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09/13/2026 Rev. Siyoung Jung No King in Israel: The Book of Judges (Part 10): God's Wisdom in Our Trials Judges 7:1-8, 15-25 ESV Gideon's Three Hundred Men 7 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.' 3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.'” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. 4 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,' shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,' shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. 7 And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” 8 So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.   15 As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” 16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.'” 19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah,[a] as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.

(This podcast was previously published on, October 23, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   Joshua 21   43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which HE sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.   44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that HE sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.   45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.  

One of the first things Jesus did in his public ministry was invite people to become his disciples. In the first chapter of John's gospel, he used the phrase "come and see" as part of that invitation. To "see" means to observe and listen within a specific real-world context and this fall we will specifically be looking at the character of the land in the Bible. In the first sermon of our Fall Series, Pastor Karla opens a familiar passage, but points out an odd piece of the story that probably none of us have stopped to examine deeper...The tree of Moreh at Shechem. It is through this often overlooked part of the passage that reveals how God calls Abram to a specific land. So what does the location of this land tell us about God's desire for His people?   Passage: Genesis 12:1–7; John 1:39 NOTE: To see the clip played during the service, click HERE. We have three worship opportunities for you to experience: 9:00 a.m. - Sanctuary Service 9:30 a.m. - Online Service 10:30 a.m. - Chapel Service  Please consider joining us for one of these services.  To view past worship services along with other digital content, go to our Youtube Channel @PointLomaChurchOnline.  To get involved in what God is doing within our community, please visit our website at www.pointlomachurch.org. For event happenings: http://pointlomachurch.org/connect/events/ For a list of "Summer Movie Nights" showing on Wednesdays, click HERE To register for any event: http://pointlomachurch.org/register If you would like to give to the ministry: http://pointlomachurch.org/give/ or through our Venmo account: @Point-Loma-Church

Send us Fan MailAs Abram enters the land of Canaan, the biblical story begins to narrow its focus—from the sweeping story of the nations to one man faithfully listening to and obeying the voice of God. His first stop is Shechem, at the Oak of Moreh, a place already associated with pagan worship and supernatural power. Yet Abram does not surrender this place to the gods of the nations; he builds an altar and worships the Lord there. In this episode, we explore why Shechem matters, how Abram's simple act of obedience begins a biblical pattern that echoes through the stories of Jacob, Joseph, Joshua, Israel's kings, and ultimately Jesus, and why paying attention to places and names can reveal connections modern readers often miss.

You often hear people talking about how God's blessing flows on their lives. But sometimes, we can take a narrow view of what God's really up to.   A Deep Truth of the Bible It's great to be with you again today and this is the second message in a series that I have called "Blessed to be a Blessing". The society in which we live tells us it's all about "you"; it's all about "me". I buy the newspaper reasonably frequently and the one that I buy on Friday, once a month, has a glossy magazine inside it called, "Wish". It's full of expensive watches and expensive holidays and expensive dining experiences and coffee and real estate and it's so glossy; it's so seductive. Sociologists talk of the phenomenon of "cocooning"; of wrapping ourselves in comfort. For so many people in the West, that's what they are trying to do. To somehow ignore everything else that's going on; to hide from all the problems in the world and imagine somehow, that we can be satisfied in the cocoon of luxury. There's an airline that for a long time, had an advertising campaign for it's business class and the by-line of the advertising campaign was, "It's all about you". And that's it isn't it? To cocoon ourselves in these luxury things and experiences and ignore the pain and the starvation and the sickness that's going on in the rest of the world. There are billions of people in poverty today. There are billions of people who don't have enough food and some of those people are listening today. I had feed-back recently from a listener in a Liberian refugee camp, in Sierra Leone and there, life is purely about survival – food, water, avoiding disease, keeping away from war. And when I am talking about God's blessing, the one thing that I'm conscience of is the need to speak into both ends of that spectrum. A man who I really admire, who taught me a lot, a man called Barry Chant, was a great influence on me. He's a lecturer at the Bible College I attended, and I have a great respect for this man. One of the ministry classes we were in, there were a small number of students and we were having a discussion and we were talking about the tendency in some parts of the church to preach what some people call a "prosperity doctrine" – to believe God for a bigger car and a bigger house. Now Barry has been ministering around the world for over fifty years and when we came to this, his face became very serious and he said this: If you are going to preach on God's blessing and God's prosperity, then what you say has to apply to the poor and to the rich. It has to work in the West and in the developing world and if it doesn't, it's not God's truth. You see, God doesn't have favourites. Sure, God plants us in different places, in different circumstances but if we are going to talk about God's blessing in this series "Blessed to be a Blessing", I am really conscience of the fact that what we say, what we uncover in God's Word, has to apply to everybody. Now, that's always really stuck with me and what I want is never to open my mouth and speak unless I'm speaking God's truth. Today we are going to look at two deep truths of the Bible – God's Word, God's very heart. We are going to talk about God's blessing and particularly look at the story of Abraham. One of the things that strikes me about the Bible is that when God blesses people He expects them to take that blessing and bless other people. And that's the first deep truth. It's this: a blessing is only really a blessing if it flows in and out. Let me say that again: a blessing is only really a blessing when it not only flows into us from God, but it also flows out again. That's the first truth. And the second is this: the birth of a blessing in our lives can often be very uncomfortable and painful, and so we often miss exactly what God is up to and what's going on. I wanted to put those two truths right up front because that's what we are going to be talking about today. I believe that God is a God of outrageous blessing but so often we don't understand how He blesses and what He expects. We need good teaching on God's blessing – Biblical, profound, truth. God's blessing is God's favour. It's when He intervenes in our lives for the good – it can be Spiritual, it can be emotional, it can be physical healing, it can be in relationships and even material. I weep when people reduce the blessing of God just down to the next big, expensive car that they want to buy. I know some people will get upset with me saying that but it's a matter of priority. God is a God of blessing but we are blessed in order to be a blessing. A blessing has to flow into us from God and out from us to others, otherwise it's not a blessing at all. Let's have a look at the story of Abraham and we clearly see how God works. We are going to Genesis, chapter 12, beginning at verse 1. If you have a Bible, grab it: "The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation," – listen to this – "and I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse and in you all the peoples on the earth will be blessed." So Abram left as the Lord had told him and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran and set out for the land of Canaan and they arrived there. Abram travelled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh, at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land and the Lord appeared there to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So Abram built an alter there, to the Lord who appeared to him. From there he went toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an alter to the Lord and he called on the name of the Lord. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. See, there are a few aspects to this story. Firstly, God said, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household. Leave everything you're comfortable with and step out. And if you do that, I will bless you. I promise, I will make you a great nation. All the peoples on the earth will be blessed." The point of the blessing was not just that Abram would be blessed but that all the peoples on the earth would be blessed, through him. That's huge! Ultimately Israel was blessed in that they received the Promised Land and you and I were blessed in that Jesus Christ was physically a descendant of Abram. Now this required a lot of obedience. This man was seventy five years old. Most of us are heavily into retirement aged seventy five – not that I know, I'm not quite there yet – but it was no obstacle to him. Abram was quite wealthy yet he set out into the unknown; he set out into God's blessing and to be a blessing. I always admire this man because he had no Bible; it wasn't written then. I don't know how God talked to him, but somehow God did and Abram believed Him and he set out. He left his father's house, his comfort, his people, recognition, his own country, his home on a promise from God. "Step out of your comfort zone, Abram, follow me to this land that I will show you." He didn't even know where he was going, there were no planes, trains or automobiles or air conditioned business class. This was God's promise: "I will bless you so that you will become a blessing to all the nations." Aged seventy five, he went on an uncertain journey on God's promise. So what happens next?   Stepping out into the Blessing Okay, today we are talking about God's blessing and the two deep truths: firstly that a blessing has to flow. A blessing isn't a blessing unless it flows into us from God and out from us to other people. And secondly, when God starts to birth a blessing in our lives, it's not always comfortable and it's not always convenient and it doesn't always feel like a blessing. God's promise to Abram was a huge blessing. Remember, Abram was seventy five years old; the greatest sadness of this man's life was that he had no children. To the Hebrews, the two great signs of God's blessing were lots of kids and lots of land. If you had those you were blessed, if you didn't you weren't. God not only called Abram out of his comfort zone but He promised him those two blessings. Firstly in Genesis, chapter 13 verse 14, it says this: The Lord said to Abram after Lot had departed from him, "Lift up you eyes from where you are and look north and south and east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth so that if anyone could count the dust then your offspring could be counted. Go; walk through the length and the breadth of the land for I am giving it to you." And again in Genesis, chapter 15, verse 4: Then the word of the Lord came to him. "This man will not be your heir but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars, if indeed you can count them," then God said to Abram, "so shall your offspring be." The guy is seventy five; his wife Sarai is about the same age. These are huge, impossible promises: the land that God is promising him is inhabited by the Canaanites; they've been childless for all these years, and yet God calls Abram and Sarai out of their comfort zone into the absolutely impossible – He sends them on a long journey. When you read the story out of the next few chapters of Genesis (and I encourage you to do that) the two things that leap out are these: firstly it was an interminable journey – twenty five years! It went on and on and on and on. We are talking "God" and "blessing" and we think an hour, a day, a week at the most. Twenty five years! What was God thinking? Not even twenty five years in the comfort of their own home, but twenty five years of rough and rugged time on the road in tents, with all their animals and possessions and servants travelling with them. Imagine the organisation and the difficulties and the discomforts all for some vague, impossible promise of blessing. And the second thing that leaps out at you as you read the story of Abram and Sarai are their imperfections. They didn't do this perfectly, they made lots of mistakes. Abram took Lot with him. God didn't ask him to take Lot with him. They had to separate and Abram had to give land away and then he had to rescue Lot from captivity, putting God's plan in risk again. And they doubted God over and over again. And then Abram and Sarai think, 'Well, God's not showing up so maybe we'll give Him a hand.' So Abram sleeps with a woman, a servant, Hagar and has Ishmael. They laughed at God's promises. They said, "God, do you understand how old we are?" Twice Abraham lies about Sarah; says she is his sister not his wife and she ends up in some king's harem. Abraham was not some super Christian, you know, who did everything perfectly – just a simple, ordinary human being with an extraordinary faith in an extraordinary God. After twenty five years God gave them a son and God told them to call this son Isaac, which means "he laughs". You see God had the last laugh, "he who laughs last, laughs best". And they were blessed to be a blessing. They were called out of their comfort zone into God's promises – so called "blessings" – in order to be a blessing to all the nations. But all they saw for the first twenty five years was heartbreak and trial after trial on an interminable journey. You see how easy it is to make a mistake when God is birthing a blessing, to mistake that birth of a blessing for a curse? We go to God and ask Him to bless us and – listen to me, here's a deep truth – often it gets a whole bunch worse before it gets better. In a relationship, if you pray for your husband or your wife or your children: "God bless them, improve our relationship, deal with that thing in them that I can't deal with." The most likely thing that is going to start happening is that it will get worse. They're going to start acting up and then we give up. When they start acting up, when it gets worst … praise God! When things take a turn for the worst after we've prayed for a blessing in that area, thank God, because God is up to something good. That's His way. The birth of a blessing often is a difficult birth because that's how we learn and grow and walk in faith. It's a deep truth that the birth of a blessing can often be uncomfortable and painful and so we often miss out on exactly what God is up to and what's going on. When someone taught me that, when I finally learnt that, it made a huge difference to my life. We need to stop putting our trust in circumstances we can see and put our trust in the God we can't see. When God starts something He will finish it! Even though we bumble through it imperfectly, like Abraham and Sarah, even though we lose heart sometimes, even though we even laugh at God and say, "Look God, this is impossible", God wants us to learn this lesson today. It's one of the things that He will use mightily and powerfully over the rest of our lives. God's blessings so often involve change in people and in circumstances and in attitudes and when they start breaking forth, it feels risky and uncomfortable and uncertain and sometimes it even feel worse. When you are in that situation, I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring this back to you. God is a God of blessing and we will sometimes suffer incredibly as His blessings come to pass. It seems to be so often His way.   Believing the Promise God is a God of blessing and I truly believe that He wants to bless us so that we can be a blessing to others. Abraham was the case in point. Right from the beginning, God promised that Abraham would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth. At that time he had no idea what that meant. He spent twenty five years wandering after that promise. Finally, finally a miracle – a son, Isaac. But what about this other huge promise, that through Abraham God would bring blessing to every nation on earth? Well, let's roll forward a little bit now, to the New Testament, about fifteen hundred years on and the writer of the Book of Hebrews says this – if you have a Bible, grab it, open it at chapter 11 and verse 8: By faith, Abraham, when called to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he didn't know where he was going. By faith he made his home in this land, like a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were his heirs with him of the same promise, for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, who's architect and builder, was God. Isn't that beautiful? By faith, Abraham, even though he was past the age and Sarah, herself who was barren, was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made that promise. And so, from this one man and he was as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the sea shore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised but only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted they were aliens and strangers on the earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had an opportunity to return, instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for He has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God said to him, "It will be through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead and, figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. See, this is a beautiful story! Abraham stepped out, he wandered for twenty five years, he finally had a son but he never saw the promises of blessings to all the nations. See what it says in Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 13: "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance." Now we are going to go back to those two profound truths of God's blessing that I talked about at the beginning of the program. The first is this deep truth: a blessing is only a blessing if it flows in and out. That's the first one. And the second is: the birth of a blessing can often be uncomfortable and painful and so we can miss exacting what God's up to and what's going on. Now the story of Abraham brings these two truths together. It was uncomfortable for twenty five years, but even more so, he never saw the major promise come to fruition. The promise from the beginning to Abraham was this: 'I will make you into a great nation' He never saw that. It didn't happen until after he died. And again, 'All the peoples will be blessed through you'. He never saw that. Abraham was blessed to be a blessing. He suffered for that blessing but never fully saw its fruition. Through Abraham, Israel received the Promised Land and through Abraham you and I receive Jesus Christ because Jesus was descended, physically, from Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and so on. Jesus is the greatest blessing of God to all humanity and Abraham had no idea. He had to suffer those twenty five years so he could be part of that blessing but he never saw the end of it. God blessed him in order that God's blessing could flow through him, down to the centuries, to you and me, here and now. And that is utterly amazing. Do you see how limiting it is when we want God just to bless us, and somehow we imagine that blessing stops with us? It's not God's plan. God's blessing is only really a blessing when it flows down to us from Him and out from us to everybody else. He wants us to be the place where His flood tide of blessing brings life to the rest of the world. Look what Jesus said about exactly that: John chapter 7 verse 37: On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice (notice: He said this in a loud voice so everyone would hear) "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this He meant the Spirit whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. See, there's an "in" and an "out". Are you looking for something? Are you parched and needy and dry? Come to Jesus and drink; put your faith in Him. And whoever believes in Him, rivers of living water will flow out of them. It's one of the greatest passages in the Bible. It's powerful. It's the crux of being a disciple. We are blessed to be a blessing! Rivers – Nile and Ganges and Murray and Mississippi and Amazon – rivers! Again Jesus said: Give and it will be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure that you use, it would be measured to you. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing. Whether we are Abraham or just some little person living in this century – we are blessed to be a blessing! It is a double sided transaction. When we limit God's blessing to just flowing in, that's a very, very sad thing. You and I are blessed to be a blessing.

Show Notes — GoNOMAD Travel Podcast Episode: Manipur's Sangai Festival — A Deer, A Floating National Park, and a Journey Across India's Jewel StateEpisode SummaryIn this episode, Max shares the story of Manipur's extraordinary Sangai Festival—a ten‑day celebration dedicated to a deer once believed extinct. Based on Sushant Pandey's travels, we explore Manipur's floating national park, the revival of the Sangai deer, and the cultural richness of this lesser‑known northeastern Indian state.Key Highlights from the EpisodeManipur: The Jewel StateA small northeastern state bordered by Myanmar, Manipur is known for its vast rice plains, mountain ranges, and deep cultural diversity. It's also the birthplace of modern polo and home to one of the most unusual ecosystems in the world.Loktak Lake & Keibul Lamjao National ParkThe episode dives into the story of Loktak Lake, a 40‑square‑kilometer expanse dotted with floating islands called phumdi. These form the foundation of Keibul Lamjao National Park, the world's only floating national park and the last refuge of the Sangai deer.“The Phumdi is a heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matter… and they float over the water.”The Sangai Deer: From Extinction to Symbol of HopeDeclared extinct in the 1950s, the Sangai was rediscovered when just six individuals were spotted in 1953. Conservation efforts brought the population back to more than 260 by 2014. The deer's distinctive behavior—pausing and looking back as if “in awaiting”—is woven into Manipuri folklore.The Sangai Festival (November 21–30)Held across the state, with major events in Imphal and Moirang, the festival showcases:Manipuri dance and musicBamboo dances from across Northeast IndiaTribal arts, textiles, and sculpturesExhibitions, food stalls, and sporting eventsCultural performances at Bheigyachandra Open Air TheatreIt's one of the biggest festivals in Northeast India, rivaling Nagaland's Hornbill Festival.A Traveler's Journey Through ManipurSushant Pandey arrived in Manipur exhausted after 30 days riding through remote northeastern states. The festival revived him, and he extended his stay from six to ten days. He visited Loktak Lake, spotted Sangai deer from a watchtower, and rode to Moreh, a border town where Indian citizens can cross 16 km into Myanmar without a visa.Imphal: Culture, History, and ChaosThe episode also touches on Imphal's:Manipur State MuseumImphal War CemeteryKangla FortMapal Kangjeibung, the world's oldest polo groundThese sites deepen the understanding of Manipur's layered cultural identity.Travel Tips MentionedBest time to visit: November–December (Sangai + Hornbill overlap)Best time to spot Sangai deer: early morning or eveningBoat rides inside the national park reveal the floating phumdiImphal offers affordable lodging (rooms around ₹500)Roads in Manipur are better than in many neighboring statesLinks & Further ExplorationSangai DeerKeibul Lamjao National ParkMoreh Border TownImphal Travel TipsGoNOMAD article about Manipur and the Sangai Deer FestivalListen to MoreExplore 300+ GoNOMAD Travel Podcast episodes—each 5–8 minutes—at Voyascape.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

(This podcast was previously published on August 22, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   Noah was a righteous man and therefore God did not destroy Noah in the waters of the flood but God made a way of escape for Noah. (the ark)   God also raised up another righteous man unto HIMSELF, Abraham.  (Genesis 12)   God spoke to Abram and told him to depart from his father's house and Abram departed.   Abram departed as the Lord had told him but he didn't know where he was going.  He just departed from his father's land.   Genesis 12   4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.   (For 25 years, God told Abram that great nations would come from his seed.  But Sarai, Abram's wife was barren.  In spite of the circumstances, Abram believed God and it was counted by God as righteousness because Abram believed God.  He refused to believe that which he saw with his natural eyes.  Abram clung to the Word of God.)   5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.   6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.   7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.   Abram had no seed.  Abram had no children and his wife Sarai was barren.  Abram was 75 when he departed as God had told him to do and Abram was going to wait another 25 years before God gave him "that promised seed."   8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.   9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.   10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.  

The history of Israel series continues as we move into Judges 6 with the start of the story of Gideon. The Israelites have fallen away from the worship of Yahweh, so God sends the Midianites to oppress them. After 7 years, they cry out to God for relief and He sends Gideon...the youngest man from an insignificant family. Gideon's faith is tested as God calls him to do a difficult task before taking on the Midianites. Then, after that's done, God whittles down his force to such a small number that it will have to be recognized that God won the battle. How does that happen? Listen to this episode to find out.If you're enjoying Bible Backdrop, please leave a 5-star rating and review. To get in touch with the show, you can e-mail the address given in the episode.

Genesis 12:1-9 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

Second Sunday after Pentecost Old Testament: Genesis 12:1-9 1Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the Lordappeared to Abram, and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb. Psalm: Psalm 33:1-12 1 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; *        it is good for the just to sing praises. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; *        play to him upon the psaltery and lyre. 3 Sing for him a new song; *        sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet. 4 For the word of the Lord is right, *        and all his works are sure. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; *        the loving-kindness of the Lord fills the whole earth. 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, *        by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts. 7 He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin *        and stores up the depths of the sea. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; *        let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to pass; *        he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord brings the will of the nations to naught; *        he thwarts the designs of the peoples. 11 But the Lord's will stands fast for ever, *        and the designs of his heart from age to age. 12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord! *        happy the people he has chosen to be his own! Old Testament: Hosea 5:15-6:6 15I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face. In their distress they will beg my favor: 1"Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. 2After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 3Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth." 4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early.5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. 6For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Psalm: Psalm 50:7-15 7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak:  "O Israel, I will bear witness against you; *        for I am God, your God. 8 I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; *        your offerings are always before me. 9 I will take no bull-calf from your stalls, *        nor he-goats out of your pens; 10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine, *        the herds in their thousands upon the hills. 11 I know every bird in the sky, *        and the creatures of the fields are in my sight. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, *        for the whole world is mine and all that is in it. 13 Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, *        or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving *        and make good your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon me in the day of trouble; *        I will deliver you, and you shall honor me." Epistle: Romans 4:13-25 13For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 16For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations") —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "So numerous shall your descendants be." 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22Therefore his faith "was reckoned to him as righteousness." 23Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.13Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." 18While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." 19And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well." 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. 23When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 20 minutesSynopsis: This morning (6/5/26), in our last Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women of the season, we concluded the Rambam's INITIAL presentation of the true view of hashgachah, as understood from the Torah by the multitude of Sages, and as understood by the Rambam himself. Because we're going to be pausing our Iyov shiurim for the summer, I had to make it clear - in the shiur and in this synopsis - that what we covered in this shiur will NOT attempt to convey a complete picture of the Rambam's view. For that, we'll need to learn 3:19-21 on Divine knowledge, followed by his "commentary" on Sefer Iyov in 3:22-23, concluding with his final thoughts on hashgachah in 3:51. And for all of that, we'll have to wait until our shiurim resume in the fall. Treat the material we cover in this shiur as the foundation on which the edifice will (God willing) be built when we return.-----מקורות:רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:יז-יחDavid Guttman - "Divine Providence: Hopes, Goals, and Fears" https://hakirah.org/Vol%205%20Guttmann.pdfרמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תשובה ט:א-----The Torah content for this month has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l'zeicher nishmas Zelda bas Ziesel, his grandmother, whose yahrzeit is on the 21st of Sivan.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | InstagramPodcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah PodcastWhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 25:27 - Mussar for Winnie-the-Pooh (Part 4)אָכֹל דְּבַשׁ הַרְבּוֹת לֹא טוֹב, וְחֵקֶר כְּבֹדָם כָּבוֹד:Length: 29 minutesSynopsis: This morning (6/4/26), in our Morning Mishlei shiur, we wrapped up our discussion of this honey-themed pasuk with the Rambam's interpretation in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim, after first briefly discussing the Ralbag's similar approach. We didn't have time to delve TOO deeply into the Rambam - something I plan to do in my women's shiur tonight on the Arbaah Nichnesu l'Pardes - but we still gleaned some insightful and helpful takeaways.---מקורות:משלי כה:כזרלב"גרמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים א:לב (Goodman + Pines translations)חגיגה דף יד עמוד ב-----The Torah content for this month has been sponsored by Meir Areman, l'zeicher nishmas Zelda bas Ziesel, his grandmother, whose yahrzeit is on the 21st of Sivan.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | InstagramPodcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah PodcastWhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 28 minutesSynopsis: This morning (5/15/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we moved on to the next - and last! - subseries within our overarching series on Iyov. Over the course of the next eight chapters, the Rambam presents his views on God's knowledge, hashgachah, and Sefer Iyov. Today we covered his overview of the false views: what led the philosophers to deny God's omniscience, and the four false views of hashgachah held from ancient times. Next time (בג"ה) we'll learn through the Rambam's presentation of the Torah's view and his own take on it.-----מקורות:רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:טז-יזLenn E. Goodman and Phillip I. Lieberman, "The Guide to the Perplexed: A New Translation"-----The Torah content for the month of Iyyar is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild in memory of her mother, Breindel Bracha bas Mordechai z”l, whose yahrzeit falls on the 8th of Iyyar. She learned and lived Torah, and was a tremendous baalas chesed.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider supporting my work via Patreon, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal — links below. Even a small contribution helps cover production costs and gives me the freedom to create more Torah content. To sponsor a day's or week's worth of content, or to inquire about tutoring or teaching, reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you for listening, reading, and supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.Patreon | [Venmo: @Matt-Schneeweiss] | [Zelle/PayPal: mattschneeweiss at gmail]Substack | YouTube | YUTorah | InstagramPodcasts: The Stoic Jew | Machshavah Lab | The Mishlei Podcast | Rambam Bekius | The Tefilah PodcastWhatsApp Content Hub | Old Blog | Amazon Wishlist

Moreh Nevukhim #72 - 2.36 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 25 minutesSynopsis: This morning (5/8/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we review what we covered last time, then learned and discussed the rest of the Rambam's Moreh ha'Nevuchim 3:12, in which he outlines the three types of ra that befall human beings. In addition to the points explicitly raised by the Rambam, we also discussed why these types of ra MUST exist. This may be our last shiur in this "Rambam on the Satan and Ra" subseries within our larger series on Iyov.-----מקורות:רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:יבR. Natan Slifkin: https://www.rationalistjudaism.com/p/back-pain-and-toothache-----This week's content is sponsored by Benjy Weiss, currently a student at Yeshivat Migdal HaTorah. The vast majority of my talmidim over the past six years learned at Migdal, and the rabbeim there clearly do an excellent job fostering their development. Migdal promotes the same approach to Torah study that my own rabbeim have bequeathed to me: asking questions and pursuing answers that make sense. If you've gained from my shiurim these past six years, you've also benefited from Migdal, consider making a contribution. Campaign runs through Monday: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/fundraising/benjy-weissThe Torah content for the month of Iyyar is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild in memory of her mother, Breindel Bracha bas Mordechai z”l, whose yahrzeit falls on the 8th of Iyyar. She learned and lived Torah, and was a tremendous baalas chesed.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/G

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 43 minutesSynopsis: This evening (4/30/25), in our Thursday night women's shiur, we learned through the entire chapter in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim in which the Rambam discusses the purpose of the universe. Technically speaking, this is part of our Friday morning Sefer Iyov Machshavah Lab series for women, but in order to make up for lost time, I decided to take it up in our Thursday night shiur. Thankfully, it's also a standalone topic. I'm happy with our analysis, and hope you find the Rambam's argument as enlightening as I did!Here's the link to My Rejected Kiruv Article on the Purpose of Life, which I mentioned at the end -----מקורות:רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:יג-----The Torah content for the month of Iyyar is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz Rothschild in memory of her mother, Breindel Bracha bas Mordechai z”l, whose yahrzeit falls on the 8th of Iyyar. She learned and lived Torah, and was a tremendous baalas chesed.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

This is a very famous story – Gideon's brilliant victory over the Midianites, but it is also at the same time a story about God's brilliant war against human pride.Scripture is clear that the fundamental tyranny is sin, and pride is the root sin. Israel turned away from God because of pride and became enslaved to the Midianites. As we have turned away from God in our American pride, we have increasingly been enslaved to many corruptions.When we cry out to God for deliverance, we must recognize that there is often more that God needs to deliver us from than we realize – and pride is one of our great cancers.The Text: “Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley…” (Judges 7:1-25)King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/kingscrossmoscow.

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 22 minutesSynopsis: This morning (4/17/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we finally began the "Moreh ha'Nevuchim" portion of our Iyov journey. After a very brief review of matter and form, we read, analyzed, and discussed the Moreh 3:8 about the relationship between matter and ra. We concluded by decoding the basic elements of the satan allegory (which, ironically, was interrupted a few minutes before shiur ended by the satan himself). Next week, I hope to cover 3:9 and the all-important 3:10! -----מקורות:רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות יסודי התורה ב:גיונה ד:א-ב;ורמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:חבבא בתרא דף טז עמוד אאיוב א:ו-יב-----The Torah content for the month of Nisan has been sponsored by Rivkie and Dovi Siderson. In the merit of our learning, may Hashem help us use this time to cleanse ourselves of spiritual "chametz," bringing refuah, shalom, and the final geulah to all of Klal Yisrael!-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

Moreh Nevukhim #71 - 3.47 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 7 minutesSynopsis: This Friday morning (3/20/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we were GOING to begin the section of the Rambam's Moreh ha'Nevuchim that will be our focus for the next couple of months, beginning with 3:8 on the nature of matter. However, five minutes before shiur, I spontaneously decided to read some Rambams in the Mishneh Torah that I hadn't prepared, but thought would be a good way to review and clarify what we covered in Part 1. The good news is that I was right. The even better news is that this led to a level-up (at least on my part) in how to think about the soul according to the Rambam. I can't say we got everything clear, but we definitely gained in clarity! We ended up spending the rest of the shiur on this topic. The Moreh will have to wait until next time!-----מקורות:רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות יסודי התורה ב:ג; ד:ז-טיד פשוטה שםרמב"ם - מילות ההגיון: השער התשיעיאבן עזרא פירוש ב' - תהלים ח:ג-----This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an Intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!DISCLAIMER: I almost didn't post this shiur because it wasn't as clear as I hoped AND because we revised it in Part 2. I'm happy with Part 2, but I'm posting Part 1 for the sake of thoroughness and transparency. Just know that if you listen to it, you should NOT expect the level of clarity that I typically aim for.Length: 1 hour 47 minutesSynopsis: This week (3/12/26), in our Thursday night Machshavah Lab series for women, we took up a question I've wanted to address for a while: How should we relate to arbitrary halachic details? Of course, this would entail first taking up the question: ARE there arbitrary halachic details? According to the Rambam, the answer is: yes. The plan was to learn through the Rambam's treatment of this topic in Moreh ha'Nevuchim 3:26, through my own idiosyncratic lens, which I refer to as "Pillow Theory." We would then segue to a different guide for the perplexed: Rav Kook's Linevukhei ha-Dor. However, we ended up spending all of Part 1 on the Rambam. I presented my current understanding of Pillow Theory, but we left questions unanswered. In Part 2, we came back, revised Pillow Theory, and answered all our questions before turning to Rav Kook.-----מקורות:רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:כו, מג, מחתלמוד ירושלמי פאה א:א:טזבראשית רבה מד:א-----This week's Torah content is sponsored by Seth Speiser, in honor of the yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi George Speiser (Rav Yosef ben Dovid). Rabbi Speiser was a kind and gentle soul as well as an Intellectual and a scholar. He received smicha from Rav Hutner at Chaim Berlin. His love for teaching and making puns was only outweighed by his love of family.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0H

Moreh Nevukhim #70 - 2.18 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Synopsis: This is the audio version of the 2-page article I wrote and published on rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/ on 2/20/26 titled: Terumah – The “Where?” “What?” and “Why?” of Shechinah. I typically rely on the Rambam's explanation of shechinah in the Moreh 1:25. This time, I'd like to showcase the explanations of two Italian chachamim which I believe are consistent with Rambam.-----The Torah content for the month of February is sponsored by the Koffsky family in memory of Adira Rose Koffsky a”h, whose third yahrzeit is on the 11th of Shvat. Adira was a gifted writer, a deep thinker, and an exceptionally kind soul. I am grateful to have been able to call her my student.תְּהֵא נִשְׁמָתָהּ צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים (May her soul be bound up in the bundle of life.)-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

Moreh Nevukhim #69 - 2.13 & 2.25 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 30 minutesSynopsis: This morning (2/6/26), in our Friday morning Sefer Iyov series for women, we initiated the next phase: decoding the allegory of the satan. After reviewing and raising questions about the first few pesukim of the allegory, we turned to the Rambam's primary treatment of angels in the Moreh, summarizing and analyzing along the way. By the end, we had a clear “Maimonidean” definition of an angel, in several formulations, along with a working theory for why such a concept is necessary. There are still plenty of unanswered questions, and plenty to think about for next time.-----מקורות:רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:כבאיוב א:ו-זרמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ב:ובראשית א:כב-כזספורנו - בראשית א:כורמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר קדושה, הלכות מאכלות אסורות ב:ג-----The Torah content for the month of February is sponsored by the Koffsky family in memory of Adira Rose Koffsky a”h, whose third yahrzeit is on the 11th of Shvat. Adira was a gifted writer, a deep thinker, and an exceptionally kind soul. I am grateful to have been able to call her my student.תְּהֵא נִשְׁמָתָהּ צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים (May her soul be bound up in the bundle of life.)-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

Message by Doug Bunnell, recorded live January 25, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Scripture read by Laurie Bunnell.Blessed to BlessWe are a blessed people, and we are to be a blessing.Why do you think God asked Abram to leave his country, people, and father's household?How does this passage connect to God's larger plan for humanity?Is there an area where God is asking you to trust Him without giving full details?In what ways has God blessed you so that you can bless others?How does Abram's obedience challenge your understanding of faith?Genesis 12:1-712 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot and all the possessions that they had gathered and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran, and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Moreh Nevukhim #68 - 1.2 & 3.54 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 28 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/16/25), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we concluded our catch-up crash course. After reviewing our mission and Iyov's exchange with Eliphaz, we covered Bildad's speech and Iyov's thorough response, then wrapped things up with Tzofar's speech and an even briefer summary of Iyov's response. While I would have loved to spend many more weeks taking up each of these speeches in-depth, and then conducting an equally in-depth analysis on Rounds 2 and 3, I'm afraid that's not in the cards. The plan now is to return to the beginning of the book to decode the allegory of the satan, then learn through the relevant chapters in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim as preparation for The Answer towards the end of Sefer Iyov. But first, a brief interlude: tune in next week for gam zu l'tovah! -----מקורות:מלבי"ם - איוב פרקים ח-ידאיוב מב:זתרגום אונקלוס - בראשית ב:זתרגום אונקלוס - שמות כ:דרש"י - בראשית ה:כב-כד-----The Torah content for the month of January is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz in memory of her father, Dovid Yitzchok ben Chaim Yeruchum Fishel z”l, who dedicated his life to learning and teaching Torah to countless students b'simcha. His first yahrtzeit is the 23rd of Teves.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

Judges 7:1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. 2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.' 3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.' ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.

Genesis 12 is one of the most important chapters in the Old Testament because it begins to show us God's plan for the world; as He calls Abraham to establish a new nation of people dedicated to Him. Chapter 12 lays the foundation for much of what unfolds through the rest of scripture. Join us for another key study in a key chapter of God's Word! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. Read over verses 1-3. What were the promises that God gave to Abram? In what sense were these unconditional promises? From what you can tell in these verses, how does the Lord expect Abram to respond to them?  2.    What do these unconditional promises indicate about God, His plan of redemption, and the kind of blessings He would pour out upon Abram and his descendants? 3.    According to the study, how will this new nation be different from the nations of the world that we saw back in Genesis 11? How is this difference still to be reflected in the life of believers today? 4.    Genesis 12 opens with Abram being 75 years old and living in the northern area of Haran. When God calls Abram to "Go forth from your country," what would this departure have been like for Abram and his family? How was Abram's obedience an indication of his faith? How did Abram respond? How is that a model for our responses to God's commands?  5.    How do you think Abram felt about leaving his family and former life behind? How would you have felt if you were in Abram's shoes?  6.    In verse 5, who went with Abram on his journey to the Promised Land? Glance back to the list of Abram's family in Genesis 11:27-32. Who did not go with Abram? Why do you think they didn't go with him?  7.    In verses 6 and 7, the Lord appeared to Abram at the Oak of Moreh; which was a common place of pagan worship. What did Abram build there? Thinking about this radical action, how do you think Abram had such faith and courage? What does this kind of faith and courage look like in our walk with God today? 8.    The study mentioned that there are physical descendants of Abram and spiritual descendants of Abram who have embraced God's New Covenant by faith. Have you accepted God's covenantal offer to join this nation of God-obeyers? If not, why not? If so, what does this look like in your life? 9.    The end of Chapter 12 includes an account of Abram not looking very heroic. What happened in verses 10-20? How does this seem incongruent with a man of faith? What does this teach us about the kind of people God uses? Does this give you any hope that God might still have a plan for you?  Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 8 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/9/26), in our Friday morning Machshavah Lab series for women, we changed course. I explain my reasons at the beginning of shiur and justify them based on how the meforshim approach Iyov, but the upshot is that we're going to switch into high gear and cover "Round 1" of the debate between Iyov and his three friends in a broad overview fashion instead of analyzing the pesukim in-depth. After going over the new plan, we did a brief review of what we covered last time (Iyov Chapter 3), then proceeded to go over Eliphaz's speech and Iyov's refutation, as explained by the Malbim. Next time (בג"ה) we'll cover Bildad and Tzofar in the same overview fashion, at which point we'll transition to our original pace as we take up the chapters in the Rambam's Moreh ha'Nevuchim which pave the way for his understanding of Sefer Iyov.-----מקורות:מלבי"ם - איוב פרקים ד-זאיוב מב:ז-----The Torah content for the month of January is sponsored by Naomi Schwartz in memory of her father, Dovid Yitzchok ben Chaim Yeruchum Fishel z”l, who dedicated his life to learning and teaching Torah to countless students b'simcha. His first yahrtzeit is the 23rd of Teves.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

Moreh Nevukhim #67 - 1.32 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Moreh Nevukhim #66 - 3.17 & 3.51 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 25:11 - Golden "Apples" in Silver Filigree (Part 4)תַּפּוּחֵי זָהָב בְּמַשְׂכִּיּוֹת כָּסֶף דָּבָר דָּבֻר עַל אׇפְנָיוLength: 34 minutesSynopsis: This morning (12/18/25), in our Morning Mishlei shiur, we spent one more day on this fundamental pasuk. We began with Metzudas David who (ironically!) we understood through the lens of the Rambam in the hakdamah of the Moreh (albeit different part). After going down a little rabbit hole about Chanukah, we did a quick overview of Saadia Gaon's commentary, just to get the flavor, then learned Ralbag and Malbim. I'm sure there's a lot more to cover in this pasuk, but that'll have to wait until next time.---מקורות:משלי כה:יאמצודת דודמורה הנבוכים - הקדמהפירוש רס"גרמבמ"ן - הקדמהרלב"גמלבי"ם - ביאור הענין-----SPECIAL CHANUKAH DISCOUNT: For the eight days of Chanukah, I'm offering 50% off my paid Substack subscription, just $5 per month. If the free articles, recordings, and shiurim I've shared this year have added real value to your learning and your life, and you'd consider them worth at least the price of a latte, this is a simple way to say “thank you.” You're welcome to sign up, read, listen, or download whatever you'd like from behind the paywall, and then cancel so there's no ongoing charge. And if you'd like to support my Torah in a more sustained way, you can lock in a full year for $50 at the same 50% discount. Your support is what allows this work to continue at its current depth and consistency, and for that I'm genuinely grateful. Happy Chanukah! -----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazo

Moreh Nevukhim #65 - 3.17 & 3.51 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Mishlei 25:11 - Golden "Apples" in Silver Filigree (Part 2)תַּפּוּחֵי זָהָב בְּמַשְׂכִּיּוֹת כָּסֶף דָּבָר דָּבֻר עַל אׇפְנָיוLength: 30 minutesSynopsis: This morning (12/11/25), in our shorter-than-usual Morning Mishlei shiur, we spent the first half reviewing and refining yesterday's ideas, and the second half reading through the Rambam's understanding of our pasuk in the introduction to the Moreh ha'Nevuchim. Although we picked up on some nice points over the course of our reading, we didn't have time to analyze it in-depth. That will have to wait until next week (בג"ה).---מקורות:משלי כה:יאLenn E. Goodman, "The Guide to the Perplexed: A New Translation" (2024)-----This week's Torah content is sponsored by Rifka Kaplan-Peck in memory of her grandpa, Izrail Kaplan (a”h), who never forgot to look up above and appreciate another day.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

Moreh Nevukhim #64 - 3.17-18 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Moreh Nevukhim #63 - 3.18 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Moreh Nevukhim #62 - 3.17 (2) by Rabbi Avi Harari

Moreh Nevukhim #61 - 3.17 (1) by Rabbi Avi Harari

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Art Forester from Hudson, WI. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. Your commitment is helping deliver God's Word with clarity and conviction. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 7:1–3. Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. The LORD said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.' Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.'" Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. — Judges 7:1-3 So the Israelite army wakes up early, camped at the spring of Harod. Just across the valley, Midian's massive force waits. Every soldier counts — at least, that's what Gideon must have thought. But God sees the situation differently than Gideon does. He tells Gideon, "You have too many men." Too many? Against an army so large it can't be counted? Yes. God knows the danger isn't the size of the enemy — it's the pride in Israel's heart. If they win with a big enough army, they'll think they did it themselves. So God orders a cut. Anyone who is afraid can leave. And just like that, 22,000 soldiers pack up and head home. Gideon is left with less than a third of what he started with. The odds just got worse — and exactly how God wanted them. God will sometimes strip away the resources, people, or security you thought you needed — not to punish you, but to purify your faith. When he reduces what you rely on, it's because he wants you to rely on him. It is uncomfortable. It feels unsafe. But if our confidence rests in our numbers, connections, or abilities, then our faith isn't in God — it's in ourselves. So has God been reducing your resources lately? When God reduces our resources, he is often removing our false sense of control that we've been clinging to. Sometimes we don't even know we are clinging to it, so we resist the reduction. But fewer options force deeper faith. Less human advantage means more room for divine intervention. The question is, when God starts reducing your "resources," will you see it as a setback… or as the setup for him to show his power? ASK THIS: Where has God been cutting back your resources or support lately? How could that reduction be preparing you to trust Him more? What false securities might He be removing from your life? Are you willing to face a harder battle if it means God gets the glory? DO THIS: Identify one area where you've been depending on your own strength. Release it to God today and pray for faith to trust him with the outcome. PRAY THIS: Father, when You take away what I think I need, help me see it as Your way of drawing me closer to You. Strip away my pride and replace it with deeper trust in Your power. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Strip It All Away."

Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.2 And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,3 And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;4 And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the Lord hath destroyed them unto this day;5 And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place;6 And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:7 But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did.8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;9 And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:12 A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;17 And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;23 Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.25 There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day:28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.29 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.30 Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?31 For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein.32 And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day.

Moreh Nevukhim #60 - 3.48 (3) by Rabbi Avi Harari

This episode teaches us a crucial and valuable lesson that Ben Sorer U'Moreh comes to teach us.

Matthew 18:15 NIV “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. Matthew 18:19-20 NIV “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”POINT 1: VALUESJoshua 24:15 NIV But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”POINT 2: VOLUME Joshua 6:10 NIV But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”Galatians 5:22 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. POINT 3: VOW Joshua 1:3-7 NIV I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.Joshua 26:15 NIV But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Genesis 12:7-7 NIV Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring[a] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 NIV When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Matthew 18:19-20 AMP “Again I say to you, that if two [a]believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”

Moreh Nevukhim #59 - 3.36 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Moreh Nevukhim #58 - 1.35 by Rabbi Avi Harari

Moreh Nevukhim #57 - 3.32 (2) by Rabbi Avi Harari

Questions, comments, feedback? Send us a message.#322> This episode is dedicated by Mikey Stone, L'Ilui Nishmas Rav Mordechai Jofen ZT'L and in order to promote the careful study of the Rambam's Torah.> We discussed learning Moreh in general and who this is good for, which version is recommended, the strengths and weaknesses of this new edition with examples, and more. > To read Rabbi Burton's written review in the Winter edition of Jewish Action: https://jewishaction.com/books/reviews/the-guide-to-the-perplexed-a-new-translation/> To purchase the English edition "Kisvei HaRambam: Vol 1" edited by Rabbi Burton: https://www.artscroll.com/linker/SEFORIMC/link/Books/9781422633021.html> To purchase the English Edition, "Kisvei HaRambam: Vol 2" edited by Rabbi Burton: https://www.artscroll.com/linker/SEFORIMC/link/Books/9781422642580.html> To purchase, "The Guide to the Perplexed: A New Translation": https://amzn.to/4gTAqb1> To purchase, "A Guide to The Guide to the Perplexed: A Reader's Companion to Maimonides' Masterwork": https://amzn.to/3OUyL8O> To join the SeforimChatter WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZ3C2CjUeD9AGJvXeEODtK>  To support the podcast or to sponsor an episode follow this link: https://seforimchatter.com/support-seforimchatter/or email seforimchatter@gmail.com (Zelle/QP this email address)Support the show