Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Many Christians believe that God's commandments are no longer relevant. But what if Yeshua disagrees? In Matthew 5, he warned his disciples that whoever relaxes even the least of the commandments will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But what exactly is the least commandment? And why would something seemingly so insignificant matter so much? The answer may challenge everything you thought Yeshua taught about the Torah. Join me as we discover it in this week's Five Minute Torah.
[00:00:32] Shalom and Blessings from Shalom Macon, the place where disciples of Yeshua learn, connect, and grow. I'm Darren, and before getting into the five minutes of my Five Minute Torah commentary, let's cover a few quick facts about this week's Torah portion. This week we are studying the 49th Torah portion and the sixth portion of the Book of Deuteronomy. We are in the portion of Kitetse Deuteronomy 21:10 through 25:19. And here are the three things that you need to know about it. Number one Torah how to Love Our Neighbor Kiteta is packed with practical laws that show us what it really means to love our neighbor. These instructions call Israel to treat others with kindness, fairness, and compassion, and they even extend to the humane treatment of animals. We find commandments about paying workers on time, being honest in business, returning lost property, caring for the poor and the stranger, and even helping an animal struggling under its load. There's also the puzzling mitzvah of sending away the mother bird before eggs or chicks, reminding us that God's concern reaches every corner of creation. 2. Kilaim and Shatnitz Forbidden Mixtures Kitese also teaches us about forbidden mixtures sowing two kinds of seeds together, plowing with an ox and a donkey, or wearing garments made of both wool and linen. The general term for these prohibitions is kilaim, while garments of wool and linen are called shatnitz. But there's one striking exception. The High Priest garments were woven from linen threads interlaced with blue, purple, and scarlet wool. Why is he permitted? But it's not permitted for anyone else? Perhaps it's a reminder that there's only one High Priest, one Cohen Gedol, set apart in holiness and Israel must never confuse his unique calling with her three family dynamics, God at the center. Kitese also addresses laws concerning marriage, divorce, and family life. It sets guidelines for how wives are to be treated, how divorce is to be handled, and how the rights of firstborn sons are to be protected. While some of these instructions may feel foreign to us today, the heart of the Torah's message is clear, family is sacred, relationships matter, and God must remain at the center of it all. Have you ever felt like your prayers have become repetitive? Like maybe you're saying the same things over and over but never really getting anywhere? For many believers, prayer can feel like a maze. It's confusing, repetitive, and difficult to navigate. But what if that maze is actually a map leading you into a deeper relationship with God? What if the problem isn't that you need different prayers, but that you need to learn to pray differently? I'm excited to announce the release of my new book, Lost in Prayer. It's a practical messianic guide that will help you understand the sedur, discover the beauty of Jewish prayer, and and move from feeling lost in prayer to getting lost in prayer. Pick up your copy at either Amazon or Barnes and Noble to begin your journey today. The link is in the description below. This week's Torah commentary is called His Eye is on the Sparrow and comes from my book 5 Minute Torah, Volume 1.
[00:03:33] Have you ever wondered what the least of the commandments is that Yeshua speaks of in Matthew 5? According to our sages, the least commandment is found in this week's Torah portion. If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young you shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long. Deuteronomy 22:67 sending away the mother bird is considered to be the least or the lightest of the commandments. It requires no great effort on the part of the one performing the commandment. It's considered an act of compassion, similar to the comm in Leviticus that says, you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in the same day. Leviticus 22:28. Other commandments, however, are more weighty. They require more effort, and seem to have more significance than others. For instance, honoring one's father and mother is considered one of the most weighty or important commandments. But the division between light and heavy commandments is somewhat artificial. Yes, the distinction exists, but they are all to be followed equally. Rabbi Yehuda explains, be as scrupulous about a like commandment as a weighty one, for you do not know the reward allotted for each commandment. A vote to 1. Why does he say this? Because we are told that the reward for both of these commandments, a light commandment sending away the mother bird and a heavy commandment honoring one's parents is the same long life.
[00:05:04] Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 5:16 Yeshua agreed with Rabbi Yehuda that his disciples should observe even the least of the commandments with as much attention as the greatest commandments. He said, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19 Yeshua would have had in mind such commandments as sending away the mother bird as the least of the commandments when he was teaching his disciples. But do we honor his teachings?
[00:05:41] Unfortunately, the large majority of Yeshua followers believe that his father's instructions, the law, have been abolished. Despite this being exactly the opposite of what Yeshua said, Yeshua would never tell his disciples that his father's instructions were outdated, had no more relevance, or should be abandoned. Therefore, neither should we. Our Heavenly Father is still as compassionate today as he was when the book of Deuteronomy and the commandment to send the way the mother bird were written. Why would we think otherwise? After all, his eye is still on the sparrow. If even the smallest commandment reveals the compassion of our Heavenly Father, then forgetting his commandments means forgetting something about his character and about who he has called us to be. That connection between forgetfulness, exile, remembrance, and redemption is exactly what we explored in last week's Torah portion. SHOF Team Watch remembrance and redemption and discover why remembering may be the first step toward coming home. You can check it out right here.
