Shabbat Commentary for 49th week, 2007,
Shabbat Reading “VA’YESHEV – And he (Jacob) lived” Genesis 37:1 – 40:23; Amos 2:6 - 3:8
By Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem

Commentary:
In our Torah portion, ‘Va‘Yeshev,’ last year, we discussed Joseph as a prototype of the Messiah. We saw the parallels between Messiah Ben-Joseph and the Joseph’s life. Through Joseph’s brother’s rejection, he was sent to Egypt where he attained status of being second to Pharaoh and regarded as a deity. The Egyptians also used the concept of the trinity with three Pharaoh’s. He became a stranger to his brothers because he was now ‘Egyptian’ and they could not recognize him. The same is with the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, who became through Christianity, a stranger to the Jews as they still deny their Messiah. read more…

Shabbat Commentary for 48th week, 2007,
Shabbat Reading “VA’YISHLAKH – And he sent (messengers)” Genesis 32:4–36:43; Obadiah 1:1-21
By Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem

Commentary:
This week’s Torah portion begins with Jacob returning to the land of his parents after working for his father-in-law Laban. Upon his return, Jacob meets Esau who 20 years earlier sought to kill him. read more…

Shabbat Commentary for 47th week, 2007,
Shabbat Reading VA’YETZE - And he departed: Genesis 28:10–32:3; Hosea 12:13–14:10
By Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem

Commentary:
Jacob begins his walk with God which was not so easy at the beginning, thus the emphasis is on “And he departed.” He left for a foreign country and place called Haran – far away from his father’s house. It was important that God reassured him of the promise: “…Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go…” (28:13-15). read more…

Shabbat Commentary for 46th week, 2007,
Shabbat Shabbat Commentary TOLDOT – Genealogy: Genesis 25:19–28:9; Malachi 1:1–2:7
By Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem

Commentary:
In this week’s Torah Portion we meet another childless couple: Isaac and Rebekah (25:21). We can read of several Man of God that shared the same fate like Abraham and later the parents of Joseph, Samuel, Samson and also John the Baptist.
After 20 years of prayer, when Isaac was 60 years old, the LORD in his sovereign grace allowed Rebekah to bear twins, Jacob and Esau. Verse 22 tells us the twins “struggled within her.” God told her “two nations are in your womb…and the older shall serve the younger.” This was one promise Rebekah kept to herself until later. read more…

Shabbat Commentary for 45th week, 2007,
Shabbat CHAYE SARAH - Sarah’s Life: Genesis 23:1–25:18; 1 Kings 1:1-31
By Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem

Commentary:
Our Torah reading begins with Sarah’s death and ends with Abraham’s death. She was 127 years old. Abraham now set out to negotiate in typical Middle-Eastern style for a burial site. How come that our parasha Chayei Sarah means “the life of Sarah,” although it deals with the death of Sarah?
Jewish sages explain it this way: “The wicked even when they are alive are called dead, while the righteous even after they die are called alive.” read more…