Understanding the LORD’s will requires flexibility and attention to different opinions and interpretationsFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- If a Tree Falls in a ForestTzara‘at is a heavenly sign, but requires human meaning to impart impurityFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “I Am the LORD”Is morality binding in itself, or because the LORD commanded it?From the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Connection between the LORD's Appointed Seasons and TzaraatAs with tzaraat, in determining the festivals it is human beings who give the phenomenon its meaningFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Miracle of the Sabbatical YearThe sabbatical commandment presupposes a miraculous reality before it begins – without that reality it has no applicationFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- What Is So Good about Very Old Produce?In the Land of Israel, blessing comes through natural means that require human responsibility and planningFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- AbhorrenceEven when Israel breaks its covenant with the LORD, the covenant with the patriarchs remains validFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- How Did the Seventy Elders Help Moses?The seventy elders' role was neither organizational nor judicial – they symbolically expressed the people's spirit supporting MosesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Treatment by FloodingThe LORD answered the people's unrestrained craving for meat with addiction treatment through flooding: “until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you”From the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Who Waited for Miriam?Although the Israelites traveled according to the cloud, they could delay their departure – and chose to wait for MiriamFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Rock and the Staff in Exodus and NumbersAt the journey's beginning, a miracle showing the LORD among the people sufficed; at its end, the central question was whether Moses and Aaron acted in His nameFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The PolytheistBalaam believed in other divine powers and saw no fault in harnessing their influence to persuade the LORD to permit a curse on IsraelFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Balaam the ProphetTrue prophecy and theological failureFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- It Depends How You CountLifting a person’s head requires atonement; filling quotas gives no significance to the individual and requires noneFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “The Men of War”Moses calls the spies’ generation “the men of war,” hinting that their gravest sin was going to war against the LORD’s commandFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “Begin to Possess It, and Contend with Him in Battle”Ostensibly words of peace – in practice, provocationFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “Other Gods”The declarations of divine unity proclaim the LORD's superiority over other gods rather than denying their existenceFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Manna: Nutritional ValueIn Deuteronomy, eating manna teaches that something without nutritional value can sustain life if the LORD decrees it to serve as foodFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- “Thy King Whom Thou Shalt Set over Thee”The Torah’s criticism of requesting a king also appears in the first-fruits and curses passagesFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- A Privileged PeopleThe commandments are a special privilege as well as a duty, expressing Israel’s holy standingFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Great Stones – Unhewn StonesThe great stones inscribed with Torah law represent human cultural achievement; the altar’s natural stones express closeness and intimacy with GodFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- On Knowledge and ChoiceIn the plain meaning, the LORD knows human nature and acts in history but does not know choices in advance – and therefore does not know the futureFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- Where Have the Patriarchs, the Exodus, and Sinai Gone in Ha’azinu’s Song?Ha’azinu omits events that do not serve its emphasis on the grave injury to the intimate wilderness bond between the LORD and His peopleFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
- The Torah of MosesThe Torah ends with Moses’ death because its focus is revelation, covenant, and law, centered on Moses as their transmitterFrom the book “Peshat in Brief (working title)”
Podcast (Hebrew)