Messianic Torah Observant Israel

Song for Vayechi

Continuing on the journey through “The Heart of the Matter” Rabbi Steve Berkson begins this lesson in Philippians, chapter 4, verse 6, where the apostle Paul says, “Do not worry at all, but in every matter, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Elohim.” We learn from this lesson that as we do what Paul said to do we are exercising our belief/trust, emunah, i...

As Rabbi Steve Berkson concludes the letter to the Ephesians we understand that we are no longer considered Gentiles, outside of the camp, but through Messiah Yeshua have been brought together with the community of the chosen, fellow citizens, along with the covenants and promises. With that, we are to walk in obedience to Torah, imitating Elohim (5:1). What does it mean to be “subject to each oth...

Song for Vayeishev

Continuing our journey through the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Rabbi Steve Berkson brings us into chapter 5 where we are told to become imitators of Yeshua Messiah as “beloved children” which is pleasing to The Father. Being a follower of Yeshua according to His own words is to no longer walk in darkness but possess the light of life (John 8:12). So to walk as children of the light is...

Now that Rabbi Steve Berkson has thoroughly taught us what the Apostle Paul was writing to the Ephesians in chapter two, he now leads us into understanding chapter three; the mystery or secret of what Messiah Yeshua accomplished through His death, burial and resurrection - that the nations (Gentiles, those who are outside) now have a place among those who are the chosen ones according to the flesh...

This is very unusual that Rabbi Steve Berkson would actually go back and re-teach a message, but in this case he felt the need to delve deeper into the second chapter of Ephesians to explain the process of righteousness and unity that the apostle Paul was conveying to the Ephesians. In this lesson you will learn about a dangerous and harmful teaching called ‘bilateral ecclesiology’ and something R...

Song for Vayishlach

Song for Vayeitzei

Starting in the letter to the Ephesians Rabbi Steve Berkson points us to the fact that the Apostle Paul was trying to help the believers in Ephesus that even with what Messiah Yeshua accomplished in His death, burial and resurrection there is still an “expectation” to abide by the covenant with the Creator that was laid out in Exodus chapter 19, (paraphrasing) “If you diligently follow my words, I...

What we find in this letter from the Apostle Paul to the believers in Corinth is that strife had risen up among the assembly over which teacher was better than the other and which teacher someone followed, turning it into a status issue. If Paul were here today and observed the strife and division among some of us, would he be wondering why things haven’t changed in the last 2,000 years? Would he...

A song for Toldot.

Song for Chayei Sarah

Song for Chayei Sarah

Continuing in the Apostle Paul’s letter to those of The Way in Rome (Romans), chapter 10, Rabbi Steve Berkson poses the question that comes out of verse 4 – are you doing what you’re doing just to look righteous to others, or are you doing it to look like Messiah Yeshua? In this chapter we see Paul quoting Moses from Deuteronomy chapter 30, who is talking to the people about the Torah, but symboli...

There’s more ‘heart’ to be discovered in the letter to the Romans as Rabbi Steve Berkson continues in chapters 8 and 10, breaking down verse by verse what the apostle Paul was communicating to the set-apart ones living in Rome at that time. Through Rabbi Steve’s teaching we find that Paul was not teaching against Torah observance, but rather, by living according to the Torah we become pleasing to...

Continuing in the letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the faithful in Rome, Rabbi Steve Berkson again emphasizes that to understand what Paul was trying to say in this letter, context is crucial. In chapter 6, again we see the contrasting of righteousness vs unrighteousness. We see how even the believers of that time were struggling to understand the purpose of Messiah Yeshua’s death and resurre...

Rabbi Steve Berkson moves us into chapter 2 of the letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the faithful in Rome (Romans 2). In part 47 of The Heart of the Matter Rabbi Steve hopes to give clarity to these passages that are typically taken out of context and misunderstood. The theme in Romans chapter 2 that we will see is ‘righteousness verses unrighteousness’ and how we are judged as being one or th...

Rabbi Steve Berkson continues teaching about the Heart of the Matter in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles and then begins in the Book of Romans. Some of the topics covered are, what is the purpose of signs and wonders?, Olympic Gold-Medal Conclusion Jumpers, what is ‘emunah’?, and more. Toward the last of this teaching Rabbi Steve speaks from his heart about the importance of not only our ‘vert...