Return To The Forgotten Path

In this Torah portion, Moses gives the tribes of Israel a final blessing and dies at the age of 120. The Children of Israel mourn and begin to follow Joshua, their new leader. TORAH  Deuteronomy 33:1 - 34:12 HAFTARAH Joshua 1:1 - 1:18 Brit Chadasha Rev 22:1-5

Happy New Year! The word Ha'azinu (הַאֲזִינוּ‎) literally means "give ear," an expression meaning "Listen to this." It is also the name of the fifty-third and second-to-last reading from the Torah. It is the first word of the Song of Moses, which begins with the words "Give ear (Ha'azinu), O heavens, and let me speak" (Deuteronomy 32:1). This Torah portion is only a single chapter long, and the majority of it consists of the Song of Moses. The Song of Moses is a prophetic oracle warning Israel about apostasy to come and the resulting wrath of God. The song looks far into the future, even envisioning the Messianic advent amid rich and frightening apocalyptic imagery. After the conclusion of the song, Moses is told to ascend Mount Nebo and overlook the Promised Land before dying. TORAH Deuteronomy 31:30 | The Song of Moses Deuteronomy 32:48 | Moses' Death Foretold PROPHETS 2 Samuel 22:1 | David's Song of Thanksgiving GOSPEL John 6:26-35 , Rom 10:14-11:12

Vayelech He went — וַיֵּלֶךְ Reading / Audio Instructions TORAH: DEUTERONOMY 31:1-31:30 HAFTARAH: ISAIAH 55:6-56:8 GOSPEL: MATTHEW 21:9-17

Nitzavim Standing/He went — נִצָּבִים־וַיֵּלֶךְ Reading / Audio Instructions TORAH: DEUTERONOMY 29:9-31:30 HAFTARAH: ISAIAH 61:10-63:9 GOSPEL: JOHN 12:41-50; MATTHEW 21:9-17

Ki Tavo When you come in — כִּי־תָבוֹא Reading / Audio Instructions TORAH: DEUTERONOMY 26:1-29:8 * HAFTARAH: ISAIAH 60:1-22 GOSPEL: MATTHEW 4:13-24

The commandment for the king to write a copy of the Torah demonstrates the work of Messiah. He Himself is the Word made flesh. He is the copy of the Torah in human form. Furthermore, He writes a copy of the Torah as He writes the Torah upon our hearts. The Torah of King Messiah is written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). TORAH Deuteronomy 16:18 | Municipal Judges and Officers Deuteronomy 16:21 | Forbidden Forms of Worship Deuteronomy 17:8 | Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges Deuteronomy 17:14 | Limitations of Royal Authority Deuteronomy 18:1 | Privileges of Priests and Levites Deuteronomy 18:9 | Child-Sacrifice, Divination, and Magic Prohibited Deuteronomy 18:15 | A New Prophet Like Moses Deuteronomy 19:1 | Laws concerning the Cities of Refuge Deuteronomy 19:14 | Property Boundaries Deuteronomy 19:15 | Law concerning Witnesses Deuteronomy 20:1 | Rules of Warfare Deuteronomy 21:1 | Law concerning Murder by Persons Unknown PROPHETS Isaiah 51:1 | Blessings in Store for God's People Isaiah 52:1 | Let Zion Rejoice

Re'eh See — רְאֵה TORAH: DEUTERONOMY 11:26-16:17 HAFTARAH: ISAIAH 54:11-55:5 GOSPEL: JOHN 6:35-51

Ekev Consequence — עֵקֶב TORAH: DEUTERONOMY 7:12-11:25 HAFTARAH: ISAIAH 49:14-51:3 GOSPEL: MATTHEW 16:13-20

Va'etchanan I pleaded — וָאֶתְחַנַּן TORAH: DEUTERONOMY 3:23-7:11 HAFTARAH: ISAIAH 40:1-26 GOSPEL: LUKE 3:2-15

Devarim Words — דְּבָרִים TORAH: DEUTERONOMY 1:1-3:22 HAFTARAH: ISAIAH 1:1-27 GOSPEL: MATTHEW 24:1-22

42nd and 43rd reading to conclude the book of Numbers

Pinchas Phinehas — פִּינְחָס TORAH: NUMBERS 25:10-30:1 * HAFTARAH: 1 KINGS 18:46-19:21 GOSPEL: JOHN 2:13-22

Balak Balak — בָּלָק TORAH: NUMBERS 22:2-25:9 HAFTARAH: MICAH 5:6-6:8 * GOSPEL: MATTHEW 21:1-11

Chukat Statute — חֻקַּת TORAH: NUMBERS 19:1-22:1 HAFTARAH: JUDGES 11:1-33 GOSPEL: JOHN 19:38-42

Korach Korah — קוֹרַח TORAH: NUMBERS 16:1-18:32 HAFTARAH: 1 SAMUEL 11:14-12:22 GOSPEL: JOHN 19:1-17

The thirty-seventh reading from the Torah is called Shelach, an imperative verb that means "send out." The portion is so named from the first few words of the second verse: "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan" (Numbers 13:2). The Torah reading tells the tragic story of how the spies returned with a bad report about the Land of Promise and influenced the congregation of Israel to rebel against the LORD. Thus God consigned the generation of Moses to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Portion Outline TORAH Numbers 13:1 | Spies Sent into Canaan Numbers 13:25 | The Report of the Spies Numbers 14:1 | The People Rebel Numbers 14:13 | Moses Intercedes for the People Numbers 14:26 | An Attempted Invasion is Repulsed Numbers 15:1 | Various Offerings Numbers 15:32 | Penalty for Violating the Sabbath Numbers 15:37 | Fringes on Garments PROPHETS Joshua 2:1 | Spies Sent to Jericho

The third reading from the book of Numbers and the thirty-sixth reading from the Torah is called Beha'alotcha, a word that literally means "When you ascend." It comes from the first verse of the portion, which could literally be translated as "When you ascend the lamps" (Numbers 8:2), a reference to the fact that the priest had to step up to clean and light the lamps of the menorah. This portion is jam-packed, telling the story of the consecration of the Levites, the first Passover in the wilderness, the silver trumpets, the cloud of glory, the departure from Sinai, the grumbling in the wilderness, the first Sanhedrin and the punishment of Miriam. Portion Outline TORAH Numbers 8:1 | The Seven Lamps Numbers 8:5 | Consecration and Service of the Levites Numbers 9:1 | The Passover at Sinai Numbers 9:15 | The Cloud and the Fire Numbers 10:1 | The Silver Trumpets Numbers 10:11 | Departure from Sinai Numbers 11:1 | Complaining in the Desert Numbers 11:16 | The Seventy Elders Numbers 11:31 | The Quails Numbers 12:1 | Aaron and Miriam Jealous of Moses PROPHETS Zec 2:6 Interlude: | An Appeal to the Exiles Zec 3:1 Fourth Vision: | Joshua and Satan Zec 4:1 Fifth Vision: | The Lampstand and Olive Trees

The second reading from the book of Numbers and the thirty-fifth reading from the Torah is called Nasso, a word that literally means "lift up." It comes from the first word of the second verse in Hebrew, which could literally be translated to say, "Lift up the heads of the sons of Gershon," an idiomatic way of saying, "Make an accounting of the sons of Gershon." This Torah portion finishes up the census of the Levites that was under way at the end of the last Torah portion, before going on to discuss the purification of the camp, the ritual for a woman suspected of adultery, the laws of the Nazirite vow, the priestly benediction and the gifts the heads of the twelve tribes brought for the dedication of the altar. Portion Outline TORAH Numbers 4:21 | The Gershonites and Merarites Numbers 4:34 | Census of the Levites Numbers 5:1 | Unclean Persons Numbers 5:5 | Confession and Restitution Numbers 5:11 | Concerning an Unfaithful Wife Numbers 6:1 | The Nazirites Numbers 6:22 | The Priestly Benediction Numbers 7:1 | Offerings of the Leaders PROPHETS Jdg 13:1 | The Birth of Samson

The thirty-second reading from the Torah and second-to-last reading from the book of Leviticus is called Behar, which means "On the Mountain." The name comes from the first words of the first verse of the reading, which could be literally translated to read, "The LORD then spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai" (Leviticus 25:1). This portion from the Torah introduces the laws of the sabbatical years, the jubilee and laws concerning redemption. In most years, synagogues read Behar together with the following portion, Bechukotai.

Portion Summary The thirtieth reading from the Torah and seventh reading from Leviticus is named Kedoshim, which mean "holy." The title comes from the words in Leviticus 19:2, which says, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." Leviticus 19 describes the holy community through a series of specific commandments. Leviticus 20 warns against the snares of sexual immorality and idolatry, mandating a death penalty for certain sins. Except in biblical leap years, Kedoshim is read on the same Sabbath as the previous reading, Acharei Mot. Portion Outline TORAH Leviticus 19:1 | Ritual and Moral Holiness Leviticus 20:1 | Penalties for Violations of Holiness PROPHETS Amo 9:1 | The Destruction of Israel Amo 9:11 | The Restoration of David's Kingdom