Podcasts about hebrew

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2025 is: dreidel • DRAY-dul • noun A dreidel is a 4-sided toy marked with Hebrew letters and spun like a top in a game of chance. The game, played by children especially at Hanukkah, is also called dreidel. // All the kids in the family look forward to playing dreidel together during Hanukkah. See the entry > Examples: “The Jewish tradition has always been syncretic, adapting and responding to the culture around it, he [Rabbi Steven Philp] said. Hanukkah is ‘a great example of this,' Philp said, noting that the holiday's traditions—like spinning the dreidel, eating latkes or potato pancakes, and munching on ... jelly-filled doughnuts—are customs that were borrowed from neighboring cultures over time.” — Kate Heather, The Chicago Sun-Times, 25 Dec. 2024 Did you know? If your dreidel is spinning beneath the glow of the menorah, it's probably the Jewish festival of lights known as Hanukkah. The holiday celebrates the miracle of a small amount of oil—enough for one day—burning for eight days in the Temple of Jerusalem. And though it's a toy, the dreidel's design is very much an homage: on each of its four sides is inscribed a Hebrew letter—nun, gimel, he, and shin—which together stand for Nes gadol haya sham, meaning “A great miracle happened there.” (In Israel, the letter pe, short for po, “here,” is often used instead of shin). In the game of dreidel, each letter bears its own significance: the dreidel is spun and depending on which letter is on top when it lands, the player's currency, or gelt, is added to or taken from the pot. Nun means the player does nothing; gimel means the player gets everything; he means the player gets half; and shin means the player adds to the pot. Wherever you land on holiday traditions, we wish you words of gimel: gratitude, grub, and, of course, gaiety.

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

We explore the Great White Throne judgment, where the deeds of every individual are examined, and we see the significance of the Book of Life. Final judgement is issued by Jesus. Then, God creates a new heaven and a new earth, where pain, death, and sorrow are eradicated. Come, Lord Jesus!Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

These classes teach the day's section of the weekly Torah portion. The lesson is taught using the original Hebrew text with the indispensable commentary of Rashi—both translated and elucidated so that anyone can follow along.

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.

Have you ever felt God was silent in your waiting? Like Zechariah, who endured nine months of silence before witnessing God's faithfulness, Pastor Heather unpacks a powerful story of divine timing and redemption. Through Zechariah's spontaneous song of praise at his son's birth, we discover how to navigate seasons of waiting by anchoring ourselves in God's promises. This message weaves together ancient Hebrew poetry, personal application, and the reminder that God remembers—even when His timing differs from ours. Whether you're wrestling with unanswered prayers or seeking fresh hope, join us to explore how practicing anticipation can transform your waiting into worship. Watch now to discover how God's faithfulness intersects with your story! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The King James Version (KJV) got Genesis 3:16 right in 1611. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) got it wrong in 1952 by inserting what looked like a curse on Eve that God never placed on her in the Hebrew text back in the beginning.In her new article for the scholarly journal Priscilla Papers, Joy Fleming, PhD, PsyD, points out the word patterns that the RSV (and the NIV, the NLT, the ESV and others) totally missed. Taking them into account helps us "true" the verse!On this audio episode (the script and the footnotes are available on the Tru316 Foundation YT channel) we read from Joy's article titled "Two Ways of Translating and Interpreting Genesis 3:16a, One Older and One Newer: Does it Matter?”Here is the link: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/two-ways-of-translating-and-interpreting-genesis-316/ The Tru316 Foundation (www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too. You are encouraged to access the episodes of Seasons 1-11 of The Eden Podcast for teaching on the seven key passages on women and men. Are you a reader? We invite you to get from Amazon the four books by Bruce C. E. Fleming in The Eden Book Series (Tru316.com/trubooks). Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner here: www.Tru316.com/partner

If pressure has been your constant companion—calendar stacked, budget tight, mind racing—this conversation in Isaiah 9 might feel like a hand on your shoulder. We zoom in on a world of deep darkness and real fear and discover that God answers not with a program, but with a person. A child is given. A Son is placed into the very gloom that wears us down, and He takes the weight we can't carry.We slow the pace to read Hebrew poetry the way it asks to be read, noticing how Isaiah “rhymes” ideas to show both our choices and our conditions: we walk in darkness and we dwell in it. Then the light comes on. We talk about what God's light reveals—clear paths, dangerous traps, and our own cracks—and why that exposure is grace. From there, joy builds. Isaiah's twin images of harvest and spoil become living metaphors for shared abundance and surprise provision, the kind of joy that grows when pressure drives us closer to God and each other.At the center are the names that tell us how His rule feels in everyday life: Wonderful Counselor for the decisions that keep you up at night, Mighty God for battles you can't win alone, Everlasting Father for the ache of absence or loss, and Prince of Peace for anxious hearts. We wrestle with the timing of His kingdom and land where Jesus does: it's already among us. That truth changes posture. Instead of waiting for peace, we walk with the One who creates it and become light for others by refusing to hide our limp. The increase of His government and peace will not end, and the zeal of the Lord will see it through.Lean in, lay down the backpack, and let Christ shoulder what He came to carry. If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

Eran Nissan calls himself “a juggler,” and for good reason. He moves between multiple initiatives focused on peace, reconciliation, and co-resistance between Israelis and Palestinians, all while leading Mehazkim as its CEO.Mehazkim — whose name in Hebrew means “to strengthen” or “to empower” — is a left-wing digital movement advancing equality, ending the occupation, defending democracy and human rights, and promoting women's and LGBTQ+ rights and climate justice. Through strategic campaigns, it gives ordinary citizens the tools to create meaningful social and political impact.As a new father and strategist for societal transformation, Eran believes real progress begins from within. He explains how shifting the mindset of individuals shapes their behaviors, which influences policies and ultimately reshapes reality. In this conversation, he shares stories of personal growth, societal evolution, and the vision of a future where equality, freedom, and justice are not just ideals, but lived experiences.Links mentioned in episode:MehazkimPhoenix FrameworkViral Interview (FCK BNGVR)Follow us on Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠thirdnarrative⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to us on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/ThirdNarrative⁠ ⁠⁠⁠For more info on UTTN, visit ⁠⁠uttn.net⁠⁠ or our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Disclaimer: This episode was recorded on September 24, 2025. The facts presented in this episode reflect what was known at the time, but new information may have since come to light. Similarly, the opinions expressed by the hosts were shaped by our perspectives at the time of recording and may have evolved as events unfolded. Please note that engagement with our guests does not imply endorsement, and the views expressed by our guests do not necessarily represent our beliefs, either on or off our platform. What has not changed is our commitment to a just and united future.Credits​Sponsored by: ⁠⁠B8 of Hope⁠⁠ with the support of ⁠⁠Albi World⁠⁠​Hosts / Executive Producers: ⁠⁠Amira Mohammed⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Ibrahim Abu Ahmad⁠⁠​Associate Producer / Supervising Editor: ⁠⁠Evelyn Uzan⁠⁠​Original Music: ⁠⁠Layan Hawila⁠⁠ – Support her journey as a music therapy student at Berklee​Filming & Editing: ⁠⁠Nissan Film Production⁠⁠​Branding: ⁠⁠Sophie Cooke⁠⁠​Animation: ⁠⁠Santiago Gomez

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

These classes teach the day's section of the weekly Torah portion. The lesson is taught using the original Hebrew text with the indispensable commentary of Rashi—both translated and elucidated so that anyone can follow along.

How does the Old Testament connect to the New Testament? What's been fulfilled in Christ, and what timeless truths still shape our lives today?In this episode of The Dig In Podcast, Pastor Johnny Ova sits down with Dr. Geoff Harper, Lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew at Sydney Missionary & Bible College. Together they explore the richness of the Hebrew Bible, the importance of intertextuality, and how themes from Leviticus, covenant, and sacrifice come alive when viewed through the lens of Christ.This conversation will challenge the way you read Scripture and encourage you to engage the Old Testament with fresh eyes.

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:

It is a time of miracles for the Jewish People. The Hebrew word for miracle, Neis, also means a banner and proclamation. This meditation is a journey of miracles. Join me as we explore the miracles in our own lives, and discover that in truth everything is a miraculous manifestation of the Will of the Creator of All.    Words used in this meditation:   Neis - נס - miracle Nissim - נסים - miracles   Music Credits:   Deep Breath Relaxing Music - Let Go of Fear, Overthinking & Worries - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJk3KXvNdjs Deep Breath Relaxing Music - "Increase Brain Power" Raise Your Energy Vibration - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKN1AkK4UM Borrtex - Retrieval - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlI4m9jPsFM Lee Rosevere - Self Care -    • Self-Care [from 10 Minute Meditations]  

Let's turn together in our Bibles to the book of Genesis, chapter 3, and focus our attention on verse 15. This is one of those pivotal verses in Scripture that has rightly been called the protoevangelium—the first announcement of the good news of salvation. In the King James Version, which we'll use throughout our study today, it reads: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Imagine the scene in the Garden of Eden just moments after the fall. Adam and Eve have disobeyed God, eaten the forbidden fruit, and now they stand before Him in shame and fear. The harmony of creation is shattered. Sin has entered the world, bringing with it death, curse, and separation from God. It seems as though Satan, working through the serpent, has scored a complete victory. Yet right here, in the midst of pronouncing judgment, God speaks a word of incredible grace—a promise that shines like a beacon in the darkness. This verse is the seed from which the entire message of redemption grows. It's the foundation for everything that follows in the Bible, pointing us ultimately to the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I want us to unpack this promise carefully, phrase by phrase, and trace how it unfolds through Scripture. We'll see God's sovereign grace at work, the conflict between the two seeds, the suffering and triumph of the Savior, and what it all means for us personally. My prayer is that as we study this together, we'll gain a deeper appreciation for the gospel and a stronger confidence in God's unbreakable plan. 1. The Divine Initiative: "And I Will Put Enmity" Notice first who takes the initiative here. God says, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman." The "thee" refers to the serpent, and as Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 make clear, this is none other than Satan himself: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." God doesn't command Adam or Eve to start fighting the devil. No, He declares sovereignly, "I will put enmity." This is pure grace from beginning to end. Fallen humanity, left to ourselves, has no natural hostility toward Satan. In fact, we're at peace with him and at enmity with God. As Ephesians 2:1-3 reminds us: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." And Colossians 1:21: "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled." By nature, we love the darkness and hate the light (John 3:19-20). But when God plants this enmity in a heart, everything changes. The one who once listened eagerly to the serpent's lies now becomes his enemy. This is the beginning of regenerating grace—the Holy Spirit turning a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. Think about it: Eve had just been deceived by the serpent, yet God promises to create hostility between them. From that moment, humanity is divided into two spiritual lines: those who remain friends with the serpent and those in whom God has worked to make them hate sin and love holiness. This isn't something we muster up on our own; it's God's doing. What encouragement this is! If you're a believer today, that enmity toward sin in your heart is evidence of God's grace at work in you from the very foundation of the gospel promise. 2. The Two Seeds: "Between Thy Seed and Her Seed" Next, God speaks of the ongoing conflict: "and between thy seed and her seed." Throughout Scripture, this theme of two seeds runs like a thread, dividing all humanity spiritually. The serpent's seed are those who belong to him by nature and choice. Jesus said it plainly in John 8:44: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." We see this line early on with Cain, who murdered his brother Abel. It continues through history: Pharaoh oppressing Israel, Haman plotting against the Jews, Herod slaughtering the innocents, Judas betraying Christ, and every unregenerate person who opposes God and His people. But there's another seed—the seed of the woman. This is unusual language. Everywhere else in Genesis, offspring is described as the seed of the man: Abraham's seed, Isaac's seed, Jacob's seed, David's seed. Why here "her seed"? Because this points to the virgin birth. The promised Redeemer would have no human father. He would be conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a woman alone. Paul understood this clearly in Galatians 4:4: "But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." And Isaiah prophesied it in Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." This singular wording in Genesis 3:15 is God's early hint at the miraculous incarnation. The Champion who would defeat Satan would be fully human—born of a woman—yet fully God, without a sinful human father to pass on Adam's guilt. As we trace this promise, we see it narrowing. From the seed of the woman, to Seth's line, to Noah, to Shem, to Abraham (whose seed would bless all nations—Galatians 3:16 points this to Christ), to Judah (Genesis 49:10: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be"), to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16, the everlasting throne), to the virgin's Son in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting"). Every type and shadow in the Old Testament points forward to this Seed: Abel's acceptable lamb, the ark preserving Noah through judgment, the ram provided for Isaac, the Passover lamb, the bronze serpent lifted up (John 3:14), the scapegoat bearing away sins, the daily offerings—all crying out, "The Seed is coming!" 3. The Conflict and Victory: "It Shall Bruise Thy Head, and Thou Shalt Bruise His Heel" Now we come to the heart of the promise: "it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Note the pronouns carefully. In the Hebrew, it's singular and masculine: "He shall bruise thy head." This isn't a general conflict between groups; it's personal. One individual—the Seed of the woman—will deliver the decisive blow. The bruising of the heel speaks of real suffering. The serpent will strike, causing pain, humiliation, even apparent defeat. But a bruised heel is not fatal; it heals. A crushed head, however, is final—total destruction of the enemy's power. This is a preview of the cross and the resurrection. At Calvary, Satan bruised Christ's heel. From the manger onward, the enemy opposed Him: Herod's massacre, the temptations in the wilderness, the opposition of religious leaders, the demons' fury, and finally the horrors of Gethsemane and Golgotha. Philippians 2:6-8 describes the depth of this humiliation: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." The eternal Son veiled His glory, entered a virgin's womb, lived as a servant, and died a criminal's death. On the cross, darkness covered the earth, and He cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, quoting Psalm 22:1). Satan seemed triumphant—the Seed was dead and buried. But the promise was only a bruised heel, not a crushed head. On the third day, Christ rose victorious! As Psalm 16:10 prophesied: "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Hebrews 2:14 declares the result: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." And Colossians 2:15: "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." At the cross, Jesus disarmed the demonic forces. Death's sting is gone for believers (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). Satan's head received a mortal wound, though he still thrashes about. The full crushing awaits Christ's return. Then, as Revelation 20:10 promises: "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." The King will return in glory (Revelation 19:11-16), and the ancient Eden promise will be completely fulfilled. 4. The Incarnation: God Manifest in the Flesh To accomplish this victory, the Seed had to become one of us. Galatians 4:4-5 again: "But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." 1 Timothy 3:16 captures the wonder: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." The infinite God became finite, the eternal entered time, the Creator became a creature—yet without ceasing to be God. He who upheld the universe lay in a manger. This is the heart of the gospel: Immanuel, God with us. Personal Application: Living in the Victory What does all this mean for us today? Genesis 3:15 isn't just history; it's our story. By nature, we were all seed of the serpent—children of wrath. But if God has saved you, He has planted enmity in your heart toward sin and Satan. You've begun to hate what you once loved and love what you once hated. At the cross, Christ's heel was bruised for you, and Satan's head was crushed on your behalf. By faith in Him, you've passed from death to life, from darkness to light. Now we live out this victory daily. When you resist temptation, bear suffering for Christ, or share the gospel boldly, you're participating in the ongoing conflict—and the outcome is certain. Satan may bruise your heel through trials, slander, or temptation, but he cannot touch your Head, who sits at God's right hand (Psalm 110:1: "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool"). So stand firm. The battle is the Lord's. The victory is already secured. And soon, the Seed of the woman will return to make all things new. May this first gospel promise encourage your heart today. The God who spoke grace in Eden is the same God who speaks it to us now through His Son. Trust Him. Walk with Him. Look for His coming.

Do you need a champion? Someone who fights for you? In this message, Lead Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares about Jesus, the Might God: Heaven's champion who stepped onto the battlefield and won our victory. Isaiah 9:6 ESV: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Names in Hebrew culture were not just identifiers; they had meaning. NamesDeclared purpose (Abram to Abraham – "Father of many nations")Described ability (Simon to Peter – "unstable" to "stable")Revealed characteristics (Esau – "hairy").So these aren't names Jesus would simply be called; they describe who He would be and what He would do. Even the name Jesus means "Yahweh is salvation" or "The Lord saves."So what does the name "Mighty God" mean?In Hebrew it is El Gibbor. El means God, and Gibbor means a champion warrior. El Gibbor literally means "The Warrior God."Psalm 24:7–8 NLT says, Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Both words translated mighty and invincible are gibbor.This name points to the idea of a champion fighter. In ancient times there was "champion warfare," where each army sent out one champion and the outcome of the fight determined the victory. This is what we see with David and Goliath. When the champion won, the people won.But Jesus is not just a gibbor—He is El Gibbor, the Warrior God. When Jesus was born, God entered the battlefield as our ultimate champion and won the battle for all of us. Christmas is not just sentimental; it celebrates a rescue mission where a battle was won. God sent His greatest warrior, His Son, to become our champion and fight for our freedom.Romans 8:35,37 NLT Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ. We are more than conquerors.What victories did Jesus, the Mighty God, win for us?Victory over Satan. Colossians 2:15 AMP Satan didn't walk away wounded; he was defeated and disarmed.Victory over sin. 1 John 3:8 NLT  Jesus didn't just forgive what we did—He destroyed what controlled us.Victory over the world. John 16:33 NIV: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.Victory over death. 1 Corinthians 15:21–22 NLT says resurrection and new life come through Christ. Death became a doorway, not an ending.ClosingPsalm 91:1 NLT: Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.Our Mighty God fought the battle for us. He is our champion. Are you letting Him fight for you?

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Finding Meaning in Mahane Yehuda: Amit's Hanukkah Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-12-14-23-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: ברחוב הצפוף של שוק מחנה יהודה בירושלים, האוויר מתקרר ועוטף את כולם בניחוחות תבלינים ושל חנוכייה.En: On the crowded street of Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, the air cooled, enveloping everyone with the scents of spices and a Hanukkiah.He: החנויות מוארות באורות צבעוניים לכבוד חנוכה, ואנשים נעים בשוק בחיוכים וחבילות מתחת לזרועם.En: The shops were lit with colorful lights in honor of Hanukkah, and people moved through the market with smiles and packages under their arms.He: עמית ושירה עמדו בפתח השוק.En: Amit and Shira stood at the entrance of the market.He: עמית היה שקוע במחשבותיו, מרגיש את הצורך למצוא מתנה מושלמת לאחותו.En: Amit was deep in thought, feeling the need to find the perfect gift for his sister.He: חנוכה תמיד היה חג חשוב למשפחה, והוא רצה שהמתנה תהיה משמעותית ומיוחדת.En: Hanukkah was always an important holiday for the family, and he wanted the gift to be meaningful and special.He: "שירה, אני פשוט לא יודע במה לבחור," עמית הודה, מביט סביבו בבילבול.En: "Shira, I just don't know what to choose," Amit admitted, looking around in confusion.He: שירה חייכה אליו ברוגע, "אל תדאג עמית.En: Shira smiled at him calmly, "Don't worry, Amit.He: נמצא משהו שיתאים בדיוק.En: We'll find something that's just right.He: נתחיל להסתובב ונראה מה יש.En: Let's start browsing and see what's there."He: "הם הלכו בין הדוכנים, עוצרים ליד תכשיטים, ספרים ובדים צבעוניים.En: They walked between stalls, stopping by jewelry, books, and colorful fabrics.He: בכל דוכן, התלבט עמית בין ההצעות השונות.En: At each stall, Amit hesitated over the different offerings.He: חלק מהדברים היו יפים, אחרים מעשיים, אבל הוא לא הרגיש חיבור לאף אחד מהם.En: Some things were beautiful, others practical, but he felt no connection to any of them.He: פתאום, עיניו של עמית נמשכו לתוך חנות קטנה בצד השוק.En: Suddenly, Amit's eyes were drawn to a small store on the side of the market.He: היה שם מינורה יפה, עשויה בעבודת יד, עם צבעים חמים ודוגמה מיוחדת שנראתה למשפחתית.En: There was a beautiful menorah there, handmade, with warm colors and a special pattern that seemed familial.He: זה הזכיר לו את החנוכייה שהייתה לסבתו, זו שהיו מדליקים איתה בכל שנה.En: It reminded him of the Hanukkiah that his grandmother had, the one they lit every year.He: עמית עצר.En: Amit stopped.He: "שירה, תראי את זה," הוא הצביע, עיניו נוצצות.En: "Shira, look at this," he pointed, his eyes sparkling.He: שירה התקרבה והתבוננה בחנוכייה, "זו חנוכייה יפהפיה, עמית.En: Shira approached and gazed at the Hanukkiah, "This is a beautiful Hanukkiah, Amit.He: וגם יש בזה סיפור מהעבר.En: And it has a story from the past.He: זה יהיה מושלם לאחותך.En: It will be perfect for your sister."He: "עמית ידע שזה זה.En: Amit knew this was it.He: המינורה לא הייתה רק פריט יפה, אלא חפץ עם סיפור ומשמעות שהזכירו את משפחתו ואהבתו לאחותו.En: The menorah was not just a beautiful item but an object with a story and meaning that reminded him of his family and his love for his sister.He: באותו רגע, הוא הרגיש בטוח בהחלטתו.En: At that moment, he felt confident in his decision.He: עמית קנה את החנוכייה ויצא מהשוק עם חיוך.En: Amit bought the Hanukkiah and left the market with a smile.He: לא רק שמצא מתנה משמעותית, אלא גם הבין שהרגש והזיכרונות הם אלו שעושים את המתנות יקרות וחשובות.En: He not only found a meaningful gift, but he also realized that emotions and memories are what make gifts valuable and important.He: עם תחושת ביטחון מחודשת, עמית חזר הביתה, יודע שבחירה נכונה אינה תמיד המדבר המעשי.En: With renewed confidence, Amit returned home, knowing that making the right choice isn't always about practicality.He: לעתים הרגש חשוב יותר משווי החומר עצמו.En: Sometimes the emotion is more important than the material value itself. Vocabulary Words:crowded: צפוףenveloping: עוטףscents: ניחוחותlit: מוארותhonor: כבודgift: מתנהmeaningful: משמעותיתbrowsing: להסתובבstalls: דוכניםhesitated: התלבטofferings: הצעותfamilial: משפחתיתsparkling: נוצצותapproached: התקרבהgazed: התבוננהobject: חפץconfident: בטוחdecision: החלטהrealized: הביןemotions: הרגשmemories: הזיכרונותvaluable: יקרותimportant: חשובותrenewed: מחודשתchoice: בחירהpracticality: מעשיemotion: חומר עצמיmaterial: משקfabrics: בדיםpattern: דוגמהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Finding Peace in the Glow of Hanukkah Light Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-12-14-08-38-20-he Story Transcript:He: בחורף קר בהרי הכפר, שלג נופל בעדינות על הגגות.En: In the cold winter of the village hills, snow gently falls on the roofs.He: הכפר ידוע באתר הסקי שלו, אבל היום כולם עסוקים במרכז הבריאות.En: The village is known for its ski resort, but today everyone is busy at the health center.He: בתוך מחלקה קטנה בבית החולים, אריאל שוכבת על מיטה ליד החלון.En: Inside a small ward in the hospital, Ariel lies on a bed near the window.He: היא מביטה החוצה ורואה את ההרים המושלגים.En: She looks outside and sees the snow-covered mountains.He: ברקע, העצים הגבוהים מתכסים גלימות לבנות.En: In the background, the tall trees are cloaked in white robes.He: אריאל מחכה לתוצאות הבדיקה.En: Ariel is waiting for her test results.He: היא רוצה לדעת, האם הכל בסדר?En: She wants to know if everything is alright.He: תחושת הפחד והלחץ ממלאים את מחשבותיה.En: Feelings of fear and pressure fill her thoughts.He: נועה, חברתה הטובה, מגיעה לבקר.En: Noa, her good friend, comes to visit.He: היא מביאה תה חם ואומרת, "נעביר את הזמן יחד, אריאל.En: She brings hot tea and says, "We'll pass the time together, Ariel.He: אולי קצת שמחה של חנוכה יעזור.En: Maybe a bit of Hanukkah joy will help."He: "בחוץ קר מאוד, אבל בפנים יש חום של נרות החנוכה.En: Outside, it's very cold, but inside there's the warmth of the Hanukkah candles.He: שירה, אחות המחלקה, מצטרפת אליהן ומדליקה את החנוכייה.En: Shira, the ward nurse, joins them and lights the chanukiah.He: הדלקת הנרות מביאה אור נעים לחדר, וכולן שרות את "מעוז צור" ברכות.En: The candle lighting brings a pleasant light to the room, and they all softly sing "Maoz Tzur".He: למרות החשש, אריאל מנסה לחייך, ליהנות מהרגעים שאינסטינקטיבית גורמים לה להרגיש בבית.En: Despite the anxiety, Ariel tries to smile, enjoying these moments that instinctively make her feel at home.He: בעוד הנרות דולקים, הנייד של אריאל מצלצל.En: While the candles burn, Ariel's phone rings.He: הלב שלה פועם במהירות.En: Her heart beats quickly.He: על הקו נמצא דוקטור לוי, הוא רוצה לדבר איתה.En: On the line is Dr. Levi, who wants to talk to her.He: האור שבחדר הופך רך ומרגיע.En: The light in the room becomes soft and soothing.He: אריאל אוחזת בנועה ושירה, מרגישה את תמיכתן.En: Ariel holds onto Noa and Shira, feeling their support.He: תוך כדי שיחה, דוקטור לוי מסביר שהכל בסדר.En: During the conversation, Dr. Levi explains that everything is fine.He: התוצאות טובות.En: The results are good.He: אריאל נושמת עמוק, ואז מתמלאת תחושת הקלה.En: Ariel takes a deep breath, then feels a wave of relief.He: האוויר בחדר נעשה קל יותר.En: The air in the room becomes lighter.He: היא חשה את החום של הנרות והאהבה שסביבה.En: She feels the warmth of the candles and the love surrounding her.He: אריאל מבינה פתאום שהחג הזה מלמד אותה להיות כאן ועכשיו.En: Ariel suddenly understands that this holiday teaches her to be in the here and now.He: היא לומדת להעריך כל רגע עם האנשים היקרים לה.En: She learns to appreciate every moment with the people dear to her.He: החג, עם ברכתו ואורו, מעמיק את תחושת השקט בלבה.En: The holiday, with its blessing and light, deepens the sense of peace in her heart.He: בפרידה מהחששות, היא מוצאת שלום פנימי וכוח חדש להיות פגיעה ובאותו זמן גם חזקה בזכות הקהילה שסביבה.En: In saying goodbye to her worries, she finds inner peace and new strength to be vulnerable and at the same time strong, thanks to the community around her. Vocabulary Words:winter: חורףsnow: שלגroofs: גגותward: מחלקהtest results: תוצאות הבדיקהfear: פחדpressure: לחץhot tea: תה חםcandles: נרותchanukiah: חנוכייהinstinctively: אינסטינקטיביתsupport: תמיכהconversation: שיחהrelief: הקלהsoothing: מרגיעcommunity: קהילהhesitation: חששappreciate: להעריךcourage: אומץvulnerable: פגיעהblessing: ברכהsilence: שקטharmony: הרמוניהstrength: חוזקmountains: הריםsongs: שיריםhealth center: מרכז הבריאותpeace: שלוםquiet: שקטanxiety: חרדהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

How can the ancient Hebrew language unlock a deeper way of listening to Christ with our whole heart, soul, and might?In this week's episode of Latter-Day Lights, Scott Brandley and guest co-host Emily Hemmert sit down with Dr. Trina Boice—university professor, longtime author, avid scripture educator, and Hebrew enthusiast—to explore the “Via Dolorosa,” more commonly known as the sorrowful path Christ walked from condemnation to crucifixion. Dr. Trina shares what it's like to trace the traditional stations through Jerusalem, why this journey can reframe the Atonement as more than a single moment, and how sacred spaces (even outside our own faith tradition) can invite powerful spiritual reflection. Together, these experiences point to a discipleship that is not only believed, but lived through both body and spirit.And, as we look ahead to the 2026 "Come, Follow Me" study of the Old Testament, Trina introduces a foundational Hebrew word, “Shema,” and how its layers of meaning (to hear, to hearken, to obey) can transform the way we approach scripture study and prayer. Along the way, she shares moving experiences from the Western Wall, insights into Jewish worship and devotion, and a renewed invitation to find Jesus Christ woven throughout the Old Testament.Ultimately, this conversation invites us to move beyond simply reading the scriptures to truly living them. Through language, history, and lived experience, Dr. Trina reminds us that discipleship is not passive, but a wholehearted response to the Savior's voice in every season of our lives.*** Please SHARE Dr. Trina's story and help us spread hope and light to others. ***To WATCH this episode on YouTube, visit: https://youtu.be/ZsmC_RzdGeg-----To LEARN MORE about Dr. Trina, visit: https://www.TrinaBoice.comTo LEARN MORE about Dr. Trina's author coaching services, visit: https://www.frombook2business.com/To READ Dr. Trina's book, "The Language of Heaven," visit: https://a.co/d/4j5b4kXTo READ Dr. Trina's book, "Via Dolorosa," visit: https://www.cedarfort.com/products/via-dolorosa-christs-path-to-the-cross?srsltid=AfmBOoriQlGGDu7ngEuLrfu0GN38cg1FUe-z7ovPv7bYXO6i-NCc9pD6To LISTEN to Dr. Trina's podcast, "Daily Inspirational Quote," visit: https://open.spotify.com/show/17RPUlzByZQVu4zmqktoZ0?si=86c6033495a048f1To WATCH Dr. Trina's movie reviews, visit: https://www.youtube.com/c/MovieReviewMom To READ Scott's new book “Faith to Stay” for free, visit: https://www.faithtostay.com/-----Keep updated with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latter.day.lights/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latterdaylightsAlso, if you have a faith-promoting or inspiring story, or know someone who does, please let us know by going to https://www.latterdaylights.com and reaching out to us.

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

The Suffering of Daniel      Daniel's story begins in the shadow of national tragedy. As a young man, likely in his mid-to-late teens, he was taken captive when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and carried many of Judah's nobility to Babylon (Dan 1:1–4). Torn from his homeland, stripped of freedom, and thrust into the heart of a pagan empire, Daniel entered a culture saturated with idolatry, sorcery, and political scheming. Babylon sought not only to enslave his body but to reprogram his mind, to erase his identity as a servant of the Lord and remake him into a loyal functionary of the empire. The king ordered that his name be changed, his education redirected, and his diet replaced with food from the royal table (Dan 1:5–7). Yet from the very beginning, “Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself” (Dan 1:8). Daniel was resolved to stand firm in his faith. He understood that his real allegiance was not to Babylon's king but to the God of heaven. In a foreign land, he refused to lose his spiritual identity.      Daniel's discipline, humility, and doctrinal integrity made him a standout in Babylon. He did not protest his captivity, rebel against authority, or seek escape through human means. Instead, he accepted his circumstances as part of God's sovereign plan and chose to function as an ambassador for the Lord in enemy territory. God rewarded his faithfulness by granting him “knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom,” and Daniel himself was given “understanding of all kinds of visions and dreams” (Dan 1:17). Through divine promotion, Daniel rose to positions of high influence under successive kings and empires, yet he never compromised his loyalty to God. Living in the center of a hostile, idolatrous culture, Daniel demonstrated that it is possible to maintain spiritual stability and grace orientation even when surrounded by corruption and pressure. Daniel understood that divine viewpoint, not environment, determines stability.      Suffering intensified with the passing years. Daniel's three companions—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—faced the fiery furnace when they refused to bow before Nebuchadnezzar's golden image (Dan 3:12–18). They told Nebuchadnezzar, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… but even if He does not, let it be known… that we are not going to serve your gods” (Dan 3:17–18). They were willing to die rather than dishonor God. Their deliverance from the furnace demonstrated divine power, but more importantly, it vindicated their faith and revealed God's glory before a watching pagan world. Thieme notes, “This historical event illustrates a tremendous principle in the doctrine of suffering. God has designed human suffering for the blessing of the believer. Blessing is only possible when there is a consistent daily intake of Bible doctrine, which leads to spiritual maturity and occupation with Christ.”[1] Likewise, Daniel himself faced the lions' den when he refused to alter his prayer life under Darius' decree (Dan 6:10). He understood that prayer was a lifeline to the God who sustained him.      Daniel's long exile, spanning roughly seventy years, was marked by pressure, promotion, and persecution. He served under multiple kings, from Nebuchadnezzar to Cyrus, and in each administration he maintained the same spiritual consistency. Though elevated to positions of immense political power, he remained humble before God, recognizing that all authority is delegated by the Sovereign of heaven (Dan 2:21). His prophetic visions and intercessory prayers reveal a man whose heart was never seduced by Babylon's wealth or wisdom but fixed on God's promises to Israel. Through testing, isolation, and exposure to pagan corruption, Daniel became the living embodiment of grace under pressure, a believer functioning in the devil's world without being conformed to it (Rom 12:1-2; 1 John 2:15-16).      Daniel's captivity demonstrates the divine principle that adversity is God's classroom for spiritual advance. Like Joseph in Egypt and David in the wilderness, Daniel learned that promotion comes not from human favor but from the Lord (Psa 75:6–7). His entire life illustrates that faith is most often tested in crisis, and that true stability is the result of divine viewpoint thinking applied under pressure. Through exile and affliction, God transformed a Hebrew captive into a statesman-prophet, refining his faith through suffering and using his life as a witness to Gentile rulers. Daniel's story proves that spiritual victory does not require favorable circumstances, only a heart anchored in divine truth. In every generation, his life stands as a model of how to live faithfully in a pagan world without losing one's spiritual integrity: “The people who know their God will display strength and take action” (Dan 11:32). Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.   [1] R. B. Thieme, Jr., Daniel: Chapters One Through Six (Houston: R. B. Thieme, Jr. Bible Ministries, 2003), 83.

Isaiah 45:7 says God "creates evil." What does that mean? In this episode, we examine the Hebrew text, historical interpretations, translation debates, and the theological implications of divine sovereignty and the existence of evil.

These days, having a child out of wedlock is pretty much a valid lifestyle choice in many cultures. I'm not saying that it's right, just that that's how it's perceived. But back in Jesus' day … man it was a huge scandal. Seriously.   A MISCONCEPTION Well, here we are hurtling towards Christmas. You know, it's interesting when you look at the candy cane – you know that simple little cane with the white and then the three small stripes and then the big stripe – and we think of it as a candy cane, but the confectioner who first created it, didn't create it as a candy cane. He created it as a "J" for Jesus and the white was there to symbolise the holiness of God and the three small stripes were there to symbolise the stripes on His back when He was beaten and the one thick stripe, the red stripe was there to symbolise the blood of Jesus. Isn't it funny how we take symbols to do with Christmas and a whole bunch of other things and we change their meaning – we re-interpret them – and I think it's really true of this thing that we call Christmas. You know, as I look at my four years studying at Bible College, the most profound thing that I learned was this – that theologians, and I can class myself as one of those – we love to take the stories of God in the Bible and snip them up and put them in little piles which we call doctrines. You know, the doctrine of the Trinity; the doctrine of original sin; the doctrine of the incarnation and so we think, "WOW, you know, I've sorted out God; I've got Him is little piles; I have a systematic theology and now I understand God." Well, in a sense that's good, because it's good to know what we believe and why we believe it and look at the whole council of God in His Word. But you know something, if that's all we do, I think maybe, we missed the point because God's chosen way of revealing Himself to us is mostly through stories. Stories throughout history of His engagement with His chosen people, Israel, and then in the New Testament, stories of His new promise; stories of His grace as the church grew out of a revelation of God through Jesus Christ. God speaks to us through His story in history and to me that's the most profound insight that I got after four years of Bible College. And no where is that more true than in Jesus. John in his Gospel calls Jesus the Word, "In the beginning was the Word." Jesus is God talking to us saying, "This is what I'm like." Jesus is a message in a bottle. And Jesus is unique – He is the only person in history, as the Son of God, who could have chosen the place, the time and the circumstances of His birth. Let's just think about that for a minute. It's true isn't it? If Jesus is who He says He is – the Son of God – He is the only person in history that could have chosen the circumstances of His birth. Well, if that's true; if it was a deliberate choice, what is God saying to us about Himself through the manner in which Jesus came into the world, through this story that we now call Christmas. See, it's not some neat doctrine; it's not some neat theology of the incarnation. We learn about Christmas through the stories in Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and I guess, in a sense, many of us know them backwards. But Matthew begins, after the great, long genealogy that we looked at the other week – Matthew now begins with this story – if you've got a Bible, grab it, open it – we are going to Matthew, chapter 1, beginning at verse 18. It says this: "Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way." So in other words, here's the story. "When His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he decided to do that, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child conceived in her is from God the Holy Spirit. She will bear you a son and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "look the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us". When Joseph awoke from the sleep he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a Son and he named Him Jesus." So here's Mary, pregnant from the Holy Spirit. How? Well, Luke tells us the angel appeared to her and said, "Fear not!" Have you ever seen a Christmas card with "Fear not!" plastered across the front? Not really! So how to you think Mary felt? She gets spoken to by an angel; she gets told not to be afraid, "you're going to be pregnant because God the Holy Spirit is going to make you pregnant." Now how do you think it went when Mary told Joseph? Here's this single teenage girl from this place called Nazareth; Nowheresville and she wanders in with her belly swollen and she says to her fiancee, "Well, Joe, it's like this – I didn't sleep with anyone – God did this!" WOW! Would you believe her? Joseph didn't – he planned to dismiss her quietly because this was a society where getting pregnant out of wedlock was a disgraceful thing. I mean, the Hebrew law commanded the women who were caught in adultery be stoned to death so the social context was that it wasn't a life style choice; it was something that you stoned someone to death for. But Joseph has a dream. Remember he doesn't have a New Testament; he doesn't know how it's going to turn out. He has this subjective thing called a dream and even if it were true, what incredible pain. How many times would Mary have gone over the angel's words? How many times do you think Joseph would be second guessing his dream? How breathtakingly reckless was God to allow the whole future of humanity to hang on the responses of these two poorly educated, hapless, rural teenagers? I mean, we know Him as Lord, the Christ, the Son of God but His parents and family friends; Mary's little illegitimate baby; the bastard; the stigma. Yet that's what Jesus chose for Himself. That's why I've called this message, "The Illegitimate God". You and I, we read this story of Christmas with a sense of wander and awe and we know how it ended. Then, back then and there? Well, for them it was a scandal; it was a fantasy; it was, "Is God really doing this?"   SOME VISITORS So here we are looking at this story of Christmas – firstly, the way that this baby was conceived – the sense of scandal that would have followed Him around when He was a little child – but then He was born into this brutal, political climate. Let's read on the story; this space and time and situation that God chose for His Son to be born into. We are going to pick it up in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 1: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking, "Where is this child that has been born the King of the Jews, because we observed His star at it's rising and we have come to pay homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him. And calling together all the chief priests and the scribes and the people, he enquired of them, 'where the Messiah was to be born?' And they told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, "And you Bethlehem in the land of Judea, are by no means the least amongst the rulers of Judea, for from you shall come a ruler who is to be the Shepherd of His people, Israel." And the story goes on that Herod secretly called for the wise men and he told them, "Go and find this Jesus and come and tell me", because he wanted to kill Jesus. We look at the politics of Palestine and Israel today – the mess – there seems to be no solution – they just keep shooting each other and blowing each other up. Back then it wasn't much different! You had a brutal Roman empire and the Roman Emperor ruled over a whole bunch of countries including this little country called Israel. And under him you had a despot; an Herodian King. And then this Herodian dynasty – we know about Herod – they were sort of half breeds and they were illegitimate and they were in cahoots with the Romans – together they oppressed the people. The religious leaders were part of all that and there was this sense of hopelessness amongst the people. It was every bit as messy then as it is today. And into this malaise is born Jesus, the Son of God and then these wise men – these Magi (a Magi was an astrologer; a sooth sayer). All of this was forbidden in the Old Testament – people who worshipped the stars were to be stoned to death. And they came from where? From the East; from Babylon – eighty kilometres south of what today is Baghdad. And remember, Babylon was a place of horror and evil for first century Israelites because that's where in 587 and 586 BC they were exiled into slavery. So God invites the Magi; these astrologers from hell to come to the birth of His Son and to worship Him. If you and I were God would we have invited them? I don't think so. And yet God doesn't just invite them but how does He go and get them from Babylon to Bethlehem? Does He send them a prophet? Does He send them John the Baptist? Does He send them a letter? Does He send them the Scriptures? He doesn't do any of those, He sends them a star. You see, God chooses a symbol that they can understand and follow and brings them to worship this child. Babylon who once destroyed the temple and exiled the chosen people is now worshipping the true God. God may well have hated their sin but He loved them much more that He hated their sin. And then one night in a dream – if you flick over the page to Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 13 – Joseph has another dream, it says this: Now after the Magi had left, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says: "Get up and take this child and His mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy Him. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother by night and went to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord, through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I have called My Son." See, here we go again – Joseph is having another dream – this subjective thing. It's not like he sits down and he reads the New Testament; he reads the Old Testament and God speaks to him through His Word. No, God spoke to Joseph through a dream and so Joseph and Mary and Jesus all became refugees. They had no rights; they had no land; they had no possessions; they were fleeing for their lives. There are thirty two point nine million refugees in the world today. That's grown by almost fifty percent in just twelve months. Jesus, the Son of God becomes a refugee. How long? What would they live on? Where would they live? Where would they go? Would they be safe? They had to endure hardship for the first few years of His little life. Would you or I, if we were God, have put our son through this? And you read on in Matthew, chapter 2, verses 16 to 18. "When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. This massacre of the infants – have you ever seen a Christmas card about the massacre of the infants? See, we turn Christmas into this little pantomime, but the birth of Jesus into this world; the time when God stepped into this world and became man was a brutal time; it was a tough time and it was the time God chose for His Son. I mean, today we see suicide bombers in the Middle East and the shelling of targets and the shooting by snipers – imagine if you added to that the slaughter of all the children under two in and around Bethlehem – you don't see that on a Christmas card do you? What was God thinking by sending His Son into such a mess?   SO WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT GOD? And then of course, after they returned from Egypt, Jesus and His family moved to Nazareth – you can read it in Matthew, chapter 2, beginning at verse 19. When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up and take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel for those who are seeking the child's life are now dead. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother and he went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea, in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and after being warned in a dream, he went to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: "He will be called a Nazarene." God allowed, indeed, constructed the circumstances so that the Son of God would grow up in the backblocks of nowhere – in Nazareth. Does anything good come out of Nazareth? And He became a carpenter; not the King; not the head of theology at Jerusalem seminary; not the chief grand whatever in the synagogue or the temple – a lowly carpenter. So what do we learn about God? If God chose the circumstances into which Jesus would be born; if He chose these two young teenagers; if He chose the stable in Bethlehem; if He chose Herod and the persecution and the flight, what does that tells us about God? If Jesus came to reveal God to us, what do we learn about God from the first Christmas? When you read through the Old Testament about God you see His sovereignty; His power; His hugeness; His transcendence. Isaiah says: To whom will you compare Me? Who is My equal," says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and see who created all these stars. See, God is great. Here at Christmas we see this greatness reduced to the size of the single fertilised egg – not even visible to the human eye. Born in the stable with the stench of cow dung and urine on the floor, hunted down, a refugee, the massacre of these infants around Him and then slinking back to Nazareth to eek out an ignominious existence as a carpenter, relying on two uneducated teenage bumpkins for safety and nurture – with always the hint of scandal – Mary's little illegitimate child. Well may God be great but hang on a minute, when you look at Christmas, my God is also small. My God is also humble. If you look at this theological doctrine of incarnation, Jesus the Son of God and the Son of Man – He's different to us yet He's the same as us. But if we really ask ourselves the question, we would mostly conclude that Jesus was fundamentally different from you and me. But like Luther, I believe that if we are even to begin to understand what God is saying in Jesus, we have to draw the conclusion that Jesus is God, deep graven into the flesh. Like the candy cane – on the one hand, white and pure and blameless and different, but with a red stripe; with the blood, suffering like us, He lived, He suffered, He cried, He struggled, like us. That's the point of Christmas; that's the point of Jesus being born into these brutal circumstances, in such humble surrounds. This is God saying, "Jesus is like us". We can have the best doctrine of the incarnation and completely miss the point. God is humble. He shows us that in a profound way at Christmas. He chose the time. He chose the circumstances. He chose the stable and the animals in it. He connects with us. That's why Jesus says later in Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28: Come to Me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest in your souls." And later in John, chapter 16, verse 33: "I've said these things to you that in Me you might have peace for in this world you will have tribulations but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." What a contradiction! God, the sovereign God who created all the universe through Jesus, all things that were created were, in fact, created. And yet He calls Himself humble; He makes Himself low at Christmas time. But then everything about Jesus is a contradiction. On the one hand He's the Lion of Judah; on the other hand He's the Lamb of God. When I look at the Christmas story – just the way it is, just plain and simple – look at the circumstances that Jesus was born into, you know what I see? I see something that rings true; I see an authenticity; I see a Jesus who comes humbly into this world and then says, "Come to Me because I'm gentle, I'm humble of heart." I see a Jesus who was prepared to be a refugee; who is prepared to be under threat of death. It's an amazing thing, Christmas and you know, if we just look at it as a pantomime; if we just sing the wonderful little songs and still look at it as children, I think we miss the point. God chose an amazing time for Jesus to be born and we look at Christmas by knowing how it all ended up. We've read the whole New Testament; we have the benefit of knowing that He died and rose again and the church grew up out of that and two thousand years on, you know, we are living the life. So we look back at Christmas through a whole bunch of history and stuff that those people, at that time, simply didn't have. Philip Yancey sums it up this way – I love what he says. This is what he writes: "He is the image of the invisible God; the first born over all creation," an apostle would later write, "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together," But the few eye witnesses on Christmas night saw none of those things. They saw an infant struggling to work never before used lungs. It's the story of a God who steps out of heaven, powerful, transcendent, able to choose anything He wants – He chooses Mary and Joseph; He chooses a stable; He chooses for His Son to become a refugee; He chooses for His Son to grow up in Nazareth as a carpenter. God speaks to us through this Christmas story. God went to extraordinary lengths to say this: "I am humble of heart. I have come to be one of you. I have come to walk in your shoes, in your skin, to experience all the things that you experience." It's the message of Christmas. A God who reaches out in the most amazing way; in the most startling way; in a way that we would never have done if we were God – and speaks to us His love and His desire to have a relationship with us. That is what Christmas is about.

Thousands of people were evacuated across Washington as a result the floods. Accused courthouse attacker faces questions over mental competency as we’re now supposed to pretend the male alleged attacker is a woman. Pete Serrano’s time as a federal prosecutor in Eastern WA is over… or is it? Let’s Go Washington races to collect 90k more signatures to protect girls’ sports, despite violence, threats. Gavin Newsom says he wants to see trans kids. China’s president fears the United States is targeting him with a bioweapon. // NYT is mad that Trump admin is deporting people with orders to be deported. // A DoorDash driver in Indiana appeared to pepper spray a customer’s food. A woman in Toronto says she was declined an Uber ride after speaking Hebrew.

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Rabbi Pinchas Allouche, head Rabbi at Congregation Beth Tefillah in Scottsdale, and the host of the Rabbi Allouche podcast, joins Seth for the full hour to talk about this week's Torah portion, Parashat Vayeshev, coming from Genesis, the story of Joseph, and the coming Hebrew holiday of Hanukkah.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

These classes teach the day's section of the weekly Torah portion. The lesson is taught using the original Hebrew text with the indispensable commentary of Rashi—both translated and elucidated so that anyone can follow along.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: A Family's Festival: How a Blackout Lit Up Their Unity Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-12-13-23-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: בעיירה קטנה בצפון הארץ, הבית של משפחת כהן היה כבר מלא באורות החנוכיה.En: In a small town in the north of the country, the bayit of the mishpachat Kohen was already filled with the lights of the chanukiah.He: ימי רפלקציה ואחווה השתלבו עם כתמי שלג קליל מחוץ לחלון.En: Days of reflection and camaraderie blended with light snowflakes outside the window.He: זה היה שבוע של חג החנוכה, אבל עבור יַרְדֶן, רָפִי ואביתל, המתח היה באוויר.En: It was the week of Chag HaChanukah, but for Yarden, Rafi and Avital, tension was in the air.He: יַרְדֶן, הבכורה מבין שלושת האחים, רצתה שהכל יהיה מושלם.En: Yarden, the eldest of the three siblings, wanted everything to be perfect.He: היא החליטה לארגן מסיבת הפתעה ליום ההולדת של אבא שלהם, בתקווה לאחד את המשפחה.En: She decided to organize a surprise party for their dad's birthday, hoping to unite the family.He: אבל עם כל פלחי הצ'יפס, הסופגניות והמתנות, יַרְדֶן התקשתה להרפות מהצורך לשלוט בכל פרט קטן.En: But with all the chips, doughnuts, and gifts, Yarden struggled to let go of her need to control every small detail.He: בינתיים, רָפִי הבטלן, אהב להתרחק מהדרמה.En: Meanwhile, Rafi, the slacker, preferred to stay out of the drama.He: אבל בתוך תוכו, הוא חיכה ליום שבו כולם יכירו ברעיונותיו.En: Yet deep inside, he longed for the day when everyone would acknowledge his ideas.He: ואביתל, האחות הקטנה והאנרגטית, חיפשה את מקומה בין השניים ותמיד הרגישה קצת מוצלת.En: And Avital, the youngest energetic sister, sought her place between the two and always felt a bit overshadowed.He: השלג המשיך לרדת בחוץ והחלו דיונים בתוך הבית.En: The snow continued to fall outside, and discussions began inside the house.He: לכל אחד מהאחים הייתה דעה שונה איך להשקיע את כל האנרגיות למסיבת ההפתעה.En: Each sibling had a different opinion on how to channel all their energies for the surprise party.He: יַרְדֶן רצתה תכנית אחידה.En: Yarden wanted a unified plan.He: רָפִי הציע להוסיף קצת משחקים ומהשבים.En: Rafi suggested adding some games and quizzes.He: אביתל חשבה להביא כמה הפתעות מרעננות.En: Avital thought of bringing some refreshing surprises.He: פתאום, באמצע הדיון, נשמע רעש ופתאום הכל נהיה חשוך.En: Suddenly, in the middle of the discussion, there was a noise, and everything went dark.He: חורף עקשן הביא איתו סופה שגרמה להפסקת חשמל.En: A stubborn winter brought a storm that caused a power outage.He: ללא אור, הכל נראה לחוץ יותר.En: Without light, everything seemed more tense.He: בתוך החשכה, התעוררו רגשות של תסכול ואי הסכמה.En: In the darkness, feelings of frustration and disagreement arose.He: “צריך לעבוד יחד,” אמר רָפִי, במראה מפתיע של החלטיות.En: "We need to work together," said Rafi, in a surprising display of determination.He: “כולנו רוצים שהמסיבה הזאת תצליח.En: "We all want this party to succeed."He: ”“אני יודעת,” יַרְדֶן נשמה עמוק, “אני פשוט חוששת שלא נצליח.En: "I know," Yarden took a deep breath, "I'm just afraid we won't make it."He: ”אבל אביתל לא התבלבלה, “יש לנו את זה.En: But Avital was not confused, "We've got this.He: אנחנו משפחה.En: We are family."He: ”בשלושת האחים החליטו לשלב כוחות.En: The three siblings decided to join forces.He: רָפִי הציע להשתמש באורות החנוכיה לפתרון אווירה קסומה.En: Rafi suggested using the uros ha-chanukiah to create a magical atmosphere.He: אביתל קיבלה על עצמה את המשימה לאלתר עוגת יום הולדת חדשה.En: Avital took on the task of improvising a new birthday cake.He: ויַרְדֶן, פעם ראשונה, האמינה באחרים.En: And for the first time, Yarden believed in others.He: המוזיקה התחדשה, האורות מחנוכיות המרתפות את החדר באור חמים.En: The music resumed, and the lights from the chanukiot warmed up the room with a cozy glow.He: כשהאור במזג האוויר חזר, המסיבה כבר הייתה בעיצומה.En: By the time the electricity returned, the party was already in full swing.He: האחים התחבקו, ולו לרגע קטן, הכל היה מושלם בדרכו.En: The siblings hugged, and for a small moment, everything was perfect in its own way.He: המסיבה הייתה הצלחה מעבר לכל דמיון.En: The party was a success beyond all imagination.He: אבא שלהם הופתע, ולא רק מהמסיבה – אלא מהעובדה שראה איך האחים שלו למדו לעבוד ביחד.En: Their dad was surprised, not just by the party—but by the fact that he saw how his children learned to work together.He: יַרְדֶן השתחררה מהצורך שלה לשלמות, רָפִי הצליח להראות את כישרונותיו, ואביתל סוף סוף הרגישה שבה היא לא רק חלק מהמשפחה, אלא חלק חשוב ומוערך.En: Yarden let go of her need for perfection, Rafi managed to showcase his talents, and Avital finally felt that she was not just a part of the family, but a significant and valued one.He: וזה היה החג: חג של אור, משפחה ואחדות.En: And that was the holiday: a celebration of light, family, and unity. Vocabulary Words:reflection: רפלקציהcamaraderie: אחווהtension: מתחunite: לאחדstruggled: התקשתהslacker: בטלןacknowledge: יכירוoverwhelmed: מוצלתchannel: להשקיעunified: אחידהrefreshing: מרעננותstubborn: עקשןstorm: סופהpower outage: הפסקת חשמלfrustration: תסכולdisagreement: אי הסכמהdetermination: החלטיותimprovising: לאלתרmagical: קסומהcozy: חמיםsignificant: חשובvalued: מוערךcelebration: חגenergetic: אנרגטיתsurprise: הפתעהhugged: התחבקוsucceed: להצליחlet go: להרפותblended: השתלבוopinion: דעהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Unlocking Family Secrets: A Hanukkah Tale of Connection Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2025-12-13-08-38-20-he Story Transcript:He: בערב חורפי קר של חג החנוכה, הבית של משפחת כהן היה מואר באור חם של נרות חנוכייה.En: On a cold winter evening of the Hanukkah, the home of the Cohen family was lit with the warm glow of chanukiah candles.He: הריח של לביבות ותפוחי אדמה היה באוויר, וצלילים של ויכוחים קלילים נשמעו מכל פינה.En: The smell of latkes and potatoes filled the air, and the sound of light-hearted disagreements could be heard from every corner.He: נעם, שירה ואיתן התכוננו לשבת ליד השולחן המלא כל טוב, אבל משהו מוזר תפס את תשומת לבם.En: Noam, Shira, and Eitan prepared to sit at the table laden with treats, but something strange caught their attention.He: בתוך תיבת ירושה ישנה ממשפחתם, גילה נעם פתק קטן ומקופל.En: Inside an old family heirloom box, Noam discovered a small, folded note.He: הפתק היה חבוי בתוך מגירה עתיקה, משהו שלא נגעו בו שנים רבות.En: The note was hidden in an ancient drawer, untouched for many years.He: הוא פתח את הפתק בעדינות, וראו שעליו כתובות מילים מסתוריות: "האמת חבויה עמוק בהיסטוריה שלנו.En: He gently opened the note and saw mysterious words written on it: "The truth is hidden deep in our history."He: "נעם, הבן האמצעי, חש בלבול וגם קצת חרדה.En: Noam, the middle child, felt confused and a bit anxious.He: הוא תמיד הרגיש נשאב למאבקים בין אחותו הגדולה, שירה, לאחיו הקטן, איתן.En: He had always felt pulled into the struggles between his older sister, Shira, and his younger brother, Eitan.He: הוא קיווה למצוא שקט והרמוניה, במיוחד במהלך החגיגה המשפחתית החשובה הזו.En: He hoped to find peace and harmony, especially during this important family celebration.He: "היי, שירה, איתן, תראו מה מצאתי," אמר נעם, כשקולו מעט רועד.En: "Hey, Shira, Eitan, look what I found," said Noam, his voice slightly trembling.He: שירה, שתמיד נטתה לקחת פיקוד נהייתה דרוכה.En: Shira, who always tended to take charge, became alert.He: "מה זה יכול להיות?En: "What could it be?"He: " שאלה בספקנות, מנסה להסתיר את חוסר הביטחון שחשפה רק לעצמה.En: she asked skeptically, trying to hide the insecurity she revealed only to herself.He: איתן, הצעיר שתמיד אהב תעלומות, היה נלהב לפתור את חידה.En: Eitan, the youngest who always loved mysteries, was eager to solve the puzzle.He: "זה בטח סוד משפחתי!En: "It must be a family secret!He: אנחנו נפתור את זה כמו בבלש!En: We'll solve it like detectives!"He: "הם עיינו יחד בפתק, ניסו לפענח את משמעותו.En: They examined the note together, trying to decipher its meaning.He: שירה הציעה לחפש במכתבים ישנים נוספים, ואיתן חיפש רמזים בחפצים המשפחתיים ששמרו בארון.En: Shira suggested looking through more old letters, and Eitan searched for clues among the family items stored in the cabinet.He: אבל נעם הרגיש שכדי לפתור את התעלומה הזו, הם יצטרכו לבקש עזרה מהיחידים שיכולים לדעת את הסיפור המלא - הוריהם.En: But Noam felt that to solve this mystery, they would need to ask for help from the only ones who might know the full story—their parents.He: בזמן הדלקת הנרות, האווירה הייתה נינוחה.En: During the candle lighting, the atmosphere was relaxed.He: אבל נעם שלף את הפתק ושיתף את הוריהם בתגלית.En: But Noam pulled out the note and shared his discovery with their parents.He: "אמבטיהרית, למה מסתתר הפתק הזה בתיבה הישנה?En: "Bathrate, why is this note hidden in the old box?"He: " שאל נעם, קולו חד וברור כעת.En: asked Noam, his voice now sharp and clear.He: ההורים הביטו זה בזה, וכמעט שראו את ההיסטוריה שביניהם משתקפת.En: The parents looked at each other, almost as if they could see the history reflected between them.He: לבסוף, ברעם קולה, אמר אביהם: "זה סוד שאנחנו שמרנו ברקע שנים רבות.En: Finally, in a booming voice, their father said: "It's a secret we've kept in the background for many years.He: הפתק מדבר על תקופה קשה שעברה על המשפחה שלנו, אבל מעולם לא הייתה לזה השפעה על הקשרים שלנו כאן ועכשיו.En: The note refers to a difficult time our family went through, but it never affected our connections here and now."He: " הם סיפרו סיפור על סב ומורשת שהשתנו, אך לא נגעו באהבתם הנוכחית.En: They shared a story about a grandfather and a heritage that changed, but it did not touch their current love.He: הגילוי פתח את הלב של כל בני המשפחה.En: The revelation opened the hearts of the whole family.He: נעם הרגיש לראשונה מחובר וברור בתפקידו כמתווך.En: Noam felt for the first time connected and clear in his role as a mediator.He: שירה ואיתן כיבדו ונתחברו לרגע הכנות.En: Shira and Eitan respected and connected to the moment of honesty.He: במשפחה כהן, הנרות דלקו עוד יותר בהיר, והמשפחה הרוויחה מכל זה חיבור חדש וגם משמעות חדשה לחג החנוכה.En: In the Cohen family, the candles burned even brighter, and the family gained from it a new connection and a new meaning for Hanukkah.He: כשנרות החנוכה התכהו והשתיקו, הם ידעו שמצאו את ההרמוניה שחיפשו.En: As the Hanukkah candles dimmed and fell silent, they knew they had found the harmony they were seeking.He: הקשרים שלהם התחזקו, ונעם הרגיש את השינוי המרגיע שחיפש כל הזמן.En: Their bonds strengthened, and Noam felt the calming change he had been searching for all along. Vocabulary Words:heirloom: ירושהladen: מלאtrebling: רועדalert: דרוכהskeptically: בפקפוקmediator: מתווךcabinet: ארוןrevelation: גילויbooming: רעםsolve: לפתורenigmatic: מסתוריinconsistency: חוסר עקביותunveiled: נחשףheritage: מורשתancient: עתיקdecipher: לפענחconcealed: חבויexamine: להיבחןintrigued: מסוקרןclue: רמזuntouched: לא נגועharmony: הרמוניהagreement: הסכמהtremendous: עצוםinsecurity: חוסר ביטחוןbrighter: בהיר יותרconnection: חיבורpulled: נשאבendeavor: מאמץunravel: לפרוםBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

In Habakkuk 3 the prophecy becomes a confident psalm of trust in the Almighty and a prophecy of Yahweh's future judgments at the time of the setting up of Christ's kingdom. It was through this psalm that the writer J. W. Thirtle was able to unravel the structure of the superscripts and subscripts in the Psalms. The expression, "upon Shigionoth" is an instruction as to the musical director of this psalm. Psalms are prayers and this chapter is a Psalm. The report that the prophet heard was of the "wonders" (Hebrew "pala" miracles) which God did on his triumphal march before His people through the wilderness, in the days of the exodus from Egypt onwards to their inheritance in the Promised Land (see Numbers 10verses29-36; Deuteronomy 32verses1-14; Psalm 68). However, although the Psalm is based on events which had happened it is also prophetic - the future tense is often used. Eloah" (the mighty one, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ coming in His Father's might) WILL come from the south (Teman) - the arena of operation when El (God the Father) via angelic ministration. And He will precede His people. The events of the Exodus occurred 900 years before the prophet's vision. These future events, under Christ, will soon occur when the Middle East is inundated by the great northern army. God's mighty arm and Almighty power will be unleashed on the oppressor and He, Yahweh, will be known and exalted in the earth (Ezekiel 38 and 39; Joel 3 - particularly verse 17). The measuring for judgment is a common Bible metaphor. The ancient nations, represented by the hills, were brought low (humbled). The rivers - the invading nations in particular - experienced the Almighty's wrath. But, as with Pharaoh's chariots (Exodus 14 and 15) these instruments of war are proven vain and useless when they are overwhelmed by Yahweh's salvation chariots (Psalm 68verses18-21). The sun and the moon will stand still in their place echoing the victory of Joshua over the Canaanites, in the land of their inheritance (Joshua 10). The 'head' (Rosh) of the wicked is to be crushed (v13). The sharp victory arrows shall pierce the hearts of the King's enemies (Psalm 45verses5). The whirlwind of Yahweh will scatter His enemies before Him, like the chaff before the wind (v14). And the enemy is trampled underfoot (Exodus 15). This awesome and majestic power of his Sovereign leaves the prophet trembling. The Psalm of Habakkuk concludes from verses 17-19 with precisely the reverse mood to the mood of despondency at its beginning. The prophet has had his fears answered and calmed by his Almighty Sovereign. And so, he now he patiently awaits the salvation of Yahweh - as one of the LORD's just ones, living by faith. Despite all current appearances, our King is of Zion - meaning "exultation". This is the city of our spiritual birth (Psalms 48; 84; 87). The fig and olive trees (are symbols of Israel) will not flourish. Today our God stills the storms that rage in our minds and will soon do so throughout the entire world (2 Samuel 23verses1-4verses Psalm 18; Psalm 46; Isaiah 26verses1-4). Our hope and trust in our Almighty Deliverer is sure and steadfast.

Today we started to read the book of Job: it has a powerful message, indeed an important message for us. But it is a strange book in the way the message is conveyed.  We have come to the conclusion that it is an extended parable although built on an actual person and events.  We need to read it exercising our minds on the events which lie behind this parable and what these led to..     Our understanding is that “when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan (the ESV footnote says, ‘the adversary' – and this is the meaning of the Hebrew and how it is translated in passages such as 1 Sam 29 v.4, 2 Sam 19 v.22, 1 Kings 5 v.4 &c) … Satan came among them” [Job 1 v.6]   This is picturing, we suggest, how the LORD sees the hearts and attitudes of those assembled for worship before him  (cf Rev, 2 v,23) and in doing that he perceives any jealousies in their minds.Job “was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” [v.1] But because he was so successful in material things, another worshipper was jealous and thinks in his mind, and maybe says aloud to some, “Does Job fear God for no reason?” [v.9] He is thinking Job is only in attendance before God for the material benefits of doing so.  This ‘parable' illustrates that this is not the case and this is another lesson for us..Job's response to his wife, after calamities befall them and she says, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die”  was to say, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak.  Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” [2 v.9,10]  It is interesting to study the various contexts in which the Hebrew word, translated here as ‘evil' occurs, for e.g. Psa. 10 v.6 where it is translated, “adversity.”  Consider all the “evil” Paul experienced when he turned to serve Jesus.It is not until we come to the end of the book that we see the essential point the book is conveying to us.  Job confesses to God, “I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I repent in dust and ashes.”  [ch. 42 v.5,6]  We can say, we have read of God and reasoned in our minds as to what he must be – but how fully do we “see”?  Paul told the Ephesians to have “the eyes of your hearts enlightened” [1 v.18]The ‘parable' is complete in the final verses of the book when Job's losses are restored  “And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before …and the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning” [v.10,12]  We can see its application to the fulfilment of the promise of resurrection and the glories of God's kingdom, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.” [Rev.2 v.10]      Let us hold fast to our integrity – and “receive the crown of life” – not being distracted by present adversity or adversaries.

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

On October 6, 2023, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik sat at his desk facing a deadline for his monthly column. Israel's citizens were then furiously debating judicial reform, but he'd already had his say on that matter. He decided to write about something else instead: a Jeopardy episode where three educated contestants stared blankly when asked to identify the source of this line: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." This, among the most famous images in all of Western literature, comes of course from Psalm 23. And none of the contestants knew it.   Rabbi Soloveichik submitted the piece on October 6, hours before the festival of Shemini Atzeret. The next morning, October 7, the Jewish people would be thrust into the valley of the shadow of death. T'hillim, as the Psalm are known in Hebrew, would, over the following weeks and months, accompany the Jewish people's every thought. Their distress could be articulated in David's very own words, linking their pain to his pain, their redemptive dreams to his redemptive dreams, their future to his future.   In his new podcast, "Poetry and Prayer: A Daily Journey Through the Psalms," Soloveichik walks listeners through all 150 psalms, one by one. For today's episode, he sits down with Jonathan Silver, the editor of Mosaic, to discuss this ambitious project. He puts forward a striking claim in the course of the conversation: the Psalms represent something unprecedented in ancient literature. While Homer or Gilgamesh depict external action—heroic deeds, cosmic battles—the Psalms take their reader (or reciter) inside someone else's soul. The Psalmist explores the full range of human emotion—doubt and faith, despair and joy, rage and delight—all while maintaining an awareness of God's presence. It's the first example in world literature of what the critic Edward Cahill calls "the eye of interiority."   When Iranian missiles fell on their cities at 2:00 am one night, Israelis immediately Googled "T'hillim" on their iPhones. An IDF soldier named Yossi Hershkovitz composed a new melody to Psalm 23 while serving in Gaza, and was killed days later—his tune surviving because a comrade taught it to his children. In America, the Psalms shaped the country's founding, from the First Continental Congress reading Psalm 35 to Lincoln quoting from the book in his Second Inaugural. More recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a speech in Jerusalem's City of David connecting American exceptionalism to the very site where the Psalms were written.   This episode of the Tikvah Podcast is sponsored by Samuel and Malka Harris Susswein in honor of Sam Susswein's birthday. If you are interested in sponsoring an episode of this podcast, or of any other in Tikvah's growing podcast network, we invite you to join the Tikvah Ideas Circle.  

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

www.dailybreadmoms.com Now coming to busy moms all over the world as a daily podcast! Daily Bread follows the weekly Torah Portion, one part each day, together with a healthy balance from the rest of Scripture — all in one year. More than just a one-year Bible reading plan, Daily Bread is designed as a journal, with a comprehensive Hebrew calendar. To support the podcast - www.patreon.com/dailybreadmoms Check out the Daily Bread Torah Class, LIVE from Israel! Join anytime. larsenarson.com/torah The Journals are available here: arielmedia.shop/

This week Dave and Jeff wrap up their discussion of John Wenham's fascinating, scholarly tour de force on the synoptic Gospels. Dealing with chapters 8 to 12, the conversation focuses on further considerations for Mark's Gospel, Ancient Testimony to Luke's Gospel, and these three, essential and concluding points: 1. How were the Gospels written? 2. Jesus-Tradition Oral and Written 3. When Were the Gospels Written? The answers might surprise you, based on patristic evidence, internal evidence, Qumran scroll evidence from 1972 – shedding light on Mark 6:52ff. – and the remarkable attestation in II Corinthians 8.8, that Luke is the brother who is "praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel." Wenham makes a persuasive argument that this refers to the composition of the third synoptic, and thus we have these dates according to the traditional form: Matthew was written before 40 A.D., in Hebrew; Mark was written no later than 45 A.D. in Rome; and Luke was written as early as 55 A.D. You won't want to miss these exciting conclusions. Also, be sure to check out our giveaway of the brand-new collected works of Aristotle by Hackett publishing, our sponsor. You can find it at this link.

This episode delves into the themes of dominion, rebellion, and redemption. Listeners will gain insights into the biblical account of humanity's failure to maintain dominion and the subsequent divine intervention through covenants and the coming of the Messiah. The episode highlights key biblical prophecies and their fulfillment in Jesus, the last Adam, who conquers all the rebellious and establishes His kingdom. With references to Isaiah and Revelation, we discuss the Messiah's righteous rule, the final rebellion, and the eternal peace secured by Jesus' ultimate victory.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

Rabbi Gordon studies one chapter a day from Maimonides' classic legal work of Mishneh Torah. The original Hebrew text is read and then translated and clearly explained in English.

These classes teach the day's section of the weekly Torah portion. The lesson is taught using the original Hebrew text with the indispensable commentary of Rashi—both translated and elucidated so that anyone can follow along.

This week Mark welcomes Canadian (Alberta) attorney Abraham Kilian, who brings an interesting perspective on international law — some of it based on English common law, but certainly not all, and not so much any more — to the “Come out of her,” discussion. He is also an author and Bible scholar, who understands the foundations of law, and the Torah of YHVH, and has seen some of the usurpations first-hand over his own life. His website is at www.MaximaPotentia.com NOTE: This is the pre-recorded show which was supposed to have run Thursday evening, but did not, due to a technical problem.

This week’s discussion between co-hosts David Justice and Mark Call merits a title, given the depths of deception being revealed: Tina Peters, Seditious Conspiracies against Rights, War on Americans, and other Criminal Acts continually being revealed

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?

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 11, 2025 is: leviathan • luh-VYE-uh-thun • noun Leviathan is a word with literary flair that can refer broadly to something very large and powerful, or more narrowly to a large sea animal, or a totalitarian state having a vast bureaucracy. // Towering leviathans of the forest, giant sequoias often reach heights of more than 200 feet. See the entry > Examples: “These are dim days for the leviathan merchants. The smart whaling families have diversified and will hang onto their wealth for years to come. ... The less smart, those convulsed by the strange desire to continue doing what had always been done, who consider it a divinely issued directive to rid the waves of great fish, now face a problem: the Atlantic whale that built their houses and ships has seemingly wised up ...” — Ethan Rutherford, North Sun, or The Voyage of the Whaleship Esther: A Novel, 2025 Did you know? Old Testament references to a huge sea monster, Leviathan (in Hebrew, Liwyāthān), are thought to have been inspired by an ancient myth in which the god Baal slays a multiheaded sea monster. Leviathan appears in the Book of Psalms as a sea serpent that is killed by God and then given as food to creatures in the wilderness, and it is mentioned in the Book of Job as well. After making a splash in English in the 1300s, the word Leviathan began to be used, capitalized and uncapitalized, for enormous sea creatures both imagined and real—including as a synonym of whale over 100 times in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, as in “ere the Pequod's weedy hull rolls side by side with the barnacled hulls of the leviathan.” Today, leviathan can be used for anything large and powerful, from ships to corporations.

A really fun show this week with stories that are somewhat traditional and somewhat not! We hope you enjoy the variety. Dan takes us to Ohio for a dybbuk box tale, which is wildly interesting. Then we head to North Carolina to explore the Duke mansion. Lynze has three short stories this week. She covers a new kind of fear based coping mechanism, then takes us to Myrtle's Plantation and lastly, we fist fight a ghost together! Do you want to get all of our episodes a WEEK early, ad free? Want to help us support amazing charities? Join us on Patreon!Want to be a Patron? Get episodes AD-FREE, listen and watch before they are released to anyone else, bonus episodes, a 20% merch discount, additional content, and more! Learn more by visiting: https://www.patreon.com/scaredtodeathpodcast.Send stories to mystory@scaredtodeathpodcast.comSend everything else to info@scaredtodeathpodcast.comPlease rate, review, and subscribe anywhere you listen.Thank you for listening!Follow the show on social media: @scaredtodeathpodcast on Facebook and IG and TTWebsite: https://www.badmagicproductions.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scaredtodeathpodcastInstagram: https://bit.ly/2miPLf5Mailing Address:Scared to Deathc/o Timesuck PodcastPO Box 3891Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816Opening Sumerian protection spell (adapted):"Whether thou art a ghost that hath come from the earth, or a phantom of night that hath no home… or one that lieth dead in the desert… or a ghost unburied… or a demon or a ghoul… Whatever thou be until thou art removed… thou shalt find here no water to drink… Thou shalt not stretch forth thy hand to our own… Into our house enter thou not. Through our fence, breakthrough thou not… we are protected though we may be frightened. Our life you may not steal, though we may feel SCARED TO DEATH." Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Scared to Death ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.