Shalom friends, It has been some time since I last shared words here. Longer than I would have preferred. As it is written, “Man plans his way, but Yahovah directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Life unfolds in ways we do not always anticipate, and seasons come that require our attention elsewhere. This has been such a season. I also want to say this clearly: I have not relied on automation or artificial means to continue posting in my absence. Our sages teach that words of Torah must come from a מקום של אמת—a place of truth. If I am to share, it must be from what I am actively learning, wrestling with, and living. Not from something generated to fill space. Better מעט בכוונה— a little with intention —than much without heart. I am grateful for those who have remained, who continue to seek, to study, and to walk this path with sincerity. With Yahovah’s help, I am returning to a place of sharing again. May our words be established in truth, and may we grow in understanding together. ...

Recently, I engaged with a post on the AskGramps website discussing the question of Sunday as the Sabbath. I offered a response grounded in scripture and Restoration theology. That response was later removed by the site’s moderators. I do not presume intent, nor do I take offense. Questions surrounding the Sabbath have long been shaped by inherited tradition, cultural practice, and historical development. The Restoration invites us to reexamine such questions carefully, not to unsettle faith, but to refine it through revealed truth. One of the great gifts of the Restoration is that it does not ask us to rely solely on post-apostolic tradition or majority practice. It calls us back to first principles, to Creation, covenant, and the direct word of the Lord. With that spirit in mind, I am reposting my full response here, not as a critique of others, but as a contribution to ongoing study and sincere inquiry. I offer it in the hope that it will encourage thoughtful engagement with the...

  A Return to the Church Yeshua Actually Built If we are serious about following Yeshua, then we have to be honest enough to ask a simple question. Are we following the Church He built… or the versions that came later? Yeshua did not leave behind a vague spiritual movement or a collection of competing traditions. He said plainly, “I will build My church, and the gates of the grave shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). That means something very concrete. It means that what He established did not disappear. It was not lost, replaced, or overruled. It continued. So if Yeshua was not mistaken, and He was not, then the faith He lived, taught, and handed to His disciples still exists in the world today. The tension is this. Much of what is called “church” today does not look very much like what we see in the Gospels and Acts. So it is worth slowing down and asking. If Yeshua were physically walking among us today, what would He actually be teaching? What would His communit...

  1. The Weekly Anchor: Sabbath as the True Rhythm of Time Before Yahovah ever gave Israel a calendar, He gave time itself a heartbeat . “And Elohim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it…” (Genesis 2:3) This is the first thing in Scripture called holy. Not land. Not people. Not buildings. Time. Every week, Yahovah built in a return point. A stopping place. A re-alignment. The Sabbath is not a memorial of the past only. It is a foretaste of the Kingdom . Hebrews tells us that there “remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). Every Sabbath is a rehearsal of the world to come. So the Torah calendar does not “turn over” once a year. It breathes every seven days . If you want to orient your life around Yahovah’s time, this is where it begins. Not with January 1. Not with a trumpet blast. But with rest, trust, and cessation. Sabbath is the weekly confession that Yahovah is Creator, Provider, and King. 2. The Redemption Reset: Aviv / Passover as the T...

  Clothed in the Atonement By: Rabbi Raphael   The Hebrew Roots of “Garment” and “Atonement” and the Problem of the Sleeveless Garment I. Introduction Throughout Scripture, sacred clothing is inseparably tied to divine protection, covenant identity, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Garments, ranging from the skins provided to Adam and Eve to the priestly vestments of Aaron, served as more than mere clothing; they symbolized God's covering of humanity's sin and shame. In Hebrew, the connection is embedded within the language: the terms for garment (katonet, כֻּתֹּנֶת ) and atonement (kaphar, כפר ) share the same root, both signifying the concept of covering. Analyzing the linguistic and doctrinal relationship elucidates why sacred vesture in the Restoration, particularly the temple garment, transcends considerations of comfort or convenience. The inquiry emerges: do contemporary modifications such as sleeveless designs maintain or diminish the garment's histori...

  The parable of the sheep and goats is explained. In our society, sheep and goats have maintained this age-old metaphor, fading into obscurity beyond religious Scriptures. Within this metaphor lies a magnified meaning steeped in the Torah and Yeshua's teachings. Scriptural Foundations The sheep-goat metaphor finds vivid description in the Gospel of Matthew, and specifically in Matthew 25:31-46. In this parable, Yeshua describes the eschatological judgment when the nations are gathered before him and a separation is made as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep represent those who have followed divine commandments and shown compassion, while the goats embody those who have failed to meet such standards. Characteristics of Sheep Judging-Selection Grazing: This fits the metaphor in Ezekiel 34, where God describes Himself as the true shepherd who judges and provides the right pasture for His flock. Sheep, being ruminants, always naturally tend to graze s...

  Adopted Into the Family of Israel - But Not Above Its Rules Upon adoption, a grateful response manifests as obedience. A youngster welcomed into a nurturing environment does not assert, “I am exempt from your regulations now that I am adopted! ”Gratitude inherently manifests as respect, humility, and a wish to honor the family that welcomed them. Nevertheless, numerous believers today express a comparable sentiment upon entering the family of Israel through Messiah Yeshua. They assert, “I am not obligated to do anything at this moment!” I am under grace.” However, that is not thankfulness; it is insurrection cloaked in holy terminology. Adoption Brings Covenant, Not Anarchy Paul's epistle to the Romans did not condone this mindset; it reproached it. Romans 11 elucidates that Gentile Christians are “grafted in among them”, integrated into Israel’s olive tree, rather than supplanting it. The branches do not gloat over the root, for it is the root that sustains them (Romans ...

Welcome back! Sorry we have been absent from our blogging and web maintenance for a bit, with Seniors in High School and others being promoted from Middle School to High School, these past couple months have been hectic and a bit stressful, as most parents can attest! This week we want to talk to you a bit about Studying your scriptures - this has been written in a more non-denominational format than other posts we put up, it is intended to be a guide for all the children of God, and the hope is that through diligent study of the Word, that each of us deepen our relationship with Him. Why Study? To be truly connected to the Divine is what all people desire. We must be able to understand, be given counsel, feel at peace, and cultivate a personal and real relationship with God—beyond acquaintance. For Christians, that is through the Holy Bible. For Christians who happen to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well, we additionally possess as a sacred and value...