But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ Luke 18:13 NASB Beating – In the words of Eric Clapton, [CLICK HERE]. Rabbi Hirsch gives us the Hebraic version: Hitpallel, from which ‘tefilla’…
“It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, Deuteronomy 11:13 NASB To serve Him with all your heart – Maimonides points out that the Hebrew expression, le’ovdo bekol…
nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will…
The Way of God – Moshe Chaim Luzzatto I consider Luzzatto’s book, Mesillat Yesharim, a critically important work in the explication of the power of the yetzer ha’ra and the obligation each of us has toward others. The book elaborates a step-by-step evaluation of the “fearless moral inventory” needed to combat the subtleties of the…
If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. Psalm 139:8 NASB In Sheol – This verse is often used as a proof text for the omnipresence of God, but I don’t think David had any theological doctrine in mind when he wrote it. It…
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, Acts 9:5 NASB Who are you? – Good question, wrong subject. Sha’ul asks the right question but of the wrong person. The question should have been, “Who am I?” Of course, Sha’ul recognized immediately that the person he…
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Psalm 1:1 NASB How blessed – What should we do now while we are waiting for the return or an exit? Do we just continue with…
Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; Exodus 34:6 NASB Compassionate – Consider the last twenty-four hours. Oh, not the ones that have just gone by, although after the coming investigation you might want…
The Dead Sea, October, 2015
