RR Torah Portion Toldot, Genesis 25:19 – 28:9 By Jeffery Freeman
Shabbat Shalom {{firstName}},
Torah Portion Toldot, Genesis 25:19 – 28:9
By Jeffery Freeman
This week’s Torah Portion is Toldot, (Generations). The name comes from Genesis 25:19, Now these are the genealogies (toldot) of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Before anyone gets confused by the translation of toldot to genealogies vs generations, let me explain. Both are equally proper translations of the Hebrew word “toldot.” “Toldot” is from the Hebrew root, “yalad,” a plural only word translated as descendent, family, genealogical registration, genealogy, generations, even account of or story of an individual’s descendants. The traditional English name assigned to Toldot is Generations, however, the TLV Bible translated toldot to “genealogies” in the narrative of Genesis 25:19.
In Toldot we read of Isaac praying on behalf of Rebekah for her children, Esau and Jacob, Esau selling his birth right, another famine driving Isaac to Gerar, Isaac claiming Rebekah was his sister, Abraham’s wells were filled in and then contested when Isaac reopens them, a covenant is made with Abimelech, Rebekah helps Jacob to get Isaac’s blessing through deception, Esau vows vengeance, and Jacob is sent off to Padam-Aram to find a wife among Rebekah’s family.
There are lots of opportunities in Toldot for lessons. But one passage in Genesis 26 stuck out to me this week. To set the stage, famine had come into the land, so Isaac had to move. He went to the area of Gerar probably thinking of heading to Egypt as his father Abraham had done for a previous famine. But the LORD appeared to Isaac and commanded Isaac to not leave the land, to live as an outsider in the land and that the LORD would bless him. Picking up verses 4 and 5:
I will multiply your seed like the stars of the sky and I will give your seed all these lands. And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be continually blessed, because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My mitzvot, My decrees, and My instructions.
The way this reads, Abraham already knew Torah even though Moses receiving Torah from the LORD was more than 400 years in the future. In fact, after Moses has recounted Torah to the people, we get a very similar charge to everyone:
Leviticus 26:3-5 If you walk in My statutes, keep My mitzvot, and carry them out, then I will give you rains in their season, the land will yield its crops, and the trees of the field will yield their fruit. Your threshing floor will last until grape gathering, the grape gathering will last until the sowing time, and you will eat your bread to the full, and live securely in your land.
What I want to emphasize is that Abraham knew Torah before Torah was disseminated through Moses. So why is this a big deal for us?
1 John 3:4-6 Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness – indeed, sin is lawlessness. You know that Yeshua appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning, no one who sins has seen Him or known Him.
Lawlessness is the act of violating the law…here John is talking about violating Torah. Some may say that they don’t know Torah, or worse, Torah is only for the Jews or was “hung on the cross” so no longer relevant.
Psalm 19:1-2(2-3) The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky shows His handiwork. Day to day they speak, night to night they reveal knowledge.
Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. In unrighteousness they suppress the truth, because what can be known about God is plain to them – for God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes – His eternal power and his divine nature – have been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made. So, people are without excuse.
Did you get that? There is no excuse for not knowing God’s righteousness. And living an ungodly or unrighteous life will cause God’s wrath. Paul further explains:
Romans 2:12-14 For those who have sinned outside of Torah and all who have sinned according to Torah will be judged by Torah. For it is not the hearers of Torah who are righteous before God, rather it is the doers of Torah who will be justified.
It doesn’t matter whether you know Torah or not, Torah remains the measuring stick. It is the doers of Torah who will be justified. Keeping Torah equals justification. Not keeping Torah, well, I think we all know the alternative.
So, all we need to do is to walk out Torah and we are good to go? Well, not so fast…
Romans 3:23-25 For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. They are set right as a gift of His grace, through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua. God set forth Yeshua as an atonement, through faith in His blood, to show His righteousness in passing over sins already committed.
Oh, so if we ask Yeshua into our lives and get baptized, He’s got us covered. So, there is no need for change. No need to be concerned about that pesky Torah. Whoa! Slow down…reread the end of verse 25 to show His righteousness in passing over sins already committed. Note already committed…past sins, not continuing in sin.
Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound? MAY IT NEVER BE! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
So, what’s the plan? Study God’s Word of course! Paying particular attention to Torah. This is the foundation of our faith. The rest of the Bible teaches us the whys, hows, and wherefores about keeping Torah and reminding us of our need for a Savior because we are just going to fall short from time to time despite all our best efforts. Yeshua is our only hope.
Let’s wrap this up by praying Psalm 119:22-40
Teach me the ways of Your decrees, ADONAI, and I will follow them to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your Torah and observe it with all my heart.
Help me walk in the path of Your mitzvot – for I delight in it.
Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to dishonest gain.
Turn my eyes away from gazing at vanity but revive me in Your ways.
Fulfill Your word to Your servant which leads to reverence for You.
Make the disgrace I dread pass away, for Your judgements are good.
Behold, I long for Your precepts. Revive me by Your righteousness.
Shabbat Shalom
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat 14-Nov-2026 4th of Kislev, 5787 Parashat Toldot
Ge 28:5-9 Mal 1:1-2:7 Ro 9:1-18
Torah Portion Toldot, Genesis 25:19 – 28:9
By Jeffery Freeman
This week’s Torah Portion is Toldot, (Generations). The name comes from Genesis 25:19, Now these are the genealogies (toldot) of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Before anyone gets confused by the translation of toldot to genealogies vs generations, let me explain. Both are equally proper translations of the Hebrew word “toldot.” “Toldot” is from the Hebrew root, “yalad,” a plural only word translated as descendent, family, genealogical registration, genealogy, generations, even account of or story of an individual’s descendants. The traditional English name assigned to Toldot is Generations, however, the TLV Bible translated toldot to “genealogies” in the narrative of Genesis 25:19.
In Toldot we read of Isaac praying on behalf of Rebekah for her children, Esau and Jacob, Esau selling his birth right, another famine driving Isaac to Gerar, Isaac claiming Rebekah was his sister, Abraham’s wells were filled in and then contested when Isaac reopens them, a covenant is made with Abimelech, Rebekah helps Jacob to get Isaac’s blessing through deception, Esau vows vengeance, and Jacob is sent off to Padam-Aram to find a wife among Rebekah’s family.
There are lots of opportunities in Toldot for lessons. But one passage in Genesis 26 stuck out to me this week. To set the stage, famine had come into the land, so Isaac had to move. He went to the area of Gerar probably thinking of heading to Egypt as his father Abraham had done for a previous famine. But the LORD appeared to Isaac and commanded Isaac to not leave the land, to live as an outsider in the land and that the LORD would bless him. Picking up verses 4 and 5:
I will multiply your seed like the stars of the sky and I will give your seed all these lands. And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be continually blessed, because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My mitzvot, My decrees, and My instructions.
The way this reads, Abraham already knew Torah even though Moses receiving Torah from the LORD was more than 400 years in the future. In fact, after Moses has recounted Torah to the people, we get a very similar charge to everyone:
Leviticus 26:3-5 If you walk in My statutes, keep My mitzvot, and carry them out, then I will give you rains in their season, the land will yield its crops, and the trees of the field will yield their fruit. Your threshing floor will last until grape gathering, the grape gathering will last until the sowing time, and you will eat your bread to the full, and live securely in your land.
What I want to emphasize is that Abraham knew Torah before Torah was disseminated through Moses. So why is this a big deal for us?
1 John 3:4-6 Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness – indeed, sin is lawlessness. You know that Yeshua appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning, no one who sins has seen Him or known Him.
Lawlessness is the act of violating the law…here John is talking about violating Torah. Some may say that they don’t know Torah, or worse, Torah is only for the Jews or was “hung on the cross” so no longer relevant.
Psalm 19:1-2(2-3) The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky shows His handiwork. Day to day they speak, night to night they reveal knowledge.
Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. In unrighteousness they suppress the truth, because what can be known about God is plain to them – for God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes – His eternal power and his divine nature – have been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made. So, people are without excuse.
Did you get that? There is no excuse for not knowing God’s righteousness. And living an ungodly or unrighteous life will cause God’s wrath. Paul further explains:
Romans 2:12-14 For those who have sinned outside of Torah and all who have sinned according to Torah will be judged by Torah. For it is not the hearers of Torah who are righteous before God, rather it is the doers of Torah who will be justified.
It doesn’t matter whether you know Torah or not, Torah remains the measuring stick. It is the doers of Torah who will be justified. Keeping Torah equals justification. Not keeping Torah, well, I think we all know the alternative.
So, all we need to do is to walk out Torah and we are good to go? Well, not so fast…
Romans 3:23-25 For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. They are set right as a gift of His grace, through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua. God set forth Yeshua as an atonement, through faith in His blood, to show His righteousness in passing over sins already committed.
Oh, so if we ask Yeshua into our lives and get baptized, He’s got us covered. So, there is no need for change. No need to be concerned about that pesky Torah. Whoa! Slow down…reread the end of verse 25 to show His righteousness in passing over sins already committed. Note already committed…past sins, not continuing in sin.
Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound? MAY IT NEVER BE! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
So, what’s the plan? Study God’s Word of course! Paying particular attention to Torah. This is the foundation of our faith. The rest of the Bible teaches us the whys, hows, and wherefores about keeping Torah and reminding us of our need for a Savior because we are just going to fall short from time to time despite all our best efforts. Yeshua is our only hope.
Let’s wrap this up by praying Psalm 119:22-40
Teach me the ways of Your decrees, ADONAI, and I will follow them to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your Torah and observe it with all my heart.
Help me walk in the path of Your mitzvot – for I delight in it.
Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to dishonest gain.
Turn my eyes away from gazing at vanity but revive me in Your ways.
Fulfill Your word to Your servant which leads to reverence for You.
Make the disgrace I dread pass away, for Your judgements are good.
Behold, I long for Your precepts. Revive me by Your righteousness.
Shabbat Shalom
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat 14-Nov-2026 4th of Kislev, 5787 Parashat Toldot
Ge 28:5-9 Mal 1:1-2:7 Ro 9:1-18
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