5 Tevet — Prayer and Fasting
It was on this day in the year 586 B.C. that news of the destruction of the Temple reached the Prophet Ezekiel, who was then in Babylon. In commemoration of this event, Judaism regards today as a fast day in connection with the destruction of the Temple. Fasting...
Daily Bread — Sunday, January 5, 2025
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:2-3) Sometimes life is not all about lush, green pastures and clear running streams; sometimes...
4 Tevet — The Land Waiting For A People
In 1951, Israel Zangwill, wrote about the emergence of the state of Israel, which had occurred in 1948. He said: “The land without a people waited for the people without a land.” It’s very simple, profound and thought-provoking. In just a few words he said a...
Daily Bread — Saturday, January 4, 2025
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:2-3) In these verses, David continued to speak of the LORD as his (and our) shepherd and how,...
3 Tevet — Let’s Talk About Life
For all of those who live in the northern hemisphere, winter is upon us - a time of dead leaves and gloomy weather. Not surprisingly, during this time of year many people struggle with depression. Perhaps its because of the stark landscape and sunless skies or just...
Daily Bread — Friday, January 3, 2025
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) David makes a simple and profound statement; as long as God is our Shepherd, we will never lack in anything that is necessary to live and fulfill His purpose. On one level, David was addressing material...
2 Tevet — Fuel For The Light
Today is the second day of Tevet. As we approach the conclusion of Hanukkah, we find inspiration in the lighting of the menorah during this festive season. In fact, the imagery of the menorah with its branches producing light has a prophetic element to it. It...
Daily Bread — Thursday, January 2, 2025
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) In just these few words, so much is revealed to us about God Himself and what He looks for in His people. In temporal ways, what is more lowly and, some might argue, more degrading than a simple shepherd who...
1 Tevet — Hidden For A Purpose
Today is the first day of the month called Tevet which falls in the midst of the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah. It was on this day that a young Benjamite girl named Hadassah - better known as Esther - was presented to the king of Persia as recorded in Scripture....
Daily Bread — Wednesday, January 1, 2025
A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, they will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this. (Psalm 22:30-31) As David concludes this psalm, he makes it clear that everything he...
30 Kislev — Who Will You Serve?
Today is the last day of Kislev and the sixth day of Hanukkah. We’ve been addressing the story of Hanukkah because it is a microcosm of a greater message we see consistently throughout the Scriptures. Specifically, it is a story describing the struggle between two...
Daily Bread — Tuesday, December 31, 2024
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations. (Psalm 22:27-28) In most rabbinical writings, commentators go to great lengths to...