Congregation Shema Yisrael

The prophet Zephaniah wrote this amazing prophecy: Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live […] Source

The parasha for this Shabbat, entitled Pinchas, covers Numbers chapters 25-29, and is named after a man some might suggest took the law into his own hands. In the previous chapters, the King of Moab attempted to hire Balaam to curse Israel – something God was never going to allow, since He had already blessed […] Source

This week, we have a double parasha.  Chukat, which means “statute,” Numbers, 19:1 – 22:1, and Balak, Numbers 22:2 – 25:9, the Moabite king who wants to destroy Israel. I’m just going to focus on some major points from each parasha. Chapter 19 explains the sacrifice of the red heifer. The red heifer was designated […] Source

Shabbat Shalom. Last week, we saw one man of God, Elijah, confront 450 false prophets of Baal. In a contest for the ages, the Lord answered Elijah’s simple prayer and demonstrated His infinite power to everyone present. 1 Kings 18 ended with all 450 prophets dead, our people repenting of their sins, and the countrywide […] Source

This week Rabbi Jerry finishes his discussion of God’s Will by looking at the lives of Balaam and Balak. Watch Below: Source

This morning, I would like to begin with a question, a potentially dangerous and frustrating question that has been asked for centuries. “What do you want to eat?” We have all had this question drag us into an endless, frustrating debate. Someone says they don’t care, you go back and forth proposing ideas, only to […] Source

This week’s parasha is titled Korach, named for the leader of one of the largest and most severe revolts against the leadership of Moses and Aaron during the wilderness journey.  Our passage for this week covers Numbers, Chapter 16:1 – Chapter 18:32. While all those who served at the Tabernacle and later at the Temple […] Source

This week Rabbi Jerry Continues to discuss God’s Will. He uses D.A. Carson’s, Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspective in Tension to discuss the tension between our wills and God’s Will. Click here for Rabbi Jerry’s notes. Watch Below:   Source

Judah begins his short, urgent and intense letter by introducing himself: He is a slave of Messiah Yeshua and a brother of James. He writes to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves them and keeps them safe in the care of Messiah Yeshua. He prays for them, that God would […] Source

Our parasha begins in Chapter 13 where Adonai instructs Moses to send out men to explore the land of Canaan, which He was giving to the sons of Israel. A leader from each tribe was sent to explore the land with instructions from Moses to see if the land was good or bad, fertile or […] Source