Darash Chai Experiment

In the midst of the instructions for the Tabernacle we read of the process of ordination that the priests were to go through before they could serve in the tent. But what does it mean to be a priest?…

Throughout the Bible, clothing is used as a symbol in various ways. Clothing caries with it the concept of bestowing honor, being beautified, or being covered in righteousness. So when we get to Exod…

As we read through the instructions for the tabernacle we discover that they are told twice in the end of the book of Exodus. And if we examine these sets of instructions and compare them with each o…

This week begins a months long exploration of the Tabernacle, priesthood, sacrificial system and worship of the God of Israel. And this conversation begins in the book of Exodus? Why is it that we fi…

In Exodus 24 the text returns to a narrative once again, and for one chapter only. This narrative though, on closer inspection, acts as a connector. It closes off the wedding narrative that began in …

The Wedding ceremony of the ages is still in progress. The contract for the marriage covenant is nearly complete. And in this final section of the ketuvah we continue to read of the heart of God. And…

In an ancient wedding ceremony, there are certain things that always happened. One of those things was that the marriage contract was always read during the ceremony. When we understand the events at…

What is the Law? What is the Torah? How are we to view the instructions that are presented in the Bible? How did Ancient people view the instructions of the Bible? The Torah is not what most of us th…

The word covenant is thrown around a lot in relation to the Bible. But in the Torah there are two primary types of covenant used to describe the relationship between YHVH and His people. One is a cov…

At the base of Mt. Sinai Moses receives a gift. His bride and children return to him from their place in Midian. Along with them comes his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. But Moses is no…

Throughout Scripture the events at Massah and Meribah are used as a byword to describe a faithless people. But as we examine this story in the context of those around it, we find that this story does…

There are times in our lives when God asks difficult things of us. When He asks us to trust Him implicitly. When the path forward doesn’t make sense to our mortal minds. These occasions are especiall…

There is not another story in all of literature that is recounted more than the crossing of the Red Sea. It has been recounted for millennia, it has been the subject of countless movies and books. We…

In the midst of this epic story about the escape of Israel from the clutches of their Egyptian Overlords, comes a curious example of two instructions that break up the flow of the story. Why are thes…

At the Passover, all of Israel was saved out of Egypt and led into the wilderness. But if we examine the text we discover that “All Israel” includes some who were not blood sons of Abraham. A “Mixed …

We often hear about what it cost God to redeem mankind. The cost in blood and mortal existence. But there is another cost to redemption that we don’t often acknowledge. The cost of personal sacrifice…

We often hear that God loves everyone. That all mankind are His children and that He cares for us all as a loving father. But just how accurate is this idea Biblically? The idea that God loves ALL pe…

If there is one thing that we can count on to be revealed in the plagues on Egypt it is that these acts of God are in judgment. But is it simply judgment of the people, or is there a greater judgment…

We all want to hear from God. We cry out, “God, where are you?” and when we hear nothing we can become despondent. But the fact is that when God does talk to His people, the message is rarely one tha…