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We were slaves to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. And the Lord, our God, took us out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched forearm. And if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our ancestors from Egypt, behold we and our children and our children's children would [all] be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. And even if we were all sages, all discerning, all elders, all knowledgeable about the Torah, it is a commandment upon us to tell the story of the exodus from Egypt. And anyone who adds [and spends extra time] in telling the story of the exodus from Egypt, behold he is praiseworthy.

A recent report has just revealed that what appears to be the oldest extant copy of the Gospel of Mark has been discovered. It appears that it was discovered at least three years ago and both scientists and are working together to publish their findings in the months ahead. Up to this point the entire discovery has been hidden behind sealed lips. However, a little bit of the information has been leaked to the media.

The discovery actually comes from an unexpected location. The gospel fragment was discovered in secondary use as part of an Egyptian burial mask on a mummy of common status. The forthcoming report will reveal more details on its discovery and its contents.  Biblical scholar Craig Evans has been working as part of the team to unravel the mystery behind the text and hopes to publish his findings as soon as the scientific report has been made public. You can read more about the discovery here:

Many times we are asked why we focus so much on studying and teaching the Torah alongside the teachings of Yeshua. The answer to that is quite simple. Yeshua was a Torah teacher. He was a first century rabbi, expounding upon the concepts of Torah and sharing his interpretations and rulings for the practical applications of Torah with his disciples. Many people do not approach the teachings of Yeshua from this perspective, simply because they do not realize his focus was upon bringing the hearts of his followers closer to the Torah. His ultimate goal was the re-establishment of the Kingdom. He continually proclaimed his gospel message, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” This Kingdom, however, would not come until the people of God would repent — that is, until they turned their hearts back to His ways, the commandments found within the Torah.

Joshua the son of Perachia and Nitai the Arbelite received from them. Joshua the son of Perachia would say: Provide yourself with a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every man on the scale of merit. (m.Avot 1:6)

These three things are areas in which I would imagine most people fall short. Let’s touch on these briefly.

After Moses received the commandments on Mount Sinai, Scripture says that he “took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people” (Exodus 24:7). Immediately, the Children of Israel responded by saying, Kol asher diber Hashem na’aseh v’nishmah — “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will hear.” They immediately resolved to submit to the voice of the Holy One and live within the parameters set forth for them as a redeemed people. However, as we know, this resolve did not have lasting results. Shortly thereafter, their Redeemer quickly took a back seat to the egel hazahav, the golden calf. It seems that within both Judaism and Christianity, this has been the struggle of our spiritual existence ever since.

Happy Elul, everyone! May you be inscribed for a WONDERFUL new year!

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