Podcasts about hebraic

In last week’s show, host Mark Call talked about the descent of the USA descended into clear insanity. In the last week, it is not the fact THAT the Criminals in Control lie, it is the acceleration of those lies that stands out. Tampon Tim Walz, caught in levels of corruption that would make the Senile Imposter blush, has doubled-down. And the Far Left is thrilled to have gotten a Soros Stooge to commit SuICEde-by-Cop to distract the Idiocracy for a bit. None of this should really surprise us; those who can read history, and economics, and sociology, and Scripture have long known it was coming. But the ‘acceleration of the acceleration’ toward collapse may still catch many off-guard. We should have known the Constitution was made a ‘dead letter’ before the 2020 election was rigged; the intent was simply to “cement the gains,” and make their Communist Revolution permanent. The Election Rig and Fraud in 2024, however, just wasn’t big enough to overcome the landslide. But STILL< not a single indictment, much less prosecution for treason, has happened. And the violence is being unleashed. Mark suggests, be ready for: Police State vs Police State

This week special guest, and long-time HNR favorite, Daniel Holdings, joins Mark Call for a candid, and perhaps surprising, look at the week’s news, as well as where we are, and where we are headed.

Mark Call wraps up the news for the week ending January 17th, 2026, with no shortage of commentary and perspective on the perfidy, the petulance, and even the pitiful pretension.

News and commentary for Thursday, 15 January, 2026.

News and commentary for Wednesday, 14 January, 2026.

News and commentary for Tuesday, 13 January, 2026.

News and commentary for Monday, 12 January, 2026.

Heaven is Shaking the Bear It's a principle of Scripture. Prophecy is not fulfilled only once. It is fulfilled repeatedly at appointed times. It's a cycle, not a one-off. This is why we observe the appointed times of Scripture. What has happened before will happen again, sometimes in a reversal of events. The prophecy is not fulfilled exactly as it was before, but the template doesn't change. At this very moment I write, the Persian people have revolted yet again against the Islamist regime by the millions, taking over streets in city after city in Iran. The coming days will test whether this latest revolt will uproot the Islamists that took power in 1979. The current uprising is estimated to have begun "around December 28." The Biblical Fast of the 10th of Tevet began the morning of December 30, but the 10th of Tevet began the evening of December 29th. Coincidence? That's why we fast the four fasts mentioned in Zechariah. The Fast of the 10th of Tevet remembers the tragedy of the Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, beginning the siege against Jerusalem and the beginning of the end of the First Temple. Babylon was the first beast kingdom, the head of the image. Persia succeeded it, swallowing and enlarging territory. Over the last several days, the Iranian people have been targeting Islamist seminaries, mosques, and institutions. In an interesting reversal, the Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the exiled Shah (King) of Iran, is the one calling on the Persian people to rise up and overthrow the Islamic clerics' religious governmental hold in favor of a democracy. Many Iranians are calling for the return of the monarchy, tearing down the flags of the Islamic Republic, and putting up the old Iranian flag that flew before the Shah was deposed. Crown Prince Pahlavi's daughter Princess Iman Pahlavi recently married Jewish-American Bradley Sherman. The Persian Queen Esther, was actually Hadassah, a Jewish exile who married the Persian King Ahasuerus. It was a marriage that brought salvation to the Jews nation, designated to die by wicked Haman, may his name be blotted out. Some of the protestors are posting messages, “The Lion and Eagle will rise again together and once again live in peace,” meaning Iran and Israel. “The Lion of Judah and the Lion of Persia will rise again.” I offer no judgment on these things, just to offer a few illustrations of what is being done and said in this revolution. So what we're seeing is a shaking according to the pattern. What happened to Judah in ancient times, the Babylonian siege against Jerusalem and the seat of Israelite religious life, is occurring in Iran, a territory encompassing both the golden lion of Babylon and the silver bear of Medo-Persia. The Persian people are laying siege to the religious centers and strongholds, demanding regime change, tearing down statues of Islamic terrorist “heroes” such as Soleimani. They are repenting of their grandparents' choice of an Islamic beast cleric to lead their nation. They are chanting against the Islamist clerics' funding of weapons, including the rockets, against Israel. They are chanting against the billions paid out to terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah while Iranians go without basic services, such as clean water. The old “sun and lion” flag of pre-Revolutionary Iran is appearing everywhere, even replacing the Islamic Republic's flag on X. Let's backtrack. What precipitated this Tenth of Tevet Iranian Uprising? During Chanukkah, I posted this Scripture from Haggai, which is the prophecy of Chanukkah. Chanukkah is tied prophetically to Daniel's prophecies of “the abomination that causes desolation.” Haggai prophesies that the first day of the event we know as Chanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication, will commemorate a power change, a deliverance from the oppression of a beast government: • “…from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the LORD was founded, consider: Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.'” Haggai continues, highlighting that the appointed time of the prophecy will mark a shaking of the heavens and the earth, which is movement within the principalities and powers that govern the nations: • “Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.' ‘On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,' declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'” declares the LORD of hosts.” (Hag 2:18-23) Although the prophecy is specifically for Israel in a time of return and rebuilding after exile, it pinpoints a timetable that runs in the heavenlies, which in turn will affect the earth. The Prophet Haggai's Hebrew name is Chaggai, “my feast.” A chag is an appointed time, usually marked by a feast. While Chaggai prophesies of the time when Chanukkah will occur in the epoch of the Greek leopard beast, it is accepted that Chanukkah was instituted to remember a missed chag of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) because the Temple was not yet cleansed of the abomination that causes desolation, a detail prophesied by Daniel. Sukkot, by the way, was when the Temple was founded, precisely pinpointing Chanukkah, an event that had not yet occurred. That abomination of desolation is not a one-time thing. Each beast kingdom finds a way to do it. There is yet an abomination situated on the Temple Mount. The appointed principalities and powers that rule from the heavenlies were adjusted, shaken out of the way to accommodate the returned status of the Jews from Babylonian captivity and the cooperation of Medo-Persia in the transition. This shaking of principalities and powers is also described in the Book of Revelation, a sign that the twelve tribes have repented, returned, and are ready to take up their appointed control of the twelve gates of Jerusalem, another way of saying they will judge the earth with the reigning Messiah Yeshua. The timetable is of particular interest to us this year because the first day of Chanukkah (24th/25th of Kislev), as Chaggai prophesied, is a day when the principalities and powers were adjusted. Nothing changed in the visible world immediately, but powers of nations shake in the spiritual domain. The next appointed time after Chanukkah is the 10th of Tevet, the Tenth Month, a fast day instituted to mourn the beginning of King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. It was the beginning of the end for Jerusalem and the First Holy Temple. The 10th of Tevet is considered a “minor” fast day because it is not in the Torah, but in the Prophet Zechariah 8:19:   • “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.'”   It is hard to define modern Iran as either Babylon or Persia, especially when it was infused with the Western influence of the third beast Greece during the reign of Alexander. Daniel described the fourth beast Rome as a conglomerate of the kingdoms that had gone before. So are the modern systems of the beast. The bear swallowed the lion. The leopard swallowed the bear. The Roman beast emerged from between the Western Greece bronze beast and the Eastern golden lion and silver bear; Rome swallowed them all, morphing and developing the most effective power tools of each kingdom: military, religion, politics, government, medicine, athletics, arts, philosophy, education...whatever worked. The beast systems work in three stages: ·     Invitation, baiting with things people want ·     Coercion, application of pressure through punishment for non-compliance ·     Death In Iran, the Islamic regime used this exact progression to gain control of a flowering country in the Middle East in 1979. Recognizing that the shah was introducing modern Western technology and changes too quickly for a traditionally conservative nation (think of Marty McFly going from “Earth Angel” to a heavy metal version of “Johnny B. Goode” in under two minutes in Back to the Future), along with too many other historical and political factors to explain short of recommending a reading list, the Islamists baited the youth of the nation, but when the ayatollah took power, it turned into bait-n-switch. When the Iranian people realized it wasn't what they signed up for, it was too late. The compliance squads round up and torture or kill those who object. They repress every rebellion. They persecute the growing underground church. They threaten and imprison the tiny Jewish community still left in the country if they don't speak support for the regime. They imprison, torture, and kill women who don't wear the hijab. That's how the beast works. But today, the beast shakes.   If you are unfamiliar with the Biblical calendar, the beast kingdoms of Daniel's prophecy, or how principalities and powers exert influence over the earth, we have the following available on YouTube, and our Creation Gospel workbook classes will help establish a good foundation for understanding the Biblical feasts and calendar. To enroll, scroll down. The Fast of Tevet A Concise History of the Beast Principalities and Powers Part One Principalities and Powers Part Two Perhaps next week, we can speak more to the abomination that causes desolation and Dobiel, the Prince of Persia who is thought to have fought Gabriel.

Love and Torah – what's love got to do with it? This study series is based on the “Two Great Commands” – love Yahweh and love your neighbor. In Ephesians 5, Rabbi Steve Berkson continues to teach us how to love one another. Stopping at verse 1, he explains how to become imitators of Elohim as dear children. How does one become an imitator? What aspects of Elohim should we imitate? What are the two ways to become an imitator? Then, in verse 2, we are exhorted to walk in love as the Messiah also loved us, giving ourselves to others as a gift to Elohim. Rabbi Berkson identifies several points that will help you understand and do this. He also identifies a couple of glaring problems that are adversely affecting the Body of Messiah today. Rabbi Berkson once again dissects the words in these passages so that you will have a deeper understanding of what Yah expects of you, so that you can do it and receive the blessings. Visit our website, https://mtoi.org, to learn more about MTOI. https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide You can reach MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m., and every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time for Torah Study Live Stream.

The weekly Torah portion reading this week is the first in the story of the Exodus, aka “Shemot” in the Hebrew, which also begins the story of the life of Moses (Moshe) — Exodus/Shemot 1:1 through 6:2. And these few chapters seem to cover a period of over two centuries, a descent into “cruel bondage” from a life of plenty in the land of Goshen, and fully two-thirds of the life of the man “drawn from the water.” https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SSM-1-9-26-Shemot-teaching-podcast-xxx.mp3 Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship, in the Sabbath Day midrash, notes up front that this story picks up after what is generally recognized as at least two centuries of silence from Scripture. And the story hinges on the advent of a new king, who “knew NOT Joseph.” And even after some genealogy, the stunning (to some, certainly!) story of midwives who didn’t read Romans 13, and a few verses about the birth of Moses, and his salvation by being “drawn out of the water,” it’s also true that the first eighty years of his life are given only a little ink in the Book, compared to the detail about what follows, in just the final third of his life. So it’s fascinating to examine just WHAT Scripture has us focus on during those years. There are things said, things that have a startlingly similar pattern, and things UNSAID, but which still resonate, because we can arguably see the concerning parallels right now. And there’s a question that emerges, too. Shemot: Where are the MEN? https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/WT-CooH-1-10-26-Shemot-Where-are-the-MEN-podcast-xxx.mp3 The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash:

News and commentary from host Mark Call, for the first week of the year 2026, and both the deceptions and the engineered violence are off to a screeching start. Those who don’t pay close attention are intended to be deceived.

The first full week of 2026 has more news, more deception, and more mayhem than the last full month.

For four (plus) years, the USA descended into clear insanity. The Rule of Law has been consistently undermined since long before that. COVID tyranny was followed up by the spectacle of a senile imposter and a regime that was so far gone that ‘wokeness’ demanded the blind to even be incapable of discerning a man from a woman, much less right from wrong. And then, finally, the pendulum seemed to be to swing back in the opposite direction. The election fraud, while almost overwhelming, proved insufficient to overcome the backlash against Idiocy on Parade. And much has been reversed. At least temporarily. But not a single indictment, much less prosecution for treason, has happened. Now the Statue of Limitations for many of the obvious crimes associated with the J6 Fedsurrection has been allowed to pass, to no real effect, and the Somali-land Minnesota Fraud-o-rama seems to have given way to the long-anticipated “We NEED Another George Floyd – NOW” riot parade. And “AI” seems capable of manipulating information, and perhaps even Truth, like never before. But at least we have been warned. Prepare for War

News and commentary for Thursday, 8 January, 2026.

News and commentary for Wednesday, 7 January, 2026.

News and commentary for Tuesday, 6 January, 2026.

Continuation of last weeks message. Please SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to get new teachings.

Love and Torah – what's love got to do with it? This study series is based on the “Two Great Commands” – love Yahweh and love your neighbor. Continuing our journey through the second of the Two Great Commands, ‘love your neighbor', Rabbi Steve Berkson takes us to Luke 6:38, where we see Messiah Yeshua continuing to show the contrast between what Rabbi Berkson calls “the Below” and “the Above”. He points out that in order to please the Father, you must be aligned with “the Above”. A component of loving Yahweh and your neighbor is giving. What does that mean, though? Rabbi Berkson clarifies how, when, and why to give. He also points out an incentive to give, noting that whatever we give will be returned, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Rabbi Berkson uses his trip to a Baskin-Robbins™ ice cream store to make the point. In Luke 6:39-40, Messiah Yeshua tells a parable about the blind leading the blind. Rabbi Berkson cautions about where and from whom you get your information as you walk in Torah observance. There's a lot of misinformation out there that presents itself with authority. In verse 41, Yeshua teaches about the plank in your eye and the splinter in your brother's eye. Rabbi Berkson explains how some people take Torah knowledge and use it as a weapon to try to “help” others with their walk. “Correction can only happen correctly in the right relationship.” Then in Luke 6:47-49, Rabbi Berkson tells us that our lives are like building a house. Are we building on the correct foundation, or without one? The key is whether or not we are listening to and doing the words of Messiah. Rabbi Berkson once again dissects the words in these passages so that you will have a deeper understanding of what Yah expects of you, so that you can do it and receive the blessings.

News and commentary for Monday, 5 January, 2026. There is a single major story dominating the world today, and it far more important, and layered, than the Waste-Stream media, or the Left, would like you to believe. But, to put it in perspective – we are now seeing in Nicolas Maduro the ONLY Venezuelan gang member that the Far Left does NOT want to see imported into AmeriKa.

Torah parsha ‘Vayechi’ (Genesis/Bereshiet 47:28 – End) this week is the final reading in the Book of Genesis, and not only concludes the stories of the life of Yakov, and his son Joseph in particular, but sets the stage for the Exodus to come. The Erev Shabbat reading lays out the story, and also the final adoption – literally – of Ephraim and Manasseh, and the structure of the ‘twelve tribes’ that underlie the rest of Scripture, both historically and prophetically: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SSM-1-2-26-VaYechi-teaching-podcast-xxx.mp3 The Sabbath Day midrash this week addresses the ‘elephant in the room,’ that follows so many of the aspects of this story of Genesis as it concludes: – Yakov/Jacob “adopts” the two sons of Joseph, not only giving him their ‘double-portion’ in the inheritance, and replacing Reuben in that place, but setting up the second (after Judah) in what will be the line of kings, in this case of the Northern Kingdom, and so much of what seems to follow in later history. – After the death of Jacob, the brothers STILL don’t seem to “get it,” and understand that Joseph did not intend to punish them for their treachery so many years earlier. But that theme also resonates later – in that “there arose another king in Egypt,” who “did not know Joseph.” And Mark Call, of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship, outlines why THAT is still ever so true! VaYechi: They STILL Don’t ‘Know Him’ https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/WT-CooH-1-3-26-VaYechi-They-STILL-Dont-Know-Him-podcast-xxx.mp3 ADDENDUM: The normal Q&A that largely follows the midrash is a bit different this week, since the stunning attack on Venezuela and capture of the communist dictator Maduro happened overnight, and was largely complete by the time the Sabbath session took place. It doesn’t ‘flow’ with the majority of the Torah reading, but is important, and will be of interest, as it was to those in the room, and so is included here. There are also MAJOR aspects most Americans have NOT been informed about: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SSM-1-3-26-VaYechi-QnA-Venezuela-attack-Maduro-Smartmatic-special-podcast-addendum-xxx.mp3 The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash:

DID YA’ KNOW? #4 WATCH VIDEO HERE (MORE MESSAGES (BOTH AUDIO ONLY AND VIDEO) LIKE THIS (such as Did Ya’ Know# 2 and 3) at https://www.HisWordHeals.com/blog )  [Rev 14:11 NKJV] 11 “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who WORSHIP the beast and his image, and whoever receives the MARK of his name.” The Mark of the Beast! There are tons of theories out there as to what this will look like… everything from just Sunday worship to a physical microchip stuck to your forehead. Today we will take a closer look at exactly what scripture says this could look like. Is it an actual physical mark in or on your flesh or spiritual mark such as YHWH via the angel with the ink horn puts on the foreheads of those who sigh and cry over the abominations being done in Jerusalem in Ezekiel 9? So lets start this deep dive into what scripture actually says about the ‘mark' by looking at the Greek word that is translated as ‘MARK' NINE TIMES total in the New Testament, EIGHT of those being in Revelation all referencing the MARK of the beast with the NINTH time, the ONLY time, this word appears in the New Testament OUTSIDE of the book of Revelation. I think the fact that this word is only found ONE TIME OUTSIDE the of the book of Revelation VERY IMPORTANT to the understanding of what this actual MARK might actually entail and/or consist of. We will look at the 8 times in Revelation first and then the very interesting 9th time in the book of… lol I'm not going to tell you where yet. You'll have to stay tuned! VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED… MESSAGE ENDS WITH CLIP FROM FINAL GENYSIS CONCERT TOUR STOP AT GIZA PYRAMIDS (BY ANYMA) OCTOBER 10, 2025 ALONG WITH THE TORAH PORTIONS FROM THAT WEEK AND THE WEEK PRIOR AS A WARNING WE BELIEVE FROM ABBA REGARDING THIS TECHNOLOGY AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST SYSTEM. THIS CLIP IS BEING USED FOR EDUCATION UNDER THE FAIR USE STANDARD/LAW. PLEASE GO TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE AND HELP THIS MESSAGE/WARNING TO GET OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

This week that begins the ‘new year’ might also, if normal still existed, be called a “slow news week.” Many markets are closed, reporters are on vacation, and even the high-paid criminals are still recovering from their binges. But Mark Call and David Justice still have plenty to talk about, especially as things hidden are being revealed.

News and commentary from host Mark Call, for the final week of the year 2025, and into the New Year. It’s that nominally “quiet period” at year-end, when most of the criminal and those who lie about them are taking an undeserved hiatus. Which means things that might otherwise get ignored may get reported, in the hopes they’ll be ignored. Likewise, markets tend to be ‘thinly-traded,’ which means that when the manipulation is so clearly breaking down even then, there’s a hint of things to come. Are AmeriKans really as clueless as the Far Left and their Fake News want you to believe? People seem to be finally catching on. But that still doesn’t mean “justice” will be done. Pay attention!

In this episode, Old Testament scholar Dr. Carmen Imes unpacks widespread Christian misunderstandings of Torah and shows how the laws of the Old Testament were never meant as a means of salvation, but as a way of living out Israel's covenant identity. Rather than a legalistic burden, Torah was a gift of freedom—a lifestyle for a people already redeemed. Dr. Imes explains how Jesus wasn't raising the bar beyond Sinai but calling his followers back to its original heart: internal transformation, not external compliance. Through examples like the command against coveting and teachings on oath-making, she demonstrates how the Torah shaped a moral imagination rooted in God's character. She also reveals the narrative logic of Israel's law: it was given within a story of deliverance, not in abstraction. Laws were embedded in history, and many operated more like wisdom paradigms than court-enforceable codes. This narrative-law fusion is unique to Israel among ancient Near Eastern cultures. With compelling insights into the Ten Commandments, patriarchal structures, and agricultural ethics like gleaning, Imes challenges modern Christians to reinterpret Torah as a resource for discipleship—not something to discard, but to embody. Torah becomes not a list of rules, but a lens for living justly in every generation. We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapters: 0:00 Why the Torah isn't what gave salvation to the Israelites 2:28 Why there are rules in the Bible 7:44 Oath-making in the Hebrew Bible 13:07 What the Ten Commandments were really like 17:23 The uniqueness of the Hebraic covenants and Old Testament laws 25:04 What it means to "love the LORD your God with all your heart"

News and commentary for Wednesday, 31 December, 2025.

News and commentary for Tuesday, 30 December, 2025.

Noisy Doors, Leaky Roofs, and the Mark of the Beast Last week's newsletter was written to be very simple. This week...not simple. We're tying together our lessons on the Salt Covenant, The Scarlet Harlot, and the basic menorah pattern of Workbook One. So no, it's not simple, but it's not too difficult, either! Try printing it off and studying it over two Shabbats, referencing the suggested videos or workbooks as you go.   ***   So what do noisy doors, leaky roofs, and the mark of the beast have in common?    Excellent question! I'm glad you asked.   In order to see the connection, we have to know a little something about each of them. If you want a refresher on the Beast, consider signing up for the Creation Gospel Workbook Four class coming up with Kisha Gallagher (scroll down for info) or watching the Scarlet Harlot series on YouTube. You can also refresh your memory on the meaning of the mezuzah with our "More Than" YouTube videos. We'll cover a few basics here to tie it together.   “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me…”   Yeshua standing at the door knocking is a huge hint, especially on the heels of John's sobering prophecies of the mark of the beast in Revelation. If we can't see the link to the world commercial system as “Babylon” in Revelation, we're not trying very hard. Revelation begins with memos to the seven assemblies emphasizing their need to “overcome” the tribulations John is about to describe,   • “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Re 3:14-21)   We can conclude that how to overcome is described in Revelation, but we can also conclude that an ignorance of the Torah will make our understanding only partial. Revelation is written as an incredibly intricate re-telling of the Torah portions. Without an understanding of those Torah portions, it will be difficult to be identified as one of those who overcome when they “keep the testimony of Yeshua and the commandments of God.”   If Yeshua knocks on the door of one of these potential overcomers, he knocks on a door that is marked by a mezuzah, which contains summaries of the commandments. To pull in the themes of our Salt Covenant study over the last several weeks, a mezuzah is a sign that those inside the house know to be salty within, tenderly and joyfully salting their commandment-keeping. Because they are pliable to the work of the Ruach HaKodesh within the house, they are ready to meet the challenges of the Beast outside the house.   The mezuzah is their reminder that they've committed their coming and going, especially their work and business dealings, to preserving their covenant with the Father with salt, for savory salt is our faith, the tenderness we have toward His Word. It is our desire to draw close to Him through our sacrifices, not begrudgingly or to be admired by others, but to give glory to the Father. Yeshua reminds us that he also wants to draw near to our salty selves, so he stands at the door and knocks.   Just imagine that the mezuzah on your door was Yeshua standing there each day inquiring if he may accompany you in your coming and going.   Because he is. The custom is to touch one's fingers to the mezuzah and kiss the fingers. It demonstrates affection and tenderness toward the Shma and other scriptures in the mezuzah, which remind us in our coming and going Who the only Source of wealth is. The name Shaddai is inscribed on mezuzot, which is the name describing His attribute of nourishment and supply.   By touching the mezuzah, we also are reminded like the Israelites in Deuteronomy Eight: “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers...”   The mezuzah on the door marks the boundary between what happens when we go into the world and how we are inside our homes. If we are at war inside our homes, then how will we war against the principalities and powers outside our homes? The shin on the tefillin reminds the person Who opens the Heavenly windows to drip down zuzim, or coins, transactions, in our lives. Zuz is found in the word mezuzah, but the letter shin is found on both the mezuzah and the prayer tefillin.   Because they are worn in prayer, it helps one to adjust those trade prayers according to Yeshua's model…daily bread…forgiveness…holiness…His will and glory on earth…protection from temptation to sin. Ever notice how many famous actors, musicians, and sports stars end up unhappy, addicted, disconnected from the real world, and just plain weird? We are not spiritually wired to receive the glory of Heaven, only to reflect the glory of Heaven outward with salt. Of course they get weird and depressed!   Our labor and business dealings outside the home must be salted and lit from within first. We must extend ourselves from within, or it will eventually be evident to the world that we did not exert ourselves according to our wealth of salvation and light.nIt is thought that the marks of tzaraat (leprosy) that appeared in a home were a result of greed and stinginess. When the priests removed everything inside to the outside to quarantine and scrape the stones, everyone would see the wealth concealed inside, especially if they'd pretended not to have enough to help the needy brother. The “best third” is where the mezuzah is placed on a door, the upper third, like an upper room. The mezuzah marks the right hand frame of the door about 2/3 of the way up: “Mezuzah guards the Covenant, and so observing the mitzvah of mezuzah leads a person to truth and faith, the faith which is absolutely necessary when conducting business.”    “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,' And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.'” (Zec 13:9)   Yeshua invokes this prophecy in Zechariah when he warns the Laodiceans in Revelation Three that he is standing at the door knocking: “Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich…”   This is where we see another connection to the mezuzah. Zechariah prophesies of the “third part.” This is thought to be the remnant that will come through the tribulation refined by fire instead of destroyed by it. They have not succumbed to the Beast's commercial activity, buying and selling excessively or on Shabbat (see CG Workbook Four or Workbook Two). Traditionally, the mezuzah is affixed at a pointing on the right side of the door 2/3 of the way up the door. To relate the thirds, the mezuzah is like the principle of the “upper room” we've studied over the last several weeks.    Ancient Israelite houses typically had two levels, a ground level where beasts were stabled and practical household work such as cooking and weaving took place, but the family quarters were on the second floor. An extra upper room had to be built either on the second floor or atop the family quarters, making it an upper third. More simply, an upper room was where the family made space for visitors, a space that wasn't there, yet they created the space through hospitality.   Those upper rooms in Scripture were places associated with hospitality toward the righteous visitor as well as resurrection from the dead, like the stories of Elijah, Elisha, Dorcas, and Eutychus. A mezuzah reminds us not to neglect making those spaces of hospitality for the righteous visitor, who represents hospitality toward Yeshua and the Living Word. Yeshua's noisy knocking on the door is a daily reminder that when we make an “upper room” of hospitality, then we are actually tapping into the Garden of Eden. The resurrections in the upper rooms of Scripture show us this.    On the mezuzah is either the Name Shaddai, or it is in the shorthand of the first Hebrew letter shin. Not so coincidentally, the tefillin that are placed on an Israelite male's forehead and arm are also marked with a shin (see above). The mezuzah and tefillin remind each day:   • Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Dt 6:4-9)    Deuteronomy 8:11-19 reminds Israel not to be deceived when they become comfortable and prosperous in the Land, for their wealth will deceive them into thinking they earned it with their own hand. Remember the gumballs?   The tefillin on the hand and arm are a reminder that it is YHVH alone who gives the power to acquire wealth. Likewise, the mezuzah is marked with a shin for Shaddai, the One who provides sustenance, nourishment to Israel. Strangely, the shin is made of three Hebrew letters vav joined at the bottom. The gematria value of vav is six. 666.    Whaaaaat? Yes, it's the mark of the beast. But that's not the whole story. The mezuzah and tefillin are NOT the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast is when you get very close to being a salt covenant household or person, yet you have something lacking. Salt. Your daily work is not to acquire the wealth of the Kingdom to the glory of the Father, which can only be done through the power of the Ruach HaKodesh moving through the Word in you. The mark of the beast is when our daily work is to acquire the object of desire for our own sake. We can hear the disingenuous, unsalty believer when he says, “If God will just let me win the lottery, I'll build orphanages and feed the poor all over the world.”   And he probably will. But he will do it only in order to feed his own desires first. He's not really seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He's pursuing his own kingdom, offering God a deal that the Kingdom of Heaven will benefit from the scraps. Such a person will not give commensurately with his newfound wealth, for he is stingy at heart. Unsavory salt. Tepid. Lukewarm. Blechhhh!   The secret of the 666 is that it is only the letter of the Torah without the Ruach. The shin is like a menorah when the backlight of the Ruach shines through it (again, see Workbooks 2 & 4). Remember last week's lesson on the gumball machine? It was what you couldn't see that had to occur before what you could see. The Ruach precedes the letter of the Torah. Together, with the spiritual backlight through the literal three vavs, it yields seven, the seven- branched menorah. One tefillin has three vavs, but its mate has four! 3 + 4 = 7. Compare to the above: To be unsalty is 666. To be salty is to shine the seven spirits of Adonai described in Isaiah and Revelation:     •  wisdom   •  understanding   •  counsel   •  Spirit of Adonai   •  power   •  knowledge   •  reverence    Yeshua, the Living Word, is the doorkeeper of the overcoming household. We never want to reduce him to someone there to reward us with wealth. The word mezuzah comes from a Hebrew word meaning movement, going back and forth. The historical zuz was a coin, about a day's sustenance for one adult:   • Weight: About 4.26 grams (0.137 troy ounces) of silver. • Value: Historically equivalent to a day's wage or a portion of food/clothing, (e.g., 200 zuz was a year's support).  • Modern value would be about $20.   "Give us today our daily bread." Not the lottery.   Not so coincidentally, a mezuzah means more than movement. It is rooted as well in the movement of a beast: What starts out as a beautiful creation of spirit (upper room), soul and body (lower rooms), can degenerate into the mark of the beast. Instead of letting the Ruach drip into our lower rooms of work and family, the upper room is sealed off because of our stinginess and greed. Esau and Jacob had very different motives in asking for blessings. We can become unsavory, relentless hunters like Esau, the Red One, nicknamed Edom because he was red and hairy all over like a beast, a man of the field who loved hunting. We don't want to become marked by the Red One, never satisfied, even on Shabbat.   “…and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” (Re 13:17)   Nehemiah's struggles with those returning to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, especially in their continued buying and selling on Shabbat, are the reference point. He eventually had to order the gates of Jerusalem shut and locked to prevent the vendors from coming in with their goods. How glorious will it be when the gates no longer need to be shut, for no one will even entertain the idea of disobeying the King of King's command to rest and be with Him in Jerusalem on Shabbat.   Knock, knock.   In short, the mark of the beast is on one who buys and sells on Shabbat. Because there is no trust in Adonai to provide the many things we crave, we continue to work on His holy day. Someone who believes in God may have salt, but it is not savory. One who believes in God enough to do what He says is savory salt. Salt allows us to draw near the upper room of the Garden. I'm sure Yeshua is having wonderful conversations with the righteous souls of those who just didn't understand Shabbat, but they were faithful in what they knew. They are learning while they wait, not rebelling.   Ezekiel describes what went wrong in the “upper room” of the Garden of Eden, a hospitable place for those who want to draw near to the voice of Elohim, but a place from which rebels are purged. The “trader” was cast out of the heavenly fiery stones and tossed into the lower realms of strange, profane fire, that is, fire used by those estranged from the upper room fires of the Ruach above:   You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. (Eze 28:13-16; 18)   Ezekiel 28 drops a hint to where we should be vigilant: “By the abundance of your trading [H7404 rekula] you became filled with violence within, and you sinned...”   ????? rawkal' [H7402] to travel for trading   Our trade is part of work for our living, yet, the abundance is the danger zone. If our inner fire craves more wealth than we are willing to give back to Heaven commensurately, our going back and forth, zuzing about, to trade our time and effort for goods, power, and esteem becomes idolatry. In Hebrew, moving back and forth is zuz [zuz is also a coin], the root of mezuzah. The mezuzah marks the door where we travel back and forth each day to obtain our portion of wealth.   When our pursuit of wages and wealth pushes the testimony of Yeshua and the commandments of God beneath our feet instead of allowing them to drip daily from the upper room of the resurrection Ruach that raised Messiah from the dead, we sin. Our house's upper room should be designed to drip to lower floors of daily living, or we become unsavory salt.   We trade our precious lives, our time, our effort, to accumulate an abundance of things, not necessarily money, but what money will purchase: entertainment, security, comfort, esteem, power, knowledge, appeasement, etc. These things deceive us into believing they will bring joy and peace, but we know it's a lie because they never do. They are simply offered to the strange, consuming fire of the soul, but are not refinement of the spirit, which is everlasting peace and joy. It brings savory salt, light, and contentment from within.    The ancient investment advice is:   • Invest 1/3 of your income in tangible property such as real estate, durable goods, secure long-term investments  • Invest 1/3 in your daily labor, your paycheck, investments that provide a faster return, a little riskier, easily liquidated • Invest 1/3 above the mezuzah in the Kingdom of Heaven by lending to the poor, giving to needy, investing time in spiritual causes along with Torah study, prayer, service, discussing Scripture with others, etc. Even kindness is an investment!   We should not become “stingy” with Heavenly principles in the world of work, which would reflect a home's lower rooms sealed off from the upper room. The upper room should drip the testimony of Yeshua and the noisy commandments of God through the power of the resurrection Ruach. It leaks into the lower rooms of family and work!   The leaky roof is what we need to carry into the world of work and business as well as our relationships. An outwardly successful business producing wealth that can only be spent before the resurrection of the dead is not successful at all.    Preparation in the home under the disciplines of the Ruach HaKodesh will be evident in the place of business, not as a pile of 666 cash, but as peace in drawing near the Father, salt. The physical work is simply a means of building the Kingdom instead of demanding that the Father bless our work to build our own kingdoms of security, esteem, attention, comfort, intellectual stimulation, etc. Whether we have little or many zuzim, all we need to remember is that we must give commensurately with the wealth the Father drips down upon us.    If we can be responsible even with earthly money, which has no righteousness within itself, then we can be responsible with Heavenly riches.   If we can't be trusted to give commensurately with our wealth when there is no Temple service, and much freedom is granted in when and how much we give, then how can the Father trust us with His riches when the Temple on “the mountain of God” descends? The Temple services and the Land of Israel are places of extreme exactness in managing work and wealth.   Manage earthly zuzim faithfully, and we will inherit the Heavenly riches to manage.    One of my favorite movies is about a Quaker family, from the book Friendly Persuasion. One of the funniest lines is, “Friend, thee's got a squeaky door upstairs.”    Friend, thee's got a squeaky door downstairs, too. Yeshua is knocking, reminding, inquiring, requesting if we will open to his voice. It is the same voice of Elohim that walked and talked in the Garden, an upper room.   When we open our doors to him, we release the water of the Word from our upper rooms and let it fill our homes, workplaces, and relationships. If we move about, may we zuz for the glory of the Father.    Please SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to get new teachings.

Rabbi Steve Berkson would like to introduce Mr. William Jackson to the MTOI family. Among his many abilities and talents, Mr. Jackson assists Rabbi Berkson with administrative tasks, sings in the Praise Team, and is an accomplished speaker and teacher. In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, Messiah Yeshua gave His disciples final instructions before His execution by the occupying Romans. He told them emphatically, “Stay in Me,” because they could do nothing on their own (John 15:4). What does it mean to “stay in” Messiah? How do we stay connected to Him? Why is it so hard to stay in Him? Why is it so important to stay in Him? To connect the concept of “Stay in Me,” Mr. Jackson takes us to Matthew chapter 25 and expounds on the two parables the Messiah taught there – the Ten Virgins and their lamps and oil, and the man who gave his servants his possessions to invest while he was on a trip. Mr. Jackson offers insights into these parables that few have heard before. You will be encouraged and strengthened by this powerful teaching. Visit our website, https://mtoi.org, to learn more about MTOI. https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide You can reach MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m., and every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time for Torah Study Live Stream.

News and commentary for Monday, 29 December, 2025.

The Torah reading this week is the final installment in the ‘cliffhanger’ series, of the story of Yosef, or Joseph, where he reveals himself to his brothers, afterJudah ‘mans up.’ Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a two-part look at parsha “VaYigash,” Genesis chapters 44:18 – 47:27: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SSM-12-26-25-VaYigash-teaching-podcast-xx.mp3 The Sabbath Day midrash begins with the climax of that historic test. But Judah seems to complete it in a way that astounded even Joseph. And Mark suggests that is what is so significant here. Neither of them, nor the other brothers, knew how it would turn out, or even what was expected. Only YHVH, Who brought it all together, in His time. But that is one way of understanding what a “double-blind test” is: If any of the direct participants really know what is going on, that might affect the behavior, and thus the outcome of the test. How’s that for a metaphor? And, if you think about it, that is the very OPPOSITE of the concept of Chess! But it’s “part and parcel” of the Spiritual War in progress, and clearly a vital understanding on the path ahead. VaYigash: Double-blind tests Outright War’ https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WT-CooH-12-26-25-VaYigash-THE-Double-Blind-Test-and-a-Murky-Divided-Pagan-World-podcast-xxx.mp3 The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash:

David Justice and Mark Call take a look at what might – normally, if we still had such a thing – be called a “slow news week.” One of those year-end times when most reporters are on vacation, and even the high-paid criminals seem to take a break. Which really means that the “noise level is down.” And stories that might not even be noticed manage to get reported when most folks aren’t paying attention.

Did the Holy Spirit's activity die out after the first century, or has He always moved through His people? Dr. Jay and Amazing Larry show that the filling of the Holy Spirit has always been the Father's plan and that has not ended. Are you ready to be challenged?Frothy Thoughts with the Truth BaristaVisit HighBeam Ministry, The Truth BaristaCheck out the Frothy Thoughts Blog!Check out The Truth Barista Books!Check out The Truth Barista YouTube Channel!

News and commentary for Tuesday, 23 December, 2025.

The Truth About Gumballs for the young and young at heart. Sit down, young folks, and I'll tell you a story of long ago.    There was a time when I, too, was young, and we used money you could hold, put in your pocket, and drop into vending machines. Ladies carried coin purses especially for coins. Coins were collected carefully, sorted, and counted because we would save them up to buy something, maybe a comic book or a pint of ice cream. In emergencies, we'd use those coins for lunch money, a little embarrassed if we didn't have two quarters to hand the cashier. Everyone knew if you paid with dimes, nickels, and pennies, your parents had come up short.   Coins could also be used as toys. You could play something like a cross between table hockey and marbles (look up how to play marbles) with coins, and I liked setting up basketball and football plays with them the way coaches use whiteboards now. Boys sometimes played quarters, but I couldn't afford to lose mine, so I didn't play that game.   One of the great things about coins was that back then, people paid for things with money, and they received change in coins. Dad would empty his pockets of change coins into an old ashtray at the end of the day along with bits of red, blue, and white electrical wire, leftover screws, plastic wire nuts, and guitar picks. What I aimed for, though, was making sure those pockets were emptied before we made it back home.   While Dad paid the cashier at a restaurant, I'd inspect the area around the cashier for gumball machines. There was usually at least one. I always checked the dispenser because sometimes a good Samaritan would leave a piece of gum, or if you turned the lever, a stuck piece might drop out. The timing was important, though. Just as the cashier would hand Dad his change, hopefully with lots of coins, I'd dash in and beam my most angelic smile.   I could usually score at least enough coins for one gumball, and on a good day, two. If he was short on dollar bills, then my gumballs would be forfeited for the tip. Dad always tipped. Everyone should. Even if you can't buy a gumball. Here's why.   There's a passage in Scripture that teaches about gumballs. Don't believe me? Listen closely:   • "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today." (Dt 8:11-18)   God is explaining to the Israelites that the gumball machine doesn't work like they think it does. At first, they were in the wilderness. The Father gave them manna every morning; all they had to do was pick it up. It was like the gumballs just started rolling out of the machine all by themselves.   When they enter the Land of Israel, though, they will have to do something their parents' generation never had to do: sow, cultivate, reap, and thresh to make the produce they'd eat. The extent of the wilderness food effort was their gathering manna that miraculously appeared each morning except Shabbat. God let them be a only little hungry in the wilderness to test them. He didn't starve them, just let them get a little hungry.   Being a little hungry is not a horrible thing, but it was their test to see if their hunger would make them angry with God for not making everything completely comfortable. When we don't get what we want when we want, often we become angry with other people, which is a sign we're angry with God. We think we deserve better. We think if God made us, He should treat us better. That's a test probably everyone but Yeshua has failed at one time or another.   When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they would be blessed to work and accumulate their own wealth. The danger was that they might be deceived into thinking their wealth was a result of their own efforts. They might think they put the coins in the machine, exerted the effort, and therefore, gumballs would fall freely because they turned the lever. They could become pretty proud of themselves for making so much money by planting and harvesting crops.    But the Heavenly Father is not a gumball machine, and the Land of Israel doesn't just produce crops because Israelites plant, cultivate, and harvest.   When I was really young, I never thought about how the gumballs got into the machine or who put the machine there. I only knew that if a coin went in, and I turned the lever, gum would roll out. The coin and I were all that really mattered. When I grew a little older, I realized that someone put the machine there to make money, usually for some charity listed on a sticker, and someone came and refilled the machine even though I never saw it happening.    If what I didn't see didn't happen first, then what I saw and did couldn't happen later.    The gumball machine owner supplied gum for me to buy, but it also provided the profit to the needy. If I'd known that earlier, I'd have pressed a lot harder for extra coins to buy more gumballs to “help the needy.”    And there's the problem in our fallen human nature. We're greedy. Would as many people just drop coins in a charity box as they did the gumball machine?    I think many would. And Israelites should.   On Erev Shabbat, we have a chance to do that, to drop coins in a charity box without receiving anything, gumballs included, in return. It's called a tzedekah box. Before lighting the Shabbat candles, we drop some money in a tzedekah box, and when the container is full, the money is given to a worthy cause.   Israelites should be willing to give because the Heavenly Father gave to them first, and they want to share with others. They know they didn't earn the money alone. The Heavenly Father released that money with His own hand in an unseen action. If that unseen action didn't take place, then we wouldn't have the ability to earn it.    To understand it takes something called faith. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” (He 11:1) Do we literally see the Father release our income? No, we can't. It happens in a spiritual realm, which is something very difficult for our eyes to see and our mind to believe. And yet, it's the truth!   Not one seed would grow if the Word was not releasing it to do so. The Father watches His special creations, human beings, and must shake His head when they believe they earned their money without Him. Just because a gumball fell out of the machine after we worked to get the coin, put it in the machine, and turned the lever, that doesn't mean we alone made the gumball appear. An Israelite must be different from other people who don't know or believe that.   The Heavenly Father opens a window in Heaven, which gives us the power to earn money and profit from our labors. It's a mistake to think that we alone are responsible for how much or how little we have. Something happens first that we don't see, and that allows us to do our work and earn.    We, in turn, have the power to give some of that wealth to others. If we believe that something happened first: the Heavenly Father created everything, including us, and He supplies seeds, sun, and rain to make things grow, and then He opens an unseen door to release the increase when we work, then we understand the truth of the gumball machine. We have no reason to be stingy with others because the Father has not been stingy with us. He said we should remember this because it is part of our Covenant with Him. An agreement.   In this case, our agreement is that no matter how much it seems only our efforts produced our coins, we'll believe the Father first made us able to do so. That truth of our faith will trigger us to in turn do what is in our ability to bless others. Instead of saying, “The work of my hand got me this, so it's mine to keep,” we'll share a generous portion with the needy because the Father's hand was in it. We're in a real partnership with Him, not just standing there waiting with our empty baskets in the wilderness every morning.   This is how we lend that money to the Father until He decides to open up Heaven a little more for the needy person:   • "One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed." (Pr 19:17)   But just like the faith that sees the unseen, releasing the power to work and make money, that same faith sees that the repayment, or at least most of it, the Father holds in our heavenly bank accounts for us to have in eternity. Imagine that...a loan that will be repaid to us forever. Gumballs rolling through infinity.   “Faith was never meant to replace action. It was meant to guide it.” - Juda Honickman  

Love and Torah – what's love got to do with it? This study series is based on the “Two Great Commands” – love Yahweh and love your neighbor. Continuing our journey into the second of the Two Great Commands, ‘love your neighbor', Rabbi Steve Berkson turns to Luke 6:20, where he examines the event known as the Sermon on the Mount. Messiah teaches His disciples, contrasting life in this world (the below) with life in the heavens (the above). • Do you feel blessed when others mistreat you because of your faith in the Messiah? • Are you able to look ahead to the joy that is coming? Can you practice delayed gratification? • How can it be a bad thing when people speak well of you? What people? • How is it possible to love your enemy as the Messiah taught us to? Were you ever an “enemy of Elohim”? Didn't He love you when you were in that state? Rabbi Berkson once again dissects the words in these passages so that you will have a deeper understanding of what Yah expects of you, so that you can do it and receive the blessings. Visit our website, https://mtoi.org, to learn more about MTOI. https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide You can reach MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m., and every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time for Torah Study Live Stream.

The Torah reading this week continues the story of Yosef, or Joseph, where it picks up in prison, after he has interpreted two dreams, for Pharaoh’s chief butler, and baker. Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a two-part look at parsha “Miketz,” Genesis chapter 41 through 44:17, where, after two full years, the story begins with a pair of dreams that Pharaoh himself has. The Erev Shabbat reading: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SSM-12-19-25-Miketz-teaching-podcast-xxx.mp3 The Sabbath Midrash explores the nature of ‘tests’. The parsha starts with “after two full years,” suggesting that Joseph was required to wait on YHVH, and the rest of the story is replete with tests. Which is where we are now. Miketz: Tests – of Faith, of Leadership, and Those Who Would Be His https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WT-CooH-12-20-25-Miketz-Tests-of-Faith-of-Leadership-and-of-gods-Real-and-fake-podcast-xxx.mp3 The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash:

We are almost a year into the new administration, where what may have been the biggest landslide in US history roundly rejected a senile imposter that most Americans now at least belatedly realize was NOT actually elected to the Presidency. Yet there have been no convictions, or even trials, for treason. A bill was passed in Congress to attempt to prevent perverts and groomers from engaging in chemical and surgical mutilation of minors. Yet mass murders are still perpetrated in Gun-Free Killing Zones against disarmed victims who have yet to figure out how they have been set up. These ARE ‘the Crazy Years.” And we have been warned, repeatedly. If you’re not angry about it by now, you may be the next victim. And the “AI God” is still being constructed. It isn’t about helping you.

News and commentary for Friday, 19 December, 2025.

News and commentary for Thursday, 18 December, 2025.

You can watch this podcast episode on YouTube by clicking hereIn this episode, we will explore some foundational but deeply misunderstood questions: What is the Hebrew definition of “obey?”What does it actually mean to “keep” or “break” the commandments? How did the original Hebrew audience understand obedience, law, covenant, and faith—long before Western theology reshaped those ideas?This episode will challenge modern Christian assumptions by calling us to deconstruct inherited paradigms and return to a Hebraic understanding of Scripture, language, and covenant. The goal is not to burden Believers with rules, but to restore clarity about the heart of the Father and the true nature of the gospel that we are called to “carry to the ends of the earth.”The ultimate goal of this episode is to reframe the biblical definition of obedience in a way that reveals the HEART of the Father. You might be surprised when you learn that the biblical definition of obedience isn't “do” –  it's “listen.”  This episode will restore the depth of crucial Hebrew concepts:Shema (often translated “obey”) means to hear, listen, internalize, and respond appropriately.Shamar (often translated as “keep”) means to guard, protect, and watch over.Parar (often translated as “break”) means to trample, disregard, or nullify“Keeping” the commandments is not about flawless performance, but about guarding the Father's word with a faithful, responsive heart. Likewise, “breaking” the commandments is not about imperfection, but about contempt—casting them behind one's back and disregarding them.The gospel isn't about “getting saved.” It's about learning how to hear the Father, walk in covenant and guard what He loves. Salvation is the door that begins the lifelong journey of learning how to be a covenant people—a “treasured possession” who listens to the Father's voice with a desire to bring Him the glory and honor He is due. This restores peace, removes fear-driven theology of making things a “salvation issue,” and reframes the Believer's walk as a journey of learning and intimacy, not simply a list of “do's and don'ts.” I pray that if you listen to this episode, your heart is filled with joy and excitement as an invitation gets poured into your heart--an invitation that you may have never heard before.The invitation is simple: “SHEMA.” That's it. To simply “listen.”I pray that this episode helps someone who may be wrestling with obedience, faith, or the purpose of the Father's commandments. I pray that it encourages and equips you to understand that obedience isn't just about “doing,” it's about listening first. So take this as an invitation to slow down. Read the Bible without commentary. Stop listening to men to teach you the Father's heart and go straight to the Source.Contact me: stephanie@promise-perspective.comVisit my website: www.promise-perspective.com Support the show

In this in-depth Bible teaching, we explore two critical Hebraisms that unlock major New Testament passages: the Key of the House of David (Isaiah 22) and “All shall be taught by God” (Isaiah 54). First, we examine the Old Testament background of the Key of David and how it reveals delegated royal authority under the king. This foundation allows us to correctly understand Jesus' words to the Church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3 and His absolute authority to open and shut doors of access, ministry, and the Kingdom itself. Next, we tackle Isaiah 54:13 and its direct quotation by Jesus in John 6. By understanding Jewish interpretive methods (PaRDeS), we expose how this passage is often misused to support Calvinistic theology. When read in its proper Jewish and prophetic context, Jesus is not teaching mystical election, but showing that God draws people through Scripture itself. Those who hear and learn from the Father through the Word come to Christ by faith. This study dismantles common misunderstandings about divine drawing, salvation, and election, and reaffirms the biblical truth of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Isaiah 22 Isaiah 53–54 John 6 Revelation 3 Matthew 16 Acts 2 Psalm 2 1 Corinthians 15

In this in-depth Bible teaching, we explore two critical Hebraisms that unlock major New Testament passages: the Key of the House of David (Isaiah 22) and "All shall be taught by God" (Isaiah 54). First, we examine the Old Testament background of the Key of David and how it reveals delegated royal authority under the king. This foundation allows us to correctly understand Jesus' words to the Church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3 and His absolute authority to open and shut doors of access, ministry, and the Kingdom itself. Next, we tackle Isaiah 54:13 and its direct quotation by Jesus in John 6. By understanding Jewish interpretive methods (PaRDeS), we expose how this passage is often misused to support Calvinistic theology. When read in its proper Jewish and prophetic context, Jesus is not teaching mystical election, but showing that God draws people through Scripture itself. Those who hear and learn from the Father through the Word come to Christ by faith. This study dismantles common misunderstandings about divine drawing, salvation, and election, and reaffirms the biblical truth of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Isaiah 22 Isaiah 53–54 John 6 Revelation 3 Matthew 16 Acts 2 Psalm 2 1 Corinthians 15

News and commentary for Monday, 15 December, 2025.

News and commentary for Tuesday, 16 December, 2025.

Love and Torah – what's love got to do with it? This study series is based on the “Two Great Commands” – love Yahweh and love your neighbor. In this teaching, we are switching gears to begin covering the second of the two great commands, loving your neighbor as yourself. Rabbi Steve Berkson begins in Luke 10:25 to explore what Messiah Yeshua says. Rabbi Berkson once again dissects the words in these passages so that you will have a deeper understanding of what Yah expects of you, so that you can do it and receive the blessings. Subscribe to enjoy new content each week. Visit our website, https://mtoi.org, to learn more about MTOI. https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwide You can reach MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m., and every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time for Torah Study Live Stream.

Sadly Self-Employed I've been thinking a lot lately about greed. That's because in our short break from Song of Songs, we've studied salt covenant in our weekly Zoom classes. Although it's only about eight weeks of material, it's been packed with very practical ideas to improve our spiritual life today.   In particular, what's been weighing in my thoughts is the premise that unsavory salt, the kind that has lost its savor, is at its root, greed. In short, our study has dug into Yeshua's question about salt losing its flavor. How do you make it salty again? The salt had savor at some point, but then lost it.   If you review the last newsletters, Scripture specified that salt is something that comes from within a person. It is a softness and tenderness toward the Word and one's neighbor. It's the best part of our sacrifices for the Kingdom and Covenant that fulfills it, and without the salt, commandment-keeping is lacking:   • Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. (Le 2:13)   We can't put unsalty salt on a sacrifice or work of the Word:   • “Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” (Mk 9:50)   “Have salt in yourselves ? be at peace with one another.”   So if we lose saltiness, we aren't tender any longer.   We can actually keep the letter of the commandments, but when it doesn't come from a tenderness within us, it doesn't create peace. That's salt without savor, and those commandments are not acceptable sacrifices for the Covenant, which must not be lacking salt. Defective salt is like a defective animal. No go. Unaccepted.    • Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. (Mt 5:23-24)   Leave the gift at the altar, go get salty again, make things right with your neighbor, then return, and the gift will be accepted because it came from tenderness toward the Father, which in turn made you tender toward His creation, your brother:   • “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Ge 4:7)   Kain was told to put his happy face on with Abel, and then his gift would be accepted. Kain had short-changed the sacrifice by not bringing his best. He didn't bring first fruits; instead, he brought "of the fruit of the ground." Produce, just not his best. Begrudging, for sure. Instead of repenting of his greed, putting on his happy face, and bringing his best, he simply took out his anger and frustration with Elohim by killing his brother.   Put another way, we can be about the Father's business diligently, keeping His commandments, and because of worry and distraction about our income, we find ourselves self-employed, like Martha, who resented Mary's relationship to Yeshua in receiving the Word. Daily we have to remind ourselves to make an "upper room" in our twenty-four hours to simply sit before the Father's Word and soak up His Presence in study and prayer.   Doing things is important; it is the sacrifice we make for our families and the Body of Messiah. Without the salt from within, however, those works of the Covenant are lacking. The very meaning of sacrifice is "draw near," korban.    Does doing a commandment draw us closer to the Father?   If not, it may have become our business instead of His. That's unsavory salt and greed.    When we salt the mitzvot of the Covenant, we exert ourselves, just as savory salt comes from “within yourselves” to make peace with others. We must exert ourselves commensurate with our “wealth.” While money is the example, the object of our desires is obtained with currency, which can be money, yet we might traffic for influence, power, manipulation, etc. to obtain our desires. Money is simply the currency most commonly used for the transaction to satisfy our greed. Greed is undisciplined and un-discipled desire. Sin. Idolatry of self-serving.   It is easy to construe greed as a desire for money, or mammon, yet the less tangibles are nonetheless greedy: knowledge, esteem, security, attention, pleasure, etc. I have seen believers so drunk on the power of Scriptural knowledge that they habitually beat up their fellow servants with the Word. It is no longer the Father's business; instead, they have become self-employed.    They use His Word not to draw people near the Father, but to enrich themselves. Maybe with donations, maybe with product sales, maybe with just a shot of self-esteem in soliciting invitations to speak or posting controversial statements designed to create a public dust-up for attention.   How can we know when someone is unsavory and self-employed, but they've hung out the shingle of "Kingdom Business"?    It's more important to know when WE'VE done it.    Remember, unsaltiness is an inside problem. You won't always see it on the outside. The sacrifice may look just perfect on the altar.    And Yeshua took donations...a group of women followed him throughout his ministry all the way to the upper room, "ministering to him." They loved him all the way to death (Mt 27:55; Mk 15:41; Lk 23:49,55) Yeshua said controversial things, was a highly-sought-after speaker, and he was definitely in the middle of public dust-ups.   The difference is that Yeshua always did what he did and said what he said on actual Kingdom business. He was drawing people closer to the Father or exposing their self-employment in the commandments. His Spirit will help us to search our own hearts so that we don't become "moneychangers," encroaching on the holy places for our personal enrichment and deceiving people who think we're there to serve and help them draw close to the Presence. Instead, we're self-employed, working on our self-esteem needs or securing donations to fuel the fire of our pleasures.   This is something ministries need to soul-search daily, and it's something a royal priesthood should soul-search daily. That's all of us.    As in my example of the "Nuts" in last week's newsletter, sometimes we have to decide whether we're occupied in interests and ministry we've chosen according to our desire, yet the actual fruit ready to harvest is in a different area. It will be a true sacrifice to do business there, but it's where the Father needs us, not where we want to work. At first.   The phenomenon is that if we will adjust our desire to His, sell out completely to draw near to the Father, our desire will actually change. Really! It will!   This is what Yeshua tried to tell the rich young ruler when he told him he still lacked one thing even though the young man had kept all the commandments since he was a boy. He lacked the savor of salt with his commandment-keeping. The young man did not have enough faith in The Word, Yeshua, that the desire in his heart for his wealth would be changed by selling it:   • "But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." (Mk 10:22)   Salt is faith in the Word. It is what prevents us from becoming self-employed in unsavory commandment-keeping. The rich young man would never know the wonder and joy of finding a coin inside a fish's mouth or sharing a simple breakfast on the beach with the resurrected Messiah. A righteous king.   A truly rich man is one who is satisfied with what the Father puts in his hand from above, whether little or much; a truly poor man is one who is never satisfied with what he possesses below, whether little or much.    A truly rich man rejoices in exerting himself and his resources in his Father's business; a truly poor man goes away sad.   Yeshua asks what we are anxious, worried, sad, and distracted about, even in doing the commandments, for they are how we withhold ourselves from him. These things dilute our salt. They may be our desire, but they are not the "best part" that brings peace, the part that we spend at his feet learning, talking to him, lingering in his Presence. This requires us to exert ourselves to bring the lacking salt. Maybe it means selling off some wrong ideas about things that mean a lot to us.   Mary sat at Yeshua's feet. She had to look up to him before she went to work. Martha did it backward. She worked, but because she was self-employed that day, she took out her frustration by blaming Mary and looking down on Yeshua's willingness to "discipline" her sister. She couldn't see he was discipling them both that day. She needed to look up first with joy in his presence.   Start with salt, the best part within. What we do each day is His business.   When we go into the world to give charity, be kind to others, speak peaceably, reconcile the world to their Creator, and shine the light of obeying the commandments, it will not be a labor of convenience. If we have prepared with salt, though, the exertion will be rewarding and change our taste.   Do I mean how we taste to others?   Or how we savor our labor for the King?   Yes.

The Torah reading this week begins the story of Yosef, or Joseph, favored son of Yaakov. Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a two-part look at parsha “Vayeshev,” Genesis chapters 37 through 40, where the story begins, and builds on dreams. The Erev Shabbat reading: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SSM-12-12-25-Vayeshev-teaching-podcast-xx.mp3 While this parsha contains a number of ‘nuggets’, or memorable elements, images, and component lessons, the midrash suggests that even the structure of the story is all about a ‘long-term’ plan of YHVH. This reading itself is only just the beginning of a series of what might be called “cliff-hangers,” where we see, as do Yosef and his brothers, that structure being put in place for what is to come. In any number of ways… Vayeshev: ‘Two Dreams, Two Witnesses – Who can BUT Prophesy’ https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WT-CooH-12-13-25-Vayeshev-Two-Dreams-Two-witnesses-Who-can-BUT-prophesy-podcast-xxx.mp3 The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash:

News and commentary from host Mark Call, for the week ending December 13th, 2025. The war by the Deep State, with direction from Venezuela and other communists, with the Constitutional Republic continues. But the battle has been joined, and more of the treachery is being revealed daily. What will AmeriKans put up with? And are they paying attention to the tell-tale signs of dollar meltdown as well?