Torah portion this week: Genesis 28:10 to 32:82
We are closing in on our last week in Greece. This afternoon, an overnight ferry to
Brindisi, Italy!
I can't explain it, as we are ready to see Italy, but it IS hard to leave this place on the Sea!
Beautiful and relaxing.
The Portion this week includes familiar stories of Jacob's dream (a ladder to heaven) and his experience wrestling in the night. During his 20 years working for his father-in-law, Laban, Jacob marries Leah and Rachel, has 11 sons and a daughter, then decides to go back to his family home.
Rachel leaves with her father's idols. She steals them. Was it her lack of faith in Jacob's God? Did she need something from her family home as a memory? Genesis 31 gives Rachel's reason: she was angry at her father and took the idols as a sort of inheritance, owed her.
We have seen alot of stone idols in museum and tourist shops. They are small, and it's easy to see how Rachel could hide several on her camel. She must have eventually told Jacob what she's done. I wonder if she came to regret taking them.
I can understand Rachel hanging on, wanting what is familiar. Although I LOVE change, when it comes to the moment, it seems it's hard to take a bold step in to the unknown.
This week we spent some time planning for Italy - confirmed two Monastery stays (Sorrento and Rome). In-between it's a week in Orvieto, near Tuscany.
Adventure ahead!
Guess what's in our packs?
The same clothes we left Philadelphia with, along with new T-shirts from Athens. OH! and a
Greek Fisherman's Hat!
We pray together at dinner each night, for continued health and safety. We also lift up our family and friends in Yeshua's name.
He is faithful.
We are grateful.
Thank you for reading Saturday Chores!
Shabbat Shalom.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteYou wrote in the header of your blog: “Since Jesus is a Jew I study the Torah and honor Saturday “
[To differentiate,] The historical Mashiakh [“Messiah”] was a Ribi named Yehoshua. He taught his followers to keep the directives of the unchanging and eternal Torah - the Instruction Manual of the Creator. He was not an "incarnate man god", nor the “Son of God. The historical Ribi Yehoshua was a Jew and honoured Shabbat and he was never called “Jesus” by his followers. His teachings were later redacted to “the gospels”. His original [reconstructed] teachings are now available on www.netzarim.co.il
Relating to the Creator exactly in the same way as Ribi Yehoshua did – i.e. observing the Creators directives in the Torah – leads oneself into an intimate relationship with the Creator, which is very meaningful!
Anders Branderud