Mysticism and Spirituality Descent for the Sake of Ascent - the Transformative Power of Mistakes Difficult times can be the most metamorphic. Not in the moment, but with time, we can come to know that through these we emerged better, and stronger. Learn how the Kabbalah offers wisdom and guidance to help us navigate the hardships of life.
New Testament Insights Guest Article: Rethinking the Roots. The Rising Debate on Replacement Theology I'd like to introduce you to Ty Nichols, guest author on the Hidden Orchard Project. Some of you may already know Ty from his work in this space. He is the author of the book, "Jesus IS Jewish"; he is a national speaker and a fervent leader in his community.
Mysticism and Spirituality Featured Holy Spirit vs. Ruach HaKodesh: Revealing the Essence of Divine Presence One of the most elusive concepts in the Bible is the idea of the Holy Spirit. Though Judaism and Christianity share some common ground in recognizing Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit as an aspect of the Divine Presence, the nuances and theological underpinnings differ significantly.
Mysticism and Spirituality Podcast Episode - Jewish Mysticism for MJ - Part 2 In our time, I spoke with Drake Dunaway and David Cook about the importance of understanding the basics of Jewish mysticism when exploring the 'New Testament', and a host of other topics.
New Testament Insights Featured Abolishing the Torah Often used as a proof-text for the abrogation of the Torah [commandments], in Matthew 5 we see Jesus citing a well-known Midrash to prove quite the opposite. Despite many modern (popular) interpretations, he forbids his audience from ever thinking of such an idea!
Paid-members only Mysticism and Spirituality Difficult Sayings of Jesus: "Eat of My Flesh" A particular passage in the Gospel of John has been difficult for many readers to understand for centuries. The text indicates that many in Jesus's day had a hard time with it too.
Members only Mysticism and Spirituality How Music Influences the Soul What impact does this have on the soul? Could the music we indulge in regularly sabotage our spiritual development? In this article, we'll explore the tradition and some ways to protect ourselves.
New Testament Insights Podcast Episode - Jewish Mysticism for MJ - Part 1 In a recent podcast discussion, we spoke about the importance of understanding the basics of Jewish mysticism when exploring the 'New Testament'.
Members only Messiah Messiah: Part 1, The Beginning If we could summarize the question from which we focus this work, it is, "Why do we need Messiah?" As usual, we'll begin this journey back to the beginning, the birth of the world.
Members only Mysticism and Spirituality Hair Coverings and Angels: Paul's Strange Advice in 1 Corinthians Paul’s instructions about women’s hair in 1 Corinthians 11 have often been read as rules about modesty or limits on women’s leadership. This article reexamines the passage through its first-century Jewish teachings on modesty, and ancient traditions about angels.
Mysticism and Spirituality The Parable of the Bridesmaids The Parable of the Bridesmaids is a timeless lesson of vigilance and preparation. When we overlay the themes of the rabbinic tradition, we see more information under the surface to help us prepare.
Members only Mysticism and Spirituality And His Name Will Be One One of life's greatest paradoxes is that the universe has been created in such a way that it could appear [to some] that there is no Creator at all. What looks like empirical evidence of a Creator to one person appears to be nothing more than randomness to another.
New Testament Insights Judge Not and the Art of Rebuke It is not uncommon for the prohibition against judging others to be misconstrued as a blanket ban on all forms of evaluation and critique. In some cases, these words are used as a mantra to ward off all manner of criticism.
Members only New Testament Insights Unraveling the Controversy of Healing on Shabbat in the Gospels Some of Jesus's more contentious conflicts stem from his healing on this Holy day. But if healing on Shabbat is generally permitted in Jewish law, what is the real point of the story?
Paid-members only Mysticism and Spirituality Understanding and Protecting from Evil Eye Evil Eye, known in Hebrew as "Ayin Hara" (עַיִן הָרָע), is the belief that a malevolent gaze can bring some degree of harm or misfortune to those it befalls. Mentioned a few times in the Gospels, it is a topic worth exploring in modern times.
New Testament Insights Revisiting the Sermon on the Mount As Jewish Scholar Pinchas Lapide stated, Jesus's teachings in the Sermon on the Mount are timeless, and still relevant today. In essence, they make up the core of a Jewish lifestyle as taught in the Rabbinic tradition.
New Testament Insights Featured From Midrash to Manger: The Intriguing Interplay of Jesus's Birth and Rabbinic Tradition When we look closely at the birth narratives in the Gospels, we'll find these stories conform to an archetypal pattern, sharing many parallels with the Rabbinic Midrash. How does this knowledge alter our view of these texts?
Stories A Chanukah Lights Miracle in the Midst of a World of Darkness A Chanukah miracle, based on a true story form December 25th, 1938.
Members only Mysticism and Spirituality Angels Ascending and Descending on the Ladder Jesus quotes a very deep midrash in the Gospel of John. Many readers miss this reference, but his audience did not. Journey with us as we unpack these metaphors and seek understanding.
New Testament Insights How to Read the Letters of Paul The writings of the Apostle Paul, commonly known as the Epistles, hold immense significance in Christian theology. How will we re-evaluate his letters if we view them within a specific Rabbinic correspondence framework?
Members only New Testament Insights Messiah: Part 3, New Testament Insights Does Jesus fulfill the role of Messiah? If so, which one - the Josephic or the Davidic? In this article, we explore what the Gospel writers seemed to think, picking up the clues from the Rabbinic tradition.
Paid-members only Paid-Full Access The Fourth Revolution of Torah The times we live in are unique. While troubling and challenging on one hand, they also provide never-before opportunities to connect with the Creator. Learn about the Fourth Revolution of Torah and how to take part.
Members only Mysticism and Spirituality The Ruach - Soul Series pt. 2 Ruach can become misaligned when we get overly fixated on beauty. Rather than praising and opening ourselves to the Author of beauty, we make beauty itself an idolatrous object of admiration and devotion. Beauty then becomes an end in itself instead of a medium to connect to the Source of beauty.
Mysticism and Spirituality Bitachon: The Cornerstone of Inner Peace and Resilience Cultivating Bitachon (Trust) and embedding it more deeply into our psyche is a lot easier said than done. Often progress comes through hard times and significant life trials, similar to those we see in Abrahram's life.
Members only Mysticism and Spirituality The Preexistence of the Soul When we meet someone who does not seem to fit into the normative behavior of their generation, we might call them an "old soul." But, can the soul be older than the body?
