Posts with the category “rabbis-reflections”

This “remembrance” is not the opposite of “forgetfulness,” but a memorial that is a testimony of our eternal debt to His kindness. How dare we receive His kindness and not offer a praise of thanks? ...  Read More

There are only two examples of chen/charis in the Psalms. Let’s look at the first, Psalm 45:3 TLV.Grace pours from your lips. Therefore God has blessed you forever. (Psalm 45:3b TLV) “Favor (charis/ch...  Read More

Announcement:  This Saturday (May 31st) is the fifth Saturday of May.  Therefore; we will not have a service on Saturday morning this week.  Instead, we will have a Friday night Shabbat dinner (bring ...  Read More

The greatest miracle in the world is that the almighty God, creator of the world and everything in it (He must be really smart to make it all work together amidst the never ceasing chaos) loves you an...  Read More

Shalom,Psalm Psa 30:1 A psalm, a song for the dedication of the Temple, of David. 2 I will exalt You, Adonai, for You have lifted me up, and did not let my enemies gloat over me.A few housekeeping ite...  Read More

The rabbis love this verse! It has a prominent place in the Torah service liturgy. The purpose of that liturgy is to help us prepare our hearts to receive the message of the Torah. Through His Word...  Read More

These RR devotionals are the product of my devotional life with the Lord, I’m glad to share them with you. My dear wife, Jan, helps me every day by being the first person to listen to me read what I ...  Read More

There is one more question that demands an accurate answer… “Who is on the throne of your heart?” Before you answer in a hasty manner, take a moment to reflect. Sometimes we put ourselves on the thr...  Read More

(Early) Shabbat Shalom,PsalmsPsalm 29:8 – Part 8Psalm 29:8 The voice of Adonai shakes the desert. Adonai shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.This verse in Hebrew is amazing poetry, and like most verses of...  Read More

Shabbat Shalom,Favor/Grace in 2 Samuel and 1 KingsBy David HarwoodThere are three more instances of chen/charis in Israel’s prophetic historical narratives. There are two in 2 Samuel and one in 1 King...  Read More

A soft heart is a coachable heart. A soft heart can receive correction from the Lord. A hard heart cannot receive. It is resistant to direction from God’s loving command. Everything that can be sh...  Read More

Where do we experience the Lord carving out flames of fire in the Apostolic writings? Acts 2:3 And tongues like fire spreading out appeared to them and settled on each one of them. This happened on ...  Read More

We know all things are possible for God (see footnote)… but, there are two exceptions. Technically, these two things are not impossible for God. It is just His divine order that prevents Him from br...  Read More

The cedars of Lebanon were very important in the building of Solomon’s Temple. This is a great example of a Jewish king (Solomon) and a Gentile king (Hiram) working together to give glory to God by b...  Read More

God’s overall purpose is to express Himself through love. God created mankind so that He could love us, and the world so that He would have a place and the provision through which to love us. ...  Read More

Throughout history, people have been running away from the voice of God. Exodus 20:21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. Today, God is raising up a ...  Read More

Shabbat Shalom,Favor From a Fooled PhilistineBy David HarwoodDavid was on the run seeking shelter from Saul. He was desperate. How desperate was he? Desperate enough to seek protection in the land of ...  Read More

Come to think of it, the Hebrew word “Havu” translated as “ascribe” is not the usual word for “give” (which is Ten, or Noten), but - as a matter of perspective, come. It is an imperative form of “giv...  Read More

Wait a minute… there is one thing that God has refused to give Himself, a willing human heart. From the beginning, God has insisted that we have free will. Each of us must choose, and life is full o...  Read More

Psalms Psalm 28:9 – Part 15Shalom,Psalm 28:9 Save Your people, bless Your inheritance, shepherd them and carry them forever.The closing Hebrew phrase to Psalm 28 is “V’Nas’em Ad-HaOlam,” meaning “And ...  Read More

The two primary responsibilities of a shepherd are to provide direction (rod) and protection (staff) for his sheep. We, as His sheep, need to willingly place ourselves under His loving command. ...  Read More

Favor Foolishly RefusedBy David HarwoodThere was a wealthy man named Nabal. He was known for his arrogance and for his wife, Abigail. Here are their descriptions. Note the contrast.The man’s name was ...  Read More

Who is “Adonai?” We must see that Adonai is Who He says He is, and He says He is Yeshua. Most of the time, “Adonai” is a substitute name used as a convention by rabbinical scholars to avoid mentioni...  Read More

Yesterday, we dealt with verse 7 part “C.” Today, we conclude the verse with part “D,” the last two words in Hebrew. “U’Mishiri Ah’hodenu” means, “And with my song, I will praise Him.” This is the ...  Read More

Joy cannot be stolen because it is from within, the natural result of an ongoing relationship with the living God called love. ...  Read More

Today, we are dealing with the trusting heart, and since none of Eitan’s 33 chapters deal with a trusting heart (per se, many chapters dance around it), I’m hereby submitting this RR as chapter 34 to ...  Read More

Rabbi Trail: The tetragrammaton is made up of four Hebrew letters, “Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey.” They are the first letters of each word in the Hebrew for “He will be, He is, AND He was.” (The “Vav” means “and...  Read More

Would you say that King David is a good writer? Yes, he is masterful, and his abilities are on full display in this Psalm There are nine short sentences in which David reveals his heart. In the fir...  Read More

So, what will you have? (Isn’t that what the waiter asks?) Will it be life or death? Here is some carefully considered advice, choose life. ...  Read More