Hebrew Nation Online | Torah Class – Hollisa Alewine

The three reckonings of Yom Teruah...

The Bride's Wilderness Laundromat The wilderness journey brings up all sorts of practical questions. Practical questions often lead to impractical, but not impossible, answers. Although the Israelites looted the Egyptians, it is unlikely that the garments lasted for forty years in the harsh desert. How did they keep up with the laundry? What about the children born who would need clothes of their...

The Wild Kingdom As we approach the High Holy Days, we prepare to read a passage of Scripture on The Feast of Trumpets called The Akeidah. It refers to the binding of Isaac. A key verse is this: Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham said, “God will...

Rise Up Come Down, Jerusalem (Part 2 of Charm School) The haftarah (reading from the Prophets) supplies our study this week, a continuation from "Charm School" of the Torah portion Vaetchanan. It is Isaiah 51:12-52:12. Verses and 1 and 2 supply our question and answer: Does Jerusalem, the Bride, arise at the resurrection or does she descend to be seated (dwell)? YES! First one, then the other. The...

Charm School Have you ever seen something in a Judaica catalog or shop that made you scratch your head? Symbols are always a hot topic in our circles, and often the discussions are full of extremes. In our quest to be willingly obedient to the Word of Adonai, sometimes it's obvious we never went to charm school. Or charm and symbol school. Frank Houtz, may his memory be for blessing, did an excell...

Dog Food Your lips, my bride, drip honey; Honey and milk are under your tongue, And the fragrance of your garments Is like the fragrance of Lebanon. The Torah, the Word of Adonai, is compared to milk and honey. The more we learn, the more we do. The more we learn, the more we can speak with spiritual intelligence. Midrash Rabbah 4§22 says: If one can make his words pleasing like honey and milk mix...

The Filling Station When I was around four years old, my aunt borrowed my dad’s work truck, probably to carry a load of tomatoes to market. If you’ve never had a freshly-picked southwest Arkansas-grown Bradley tomato, you don’t know what you’re missing.  My Aunt Frances took me along, and she pulled into a filling station to get gas. For those of you too young to know what a filling station is, it...

That's not like you. He wasn't himself. She's having a bad day. Ever say that to or about someone? After the beloved Miriam's death, the gracious Moses and Aaron go missing: And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there. Now there was no water for the congregation. An...

A Tried Bride In Creation Gospel Workbook Five Volume Four (Bamidbar), students are challenged with the following exercise: Draw a circle on a sheet of paper, but don’t close it. Inside write all the gifts, abilities, and characteristics that you KNOW are completely you. Don’t write what you’d like to be or do, but what you already know describes you. Let the circle sit for a few days or even week...

A Wedding of Words Part Two Recap: Each year, it is traditional to read the scroll of Ruth at Shavuot. We might say the three scrolls of Ruth, Esther, and Song of Songs are the Bridal Scrolls of return from exile. What happened to Israel in leaving Egypt at Pesach is what happened to Ruth in leaving Moab and arriving at the House of Bread (Beit Lechem) at Pesach. The Israelites left Egypt as stran...

A Wedding of Words Ruth's One-Way Flight Each year, it is traditional to read the scroll of Ruth at Shavuot. We might say the three scrolls of Ruth, Esther, and Song of Songs are the Bridal Scrolls of return from exile. There are many wonderful ideas about why Ruth commemmorates the giving of the Torah in addition to the story's setting, the time between the first fruits of the barley harvest at P...

Nahum 1:15 15 Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; Pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; He is cut off completely.

Why is the Holy One so angry?

Gardener's Guide to the Tree of Life Days of Elijah Preparing the Bride She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast. (Pr 3:18) The Torah is a tree of life, and obeying it is the path to fruitfulness. This fruitfulness deepens the relationship, stitching earth to Heaven, where the roots of the Tree extend upward. After all, our eyes really see the world...

In this teaching, Dr Hollisa Alewine shares some very basic yet important hermeneutic principles, which will encourage us on how to dig deeper into His WORD and not misinterpret the true meaning of the text.

This week we'll cover the Torah portion Kedoshim, or "Holies" and we'll tease apart some profound details in the account of the woman caught in adultery. Leviticus 19:1-20:27 Amos 9:7-9:15 Psalm 15 John 8:2-11 "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Le 19:18) Kedoshim, the “holies,” is nestled in the very heart of the Torah. This commandment stitches itself to heaven and earth. Heaven and ear...

The Last Three Warnings and Shabbat HaGadol The Days of Elijah begin with Passover. Join us as we explore the role of Shabbat, especially Shabbat HaGadol, and the three foot festivals as a warning for Bride to prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom. Together we'll unpack the language of zealous striking in the feasts. This Pt 2.

The Last Three Warnings and Shabbat HaGadol The Days of Elijah begin with Passover. Join us as we explore the role of Shabbat, especially Shabbat HaGadol, and the three foot festivals as a warning for Bride to prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom. Together we'll unpack the language of zealous striking in the feasts.

THAT'S SO LAME With the eclipse so recent, literally putting a point on the new year of the feast cycle at the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh), it seemed proper to emphasize this year's pilgrimage through the feast. This is true specially in the United States where the eclipse bisected an already very divided nation. The eclipse gave us a glimpse of a wedding ring, which for believers in Yeshua, is the co...

Getting Stoned Biblically, that is. Torah contains many commandments. Some of those are positive, "you shalls," and some are negative, "you shall nots." Most frequently, the negative commandments carry tangible punishments such as restitution, whiplashes, hanging, or even stoning. Sometimes no punishment is prescribed, or a vague phrase, "he shall be cut off from his people." It has been speculate...

One Size Fits All "Tzav" "One Size Fits All!" We’ve probably all been duped by that assurance! Sure it fits, as long as you don't mind sleeves so long you could make it into a straitjacket! One size definitely doesn’t fit all. Do we trust the ad enough to order it online? Do we hire a personal shopper who knows our taste, our height, our weight, body shape, even arm length? How about prayer? Does...

Violence in Eden: Whiplash Although its connection to Yom HaKippurim (A Day like Purim) is more easily heard, the story of Purim in the scroll of Esther holds references to all the feasts. In fact, Purim holds a key to Passover that is very practical. It has to do with how the danger started: evil words. Chametz. Leaven. When Queen Esther calls the Jews to fast with her against the evil, it is dur...

Preparing for Purim This is Pt 3.