All posts by adongabriel

Proving the Author of the Torah

Who Wrote The Torah?

Divine authorship Torah
Who Wrote The Torah

Introduction: A No Ordinary Book

Imagine a book so meticulously crafted. Its stories interlock like the threads of a vast tapestry. Every word, every repetition, and every clear interruption serves a profound purpose. This is no ordinary book. It is the Torah. The Torah is the foundational text of Judaism. Modern scholars often dismiss it as a patchwork of disparate sources compiled by multiple authors over centuries. Yet, as Rabbi David Fohrman compellingly argues in his teachings, the Torah’s literary genius defies such fragmentation. It reveals a singular Author. This Author’s handiwork transcends human ability. The narratives are woven with chiastic precision, verbal echoes, and thematic symmetries. These elements illuminate divine truths about justice, redemption, and human frailty.

Adam Chunkah 2025
The Final Redemption 2025

It reveals a singular Author.

In this essay, we focus on a microcosm of this brilliance. It holds the interwoven tales of Genesis 37. This chapter describes the sale of Joseph into slavery. Genesis 38 tells the story of Judah and Tamar. These chapters are often read as a jarring interruption. Judah’s domestic scandal suddenly sidelines Joseph’s dramatic descent into the pit and Egyptian servitude. Yet, they are a deliberate literary diptych. Rabbi Fohrman compares their connection to “sewing seventy layers of muscle together.” This metaphor describes a surgical fusion. One story can’t be fully understood without the other. By analyzing Hebrew word matches, we uncover not just artistry, but also deeper meaning. Examining numerical repetitions, chiastic structures, and thematic resolutions provides evidence of unified authorship. No human editor, piecing together oral traditions or rival documents, will orchestrate such depth. This is the fingerprint of the Divine.

The Internet Of The Torah.
The First WWW

The result? A presentation that proves the Torah

We draw on Fohrman’s insights, as explored in his Aleph Beta teachings and writings, like Genesis: A Parsha Companion. We will dissect these chapters and highlight their interconnections. The analysis will be extended with extra chiastic links. Although Fohrman hints at them, he does not fully chart these links. For readers, this essay provides a textual roadmap. For YouTube viewers and podcast listeners, it suggests visual aids like animated overlays of parallel verses. It includes timelines of “lost sons” and features voice-over echoes of key Hebrew terms. The result? A presentation that proves the Torah is literature of unparalleled sophistication—proving its Author.

The Template: Joseph’s Story as Groundwork for Judah’s

Yoseph Ephriam Adam divine authorship Torah
Yoseph Ephriam Adam

Did TheBrother’s sale Joseph? Did You Follow Your Tradition Again?

Genesis 37 sets the stage: Joseph, Jacob’s favored son, dreams of his brothers bowing to him, igniting jealousy. His brothers strip his special ketonet passim (multicolored coat), cast him into a bor (pit), and sell him to Ishmaelite traders. Judah, ever the pragmatist, proposes the sale: “What profit is it if we slay our brother?” (37:26). Jacob, deceived by the bloodied coat, mourns Joseph as dead.

This narrative lays a “template” of deception, loss, and fractured legacy. But why interrupt here with Genesis 38? Fohrman explains: the interruption is the point. Judah “went down” (va-yered, 38:1) from his brothers, mirroring Joseph’s descent into the pit—a verbal hinge that binds the chapters. Without Joseph’s story, Judah’s tale reads as a salacious aside. Judah marries a Canaanite and fathers three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. He loses the first two to divine judgment. Judah fails his levirate duty by withholding Shelah from Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law. Tamar, disguised as a prostitute, seduces Judah, who leaves his chotam v-petil (seal and cord) and staff as eravon (pledge). When exposed, Judah confesses, “She is more righteous than I” (38:26).

The Sons Of Jacobdivine authorship Torah

Genesis 38 feels disjointed.

Read sequentially, Genesis 38 feels disjointed. But as Fohrman demonstrates, it is a mirror. Joseph’s “death” in the pit (quasi-death, as he survives) parallels Er’s actual death. The brothers’ failure to rescue Joseph echoes Onan’s refusal to continue Er’s line. Judah’s pledge redeems Tamar’s claim, just as his later actions will redeem Benjamin (Jacob’s remaining Rachel-son). The stories are interdependent. Joseph’s template of loss solves Judah’s personal crises. Judah’s redemption arc foreshadows Joseph’s rise and family reconciliation.

For presentation: In print, use side-by-side columns of verses (e.g., 37:23-33 vs. 38:25-26). On video, animate a split-screen: Joseph’s coat “morphing” into Judah’s seal, with Hebrew text fading in/out. In podcast, pause for listener reflection: “Hear the echo? Both men lose a garment that becomes evidence—one false, one true.”

Hebrew Word Matches divine authorship Torah
Hebrew Word Matches.

Hebrew Word Matches: Echoes That Bind

The Torah’s Author is a master wordsmith, deploying rare terms as connective tissue. Fohrman highlights several “set repetitions”—words used sparingly, only in these chapters, forging unbreakable links.

  • Haker-na (Recognize, please): Appears only twice in the entire Torah. In 37:32, the brothers urge Jacob: “Haker-na (Recognize, please) if it is your son’s coat.” In 38:25, Tamar counters Judah’s judgment: “By the man to whom these belong… haker-na (recognize, please).” The rarity (no other occurrences in Pentateuch) screams intentionality. Deception in Joseph’s story involves a false recognition of death. This flips to truth in Judah’s story, which involves a forced recognition of sin. This match exposes Judah’s hypocrisy—he deceives his father about Joseph, only to be undeceived by Tamar.
  • Yared (Went down): Used three times in quick succession. Joseph is “brought down” to Egypt (39:1, post-38); Judah “went down” from his brothers (38:1). This descent motif ties separation and suffering, resolving in ascent (Joseph’s rise, Judah’s moral climb).
  • Eravon (Pledge/Collateral): Rare (only here and Deuteronomy 24:17, but contextually unique). Judah leaves his staff as eravon for Tamar (38:17-20). Fohrman connects this to Joseph’s pit. The brothers’ “pledge” to Jacob is the coat. However, Judah’s literal pledge redeems his figurative debt. Selling Joseph created a “hole” (pit/bor) in the family, which his redemption fills.
  • Numerical Precision: “Coat” (ketonet) appears seven times across Genesis 37-39, framing the triad of stories. “Pit” (bor) echoes in themes of barrenness (Tamar’s widowhood as a “dry pit”). Brothers’ names tie back: Reuben (behold-a-son, 37:21-22, tries to save Joseph but fails) parallels Onan (strength? but fails levirate); Judah (praise, 38:26, self-praise in confession) redeems the line.
Tamar a Woman of Valor

15 Such Strands

Fohrman notes over 15 such strands, impossible for redactors. An additional connection I observe: Chotam (seal) in 38:18 evokes God’s “seal” of approval on creation (Genesis 1). This is inverted. Judah’s personal seal exposes his unseal-ed sin, contrasting Joseph’s sealed dreams (prophetic seal).

For audience: Print tables tally word frequencies (e.g., | Word | Gen 37 | Gen 38 | Torah Total |). Video: Word clouds pulsing in sync. Podcast: Recite verses in Hebrew/English, layering audio echoes.

The Internet Of The Torah.
The First WWW

The Hebrew Word For Scarlet Thread or Rope. “HOPE”

Confession of an Ex-Messianic

Confession of an Ex-Messianic Jew: True Meaning of Chanukah & Greek Influence on Judaism

My Journey from Messianic Judaism to Discovering the True Meaning of Chanukah

In 2001, at age thirty-five, I discovered I was Jewish. I learned I was descended from Sephardic families (Dias, Lucero, Trujillo, Almanzar, Ramirez). These families had hidden their identity for centuries after the Spanish Expulsion. That same year, I entered the Messianic Jewish world, convinced I had found the “completed” Judaism. For the next seventeen years, I lived there. I viewed the Torah through a lens that superimposed Jesus onto every festival. It also overlaid Jesus onto every typology and every verse.

In that community, we were taught that the ancient Greeks were the eternal enemies of the Jewish people. Greek philosophy was poison. The Greek language was profane. We fasted on the anniversary of the Septuagint translation. We were even forbidden to read the Books of Maccabees. For us, the true meaning of Chanukah was a simple story of victory. Pious Jews defeated wicked Hellenists. They forced paganism upon us. Light overcame darkness. No nuance. No deeper insight.

Understanding The Whole Story Is How We Were Taught.

In 2014, I started my formal Orthodox conversion process under a non-recognized beit din. I completed it several years ago, in 2018. The fundamental shift began earlier through the profound lectures of Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz. He explained that true freedom comes only from being bound to truth. “Be like the tzitzit,” he taught. “Tied in knots that spell the Name of God and the 613 commandments. Only a slave to truth is truly free.”

This idea guided me. I asked questions relentlessly and sought elders with an unbroken chain back to Sinai.

Rabbi Efraim Palvanov’s Lecture That Revealed the True Meaning of Chanukah

The Chunukah 2025 Our Redemption
The Eighth Day of Chanukah

Chanukah 5786 Palvanov’s lecture “Chanukah & the Final Redemption” changed everything.

Recently, during the buildup to Chanukah 5786 (2025), Rabbi Efraim Palvanov’s lecture “Chanukah & the Final Redemption” changed everything.

Rabbi Palvanov explains that the true meaning of Chanukah is not rejection of the Greeks, but redemption and integration. The miracle of the oil lasted eight days. This allowed time for Jewish light to absorb and elevate the best of Greek influence on Judaism without extinguishing it.

He cites rabbinic sources showing how deeply the Sages embraced Greek wisdom:

  • Talmud Megillah 9b: A Torah scroll is written only in Hebrew or in Greek. These are the only two languages declared kosher for a Sefer Torah.
  • Bereshit Rabbah 36:8: “Yaft Elokim le-Yefet—God shall grant beauty to Japheth (ancestor of Yavan/Greece). However, he shall dwell in the tents of Shem.” Greek beauty finds purpose inside Torah tents. This is fusion.

“Chanukah & the Final Redemption”

  • Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel (Bava Kamma 83a): He raised five hundred students in Torah. He also raised five hundred students in Greek wisdom (chokhmat Yevanit).
  • Rambam: He praised Aristotle as the greatest mind after the prophets.
  • Yehuda Halevi was the author of the Kuzari. My family descends from his Sephardic lineage. Greek is the most precise language after Hebrew. It is worthy of translation into the Torah.

Palvanov highlights Greek loanwords in Hebrew: Sanhedrin, apikoros, afikoman, prosbol, gematria (from geometry), androgynos, Metatron (meta + thronos), and more. The Talmud embraces these. Tradition refines, not rejects.

Hidden Light of Chanukah: Gematria and Redemption

The gematria is profound. Chanukah’s 36 candles match the 36 hours of primordial light from Creation’s first three days (Genesis 1). This hidden light Chanukah reveals itself to the righteous each year.

This year, Parashat Miketz has exactly 2,025 words—hinting at redemption in our era.

The key: Yosef = 156. Tzion = 156. Joseph, exiled yet rising as “Melech Yavan” (king of Greece), embodies the fusion—foreign wisdom, yet faithful to Yaakov.

Tzion (ציון): Tzadi (tzadik, Jewish soul) + Yud-Vav-Nun (rearranges to Yavan). Same letters. Tzion completes only through Greek influence on Judaism.

I was stunned. What I was taught to hate, the Sages cherished. Greek wisdom was incomplete light, waiting for Torah’s tents.

A Question for Christian Friends

The Deeper Lesson: Integration for Redemption

The true meaning of Chanukah is adding light nightly, following Beit Hillel. We increase. Science, logic, philosophy—these are raw oil for Torah’s flame.

The Third Temple rises when Tzadi embraces Yavan—Jewish righteousness marries Greek clarity under primordial light.

This is my confession as an ex-Messianic Jew: I hated what I misunderstood. I saw Greek wisdom as evil, missing its threads in the Talmud. No more.

Tonight, I light all eight candles—in partnership with every truth spark. The menorah is a bridge.

Cross it. Tzion awaits.

Chazan Gavriel Ben David Chanukah 5786 / December 2025

Additional Outbound Links for Authority

  • Learn more about Rabbi Akiva Tatz’s teachings on truth and freedom: akivatatz.com
  • Rabbi Efraim Palvanov’s blog for deeper Chanukah insights: mayimachronim.com
  • Sefaria.org for primary sources like Kuzari: sefaria.org

The Torah’s Hidden Clock

Adam David Moshiach
The Final Adam

Miketz and the Echo of 2025

Why You Can’t Fully Understand the Bible in English

You open an English Bible to Genesis 41. You read the dramatic story of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph rises to power and eventually reveals himself to his brothers. It’s a powerful tale of forgiveness, providence, and redemption. But something profound is missing—something that only the original Hebrew Torah scroll reveals.

In a traditional Hebrew Chumash or Torah scroll, at the end of Parashat Miketz, there’s a Masoretic note. It states not only the number of verses (pesukim) but also the number of words: 2025. This is unique—Miketz is the only parsha where the word count is prominently noted this way in standard editions. And today, as we sit in the secular year 2025, that number leaps off the page.

God proclaims in Isaiah 46:10: “מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית” – “I declare the end from the beginning.”

God proclaims in Isaiah 46:10: “מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית” – “I declare the end from the beginning.” Jewish tradition has long understood this as a promise. It suggests that the seeds of ultimate redemption are embedded right in the opening chapters of Genesis (Bereshit).

English translations capture the words. However, they strip away the numerical layers. These include the gematria, the counts of letters, words, and verses. These layers form the Torah’s deeper prophetic structure.

Adam David Moshiach
The Final Adam

Isaiah 46:10 – Declaring the End from the Beginning

The 146 Verses: The Unique Bond Between Miketz and Bereshit

The 146 Verses: The Unique Bond Between Miketz and Bereshit

Count the pesukim in Parashat Bereshit (Genesis 1:1–6:8): exactly 146.

Now count Parashat Miketz (Genesis 41:1–44:17): exactly 146 again.

No other two parshiyot in the entire Torah share the same number of verses like this. Bereshit opens the story of creation, humanity’s fall, and the first exile from Eden. Miketz brings the turning point: Joseph’s revelation to his brothers (“I am Joseph!”), The preservation of the family of Israel in Egypt, and the beginning of the path that leads to redemption.

The rabbis who fixed the verse divisions saw this echo as a deliberate divine design. They believed it was the blueprint for geulah (redemption) hidden in the text’s very structure from the start.

The Time of the End in the Torah
The End In the Beginning

The 2025 Words: A Hint to Light in Darkness

Traditional Masoretic notes record that Parashat Miketz contains 2025 words.

(Some counts vary slightly to 2022 or 2026 due to scribal variants or how certain phrases are divided, but the received tradition in most Chumashim highlights 2025.)

Miketz means “at the end of”—and it almost always falls during Chanukah, the festival of light overcoming darkness. Classic sources like the Vilna Gaon connect the 2025 directly to Chanukah. There are 8 days of lighting candles (8 × 250 = 2000, where “ner/candle” = 250 in gematria). Additionally, the 25th of Kislev marks the beginning of the miracle.

In the year 2025, it takes on added urgency. It acts as a reminder tucked in the margins. We’re living in a time that the Torah itself seems to mark.

Eighth day 2025 Chanukah Final Redemption
Eighth day 2025 Chanukah Final Redemption

From Adam to Joseph to David: The Redemption Thread

Trace the pattern:

  • Bereshit: Creation, the fall into exile, 146 verses laying the foundation.
  • Miketz: The family descends to Egypt, but Joseph reveals himself—salvation begins amid famine and darkness, 146 verses + 2025 words.
  • The line continues through the prophets to David, the shepherd-king, ancestor of Mashiach, whose story embodies the heart of redemption.

In astonishing timing, the major new animated biblical epic David, from Angel Studios, was released in theaters yesterday. It premiered on December 19, 2025. This vibrant retelling of the young shepherd’s rise is intriguing. It highlights his faith against Goliath and his anointing as king. This story completes the circle: from the fall in Genesis, through Joseph’s revelation in Miketz, to the throne of David.

Watch the official trailer here: David (2025) Official Trailer

For more on the film: Angel Studios – David | IMDb Page

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is TheEnd.jpgChunkahfinalredemption-772x1024.jpg
The Final Adam

Why English Translations Fall Short

English Bibles excel at narrative clarity, but they erase:

  • The precise verse counts in the margins.
  • The word and letter tallies passed down by scribes.
  • The subtle hints in the Hebrew lettering itself.

When you read only in translation, the Torah’s “hidden clock”—its numerical prophecies and interconnections—remains silent. The margins of a real Torah scroll whisper clues that English footnotes rarely capture.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Endform.jpgBeginning2-687x1024.jpg

A Call to the Original Text

As we mark 2025, the year encoded in Miketz’s words, it’s a wake-up call. This is the year a major film brings David’s story to the world anew. The end was declared from the beginning, and the Hebrew text still holds the keys.

Don’t settle for a flattened version. Open a Hebrew-English Chumash. Count the pesukim yourself. Listen to the original voice of Torah.

The light is increasing. The redemption pattern is unfolding. And it was written there all along.

Hazan Gavriel ben David

beithashoavah.org

The Torah’s Hidden Clock – Beit HaShoavah

The Burning Bush Renewed: God’s Eternal Covenant and Divine Proof in Israel’s Resilience

burning-bush-renewed-eternal-covenant

The Burning Bush Renewed: God’s Eternal Covenant and the Proof Amid Global Trials

In the Book of Exodus, the burning bush is a profound symbol. It represents divine revelation and an unbreakable promise. On the slopes of Horeb, Moses encountered a bush that burned without being consumed. This was a miracle. It signified God’s eternal presence and fidelity. God said, “I am the God of your father.” He is also “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). Hashem revealed His name, I Will Be What IWill Be (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh). He promised to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. He would also establish an eternal covenant with His people.1 This covenant is deeply rooted in Abraham’s seed and the land of Israel. It is also based on the unique role of the Jewish people. Despite being challenged throughout history, it endures as a flame that refuses to be extinguished.

(Exodus 3:6). Hashem revealed His name, I Will Be What I Will Be (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh)

Today, in an era of unprecedented global hostility toward Jews, we witness Hashem once again proving Himself to the world. The burning bush defied natural laws to affirm God’s commitment. Similarly, the survival, resilience, and sovereignty of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland defy the forces arrayed against them. This is not mere coincidence; it is divine testimony.

A powerful exposition comes from Dr. Mordechai Kedar, an expert with over three decades studying Hamas and radical Islamic ideologies.2 In a recent interview, Kedar explains the conflict is fundamentally religious, not territorial. Hamas adheres to a theology declaring Islam has “canceled” Judaism (din batel—an invalidated religion). Jews have no legitimate claim to nationhood, covenant, or land. A Jewish state is an intolerable “resurrection” of a superseded faith. This ideology unites extremists, fueling Iran’s proxies and global jihad. Israel’s existence challenges this, making it the “Small Satan.”

The Satan

This Islamic supersessionism echoes historical Christian replacement theologies, where some claimed the Church supersedes Israel, rendering Jews covenantally obsolete.3 Many modern denominations have rejected this post-Holocaust, yet remnants contribute to delegitimization.

Remarkably, in the modern West, political right and left converge in denials. Far-right revives tropes of disloyalty; far-left anti-Zionism morphs into antisemitism, portraying Jews as oppressors despite historical ties.4 Reports document surging incidents, with attacks on synagogues and communities worldwide.5

Hashem promised: “For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you” (Isaiah 54:7). “I will make a new covenant… on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:31-33). The covenant is irrevocable (Romans 11:29). Global onslaught highlights this truth. As Pharaoh’s heart led to proofs of power, today’s rejection amplifies Hashem’s faithfulness.

The burning bush burns still. In Israel’s survival and Jewish spirit, Hashem proves Himself—not just to His people, but the world. This is vindication: a promise kept, God’s eternal covenant, a light no darkness overcomes.

Outbound Links (High-Traffic Pro-Israel Sites):

Footnotes:

  1. Biblical text from Exodus; explore more at Chabad.org (pro-Israel Jewish resource).
  2. Dr. Mordechai Kedar profile: https://www.mordechaikedar.net/
  3. See CUFI’s resources on Christian support for Israel: https://cufi.org/
  4. AIPAC on strengthening U.S.-Israel ties: https://www.aipac.org/
  5. StandWithUs on fighting antisemitism: https://standwithus.com/fighting-antisemitism/
  6. Israel’s innovation highlighted by organizations like StandWithUs: https://standwithus.com/

I Will Be With You: The Burning Bush, the Eternal Promise, and the War Against God

Israel The Burning Bush.

I Will Be With You: The Burning Bush in Torah and Israel’s Endurance Today

I Will Be With You: The Burning Bush in Torah, Israel’s Endurance, and Divine Mirrors

The most commonly misquoted verse in the entire Bible is Exodus 3:14. God reveals His name to Moses at the burning bush in Torah. He says, “I Am That I Am” (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh). As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of blessed memory emphasized, this translation misses the depth. In Hebrew, it means “I Will Be What I Will Be”—a relational promise of divine presence.

Moreover, Rabbi Sacks taught that Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh assures: “I will be with you” through trials. The bush burns yet remains unconsumed, just like that.

This name, YHVH, introduces a new era. The patriarchs knew God as El Shaddai. Still, they did not know Him in this redemptive way (Exodus 6:3). For the first time, Hashem shows Himself as the One who walks with His people in suffering. He even transcends natural laws.

The Burning Bush in Torah: Symbol of Israel

Rabbi David Fohrman offers profound insights in his Aleph Beta teachings. In the series The Origins of God’s Firstborn Nation, he explores the three signs at the burning bush in Torah.

A humble thornbush aflame yet unconsumed perfectly mirrors Israel. The Jewish people have endured fiery persecution for over 3,300 years since the Exodus. Yet, they stay indestructible.

Fohrman reveals textual “mirrors.” These include chiastic structure in the Torah, repetition of words, thematic pairs, and echoes. Such patterns show the Torah as its own best commentary.

Furthermore, vast chiasms span Exodus and connect to Genesis. These improbable designs prove Hashem’s authorship of both the text and history.

These mirrors connect directly to Eden. In the podcast A Book Like No Other, Fohrman views the Trees of Life and Knowledge as interconnected.

Accessing Knowledge without Life’s humility leads to hubris. People illusion themselves as divine. They seize control, fearing no higher authority.

Thus, this perspective drives assaults on the Jewish people. They carry Hashem’s eternal covenant.

The burning bush in Torah echoes Eden’s fiery Tree of Life. It reintroduces compassion amid exile.

Prophecy and Today’s Relevance

Yet, the Torah declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). Its structures foretell Israel’s role as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52–53). Despised yet redemptive, Israel astonishes nations.

In our time, flames rage again. However, the pattern endures: the bush lives on.

The war against the Jewish people is truly a war against the God. This God promised Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh—”I will be with you.”

Hashem’s mirrors—from Eden to Exodus, prophecy to now—guarantee survival, exaltation, and recognition of the One True God.

This is the burning bush in Torah‘s message today. It weaves through Rabbi Fohrman’s chiastic designs, Eden’s trees, and Israel’s witness.

For deeper study:

(Suggested internal links: Link to your related posts on Exodus, Isaiah’s Servant, or Rabbi Fohrman reviews. For backlinks: Share this on social media, submit to Jewish/Torah directories, or guest post on sites like Aish.com.)

The Seventh Commandment in Toldot

“You Shall Not Commit Adultery” – Esau’s Wives, Samson’s Women, and the Battle for Covenant Seed

The Seventh Commandment

You think the Seventh Commandment is about sex.

It’s not.

It’s about whose seed will carry the covenant.

And the Torah plants it centuries before Sinai. It seems to be in two tents. There are two betrayals. Two women almost destroyed Abraham’s promise.

Genesis 26:34-35: “When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite. He also married Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebecca.”

Judges 14:1–3: “Samson went down to Timnah. He saw a woman there, a daughter of the Philistines. His father and mother said to him, ‘Is there no woman among your brothers’ daughters? Why do you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’”

Two men. Two foreign women. Two grieving parents. One commandment screaming beneath the surface: Do not commit adultery with the covenant.

Rabbi David Fohrman discusses this concept in the Aleph Beta series on Samson and Toldot. He calls it the mirror of betrayal. Esau’s Hittite wives are akin to Samson’s Philistine women. Both threaten the seed of Abraham. Both turn the bedroom into a battlefield for Israel’s future.

The Chiastic Mirror – Wives, Women, and Covenant Seed

LevelToldot (Genesis 26–28)Covenant Seed ThreatSamson (Judges 14–16)Covenant Seed Threat
A – Foreign WivesEsau marries two Hittite women (26:34–35) – “bitterness of spirit” to Isaac & RebeccaCovenant seed pollutedSamson demands a Philistine wife from Timnah (14:1–3) – parents grieveCovenant seed polluted
B – Parental GriefRebecca: “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women” (27:46)Mother fears loss of Jacob’s lineManoah & wife beg Samson not to take Philistine (14:3)Parents fear loss of Nazirite line
C – Deception & BetrayalRebecca orchestrates Jacob’s deception to save the blessing (27)Esau’s wives = indirect betrayalDelilah betrays Samson for silver (16:5–18)Philistine woman = direct betrayal
D – Loss of StrengthEsau loses blessing → vows to kill Jacob (27:41)Covenant power stolenSamson loses hair/strength → captured (16:19–21)Nazirite power stolen
C’ – Redemption PathJacob sent to Laban to find proper wife (28:1–2)Covenant seed protectedSamson’s hair regrows → final victory (16:22–30)Nazirite power restored
B’ – Parental LegacyIsaac blesses Jacob to become nations (28:3–4)Parents secure the lineSamson’s death delivers Israel (16:30)Parents’ vow fulfilled
A’ – Foreign Threat EndedEsau’s line becomes Edom – perpetual enemyCovenant seed preservedPhilistines crushed (16:30)Covenant seed preserved

The Chiastic Mirror

Two Wives

The Chiastic Mirror – Wives, Women, and Covenant Seed

LevelToldot (Genesis 26–28)Covenant Seed ThreatSamson (Judges 14–16)Covenant Seed Threat
A – Foreign WivesEsau marries two Hittite women (26:34–35) – “bitterness of spirit” to Isaac & RebeccaCovenant seed pollutedSamson demands a Philistine wife from Timnah (14:1–3) – parents grieveCovenant seed polluted
B – Parental GriefRebecca: “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women” (27:46)Mother fears loss of Jacob’s lineManoah & wife beg Samson not to take Philistine (14:3)Parents fear loss of Nazirite line
C – Deception & BetrayalRebecca orchestrates Jacob’s deception to save the blessing (27)Esau’s wives = indirect betrayalDelilah betrays Samson for silver (16:5–18)Philistine woman = direct betrayal
D – Loss of StrengthEsau loses blessing → vows to kill Jacob (27:41)Covenant power stolenSamson loses hair/strength → captured (16:19–21)Nazirite power stolen
C’ – Redemption PathJacob sent to Laban to find proper wife (28:1–2)Covenant seed protectedSamson’s hair regrows → final victory (16:22–30)Nazirite power restored
B’ – Parental LegacyIsaac blesses Jacob to become nations (28:3–4)Parents secure the lineSamson’s death delivers Israel (16:30)Parents’ vow fulfilled
A’ – Foreign Threat EndedEsau’s line becomes Edom – perpetual enemyCovenant seed preservedPhilistines crushed (16:30)Covenant seed preserved

What Adultery Really Means

The Seventh Commandment is not about desire. It is about whose children will inherit the promise.

Esau’s Hittite wives threaten to dilute Abraham’s seed with Canaanite blood. Samson’s Philistine women threaten to hand Abraham’s promise to uncircumcised enemies.

Both are adultery against the covenant — sleeping with the wrong future.

Rebecca doesn’t complain about sex. She complains about the bitterness of spirit — the spiritual death of her grandchildren.

Delilah doesn’t just betray Samson’s body. She betrays his seed — the Nazirite calling meant to birth Israel’s deliverance.

The Torah’s message is brutal: Adultery is not private. It is treason against the next generation.

Why This Matters for Jewish Chosenness

Why This Matters for Jewish Chosenness

Every time a religion claims the Torah’s commandments while rejecting the Jewish people, they commit the Seventh Commandment in Toldot.

They spiritually sleep with foreign gods and birth a covenant that belongs to someone else.

But the Torah says the seed belongs to the children of the promise. It belongs to the family that grieved over Hittite wives in a tent in Beersheba.

As Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz teaches: “The Jewish people survive because we guard the purity of the seed — not racial, but covenantal.”

Internal Links – Continue the Series

  • Essay 1: The Ten Commandments in Toldot – They Began with Rivkah, Not Sinai
  • Essay 2: The Second Commandment in Toldot – Esau’s Rage and “No Other Gods”
  • Essay 3: The Third Commandment in Toldot – “Why Should I Lose Both of You in One Day?”
  • Essay 4: The Fourth Commandment in Toldot – The First Shabbat in Exile
  • Essay 5: Shabbat for All Humanity– The Rainbow Sign
  • Essay 6: The Sixth Commandment in Toldot – Hair That Binds Esau & Samson

Next in this 10-part series: Essay 8 – The Eighth Commandment in Toldot: “You Shall Not Steal” – The Blessing That Was Never Esau’s

His mothers never stopped guarding the seed. [Your Name] Beit HaShoavah – Return, Repent, Rejoice https://beithashoavah.org

Shalom from Hazan Gavriel ben David.

From Recife to Route 40: Why the Hazan Never Logged Off

In the tapestry of American Jewish history, the role of the hazan stands as a resilient thread. It weaves together faith, community, and survival from colonial times to the current day.


From Colonial Vitality to Reform Pruning

In the tapestry of American Jewish history, the role of the hazan stands as a resilient thread. It weaves together faith, community, and survival from colonial times to the current day. Often overshadowed by rabbis in modern narratives, the hazan was the heartbeat of early Jewish congregations in America. This cantor or prayer leader was trained in vocal arts. Without ordained rabbis, these multifaceted leaders chanted prayers, taught children, performed rituals, and even doubled as butchers or doctors. Today, in isolated pockets like Amarillo, Texas, Orthodox Jewish communities span vast distances without rabbinic presence. In these areas, the hazan’s return is not just nostalgic. It plays a crucial role in preserving Jewish identity in a fragmented world.

The Dawn of American Judaism: Refugees and Resilience

American Jewish history begins in 1654. At that time, 23 Sephardic Jews fled the Portuguese reconquest of Recife, Brazil. They arrived in New Amsterdam (now Manhattan). These refugees, escaping the Inquisition’s shadow, established the first Jewish community in North America. Without a rabbi, they improvised. Historical records suggest early leaders like Asser Levy and others handled communal needs. As the community stabilized, formal hazanim emerged. By the early 18th century, Congregation Shearith Israel—the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York—had become a cornerstone. Hazanim led services when there were no rabbis.

In 1729, Shearith Israel appointed a hazan who embodied this versatility. Though records vary, figures linked to merchant families played essential roles. This included relatives of prominent traders. They took on roles as baal koreh (Torah reader), baal tefilah (prayer leader), and even shochet (kosher butcher). These early hazanim were not mere singers; they were the “phone line” connecting scattered Jews to their heritage. As immigration from Amsterdam and London increased around 1700, the hazan became indispensable. Synagogues like London’s Bevis Marks served as models.


Consider Isaac Touro. He arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1760. He served as hazan for Congregation Jeshuat Israel (now Touro Synagogue, America’s oldest surviving synagogue building). Touro, a Dutch-born spiritual leader, oversaw the congregation’s growth, signing the deed for the synagogue designed by architect Peter Harrison. Every Rosh Hashanah, he rode 25 miles on horseback to Providence. He did this to assemble a minyan. There were no highways and no modern conveniences. Just determination and the shofar’s echo across Narragansett Bay. His sons, Abraham and Judah Touro, later became philanthropists, endowing Jewish institutions nationwide.

Further south, in Charleston, South Carolina, there was once a home to the largest Jewish population in early America. Hartwig Cohen served as hazan for Beth Elohim from 1818 to 1823. Cohen, who also practiced medicine, exemplified the hazan’s multifaceted role. He led the morning minyan. He treated patients and even stitched up a plantation owner’s child. He then returned for evening prayers. Hazanim like Cohen relied on their voices. “Lungs,” as one says. This was how they sustained community life in an era without Zoom or apps.

Evolution and Challenges:


As the 19th century unfolded, the hazan’s role evolved amid waves of immigration and internal shifts. The Reform movement, seeking acculturation, pruned traditional elements: less Hebrew, fewer melodies, more emphasis on rabbis. Yet Orthodox enclaves kept the hazan alive like embers in a fire. Gershom Mendes Seixas, born in 1745 and the first American-born hazan at Shearith Israel, bridged colonial and revolutionary eras. Known as the “Patriot Hazan,” Seixas evacuated the synagogue’s Torahs during the British occupation of New York in 1776. This action symbolized Jewish resilience.

This period highlights the hazan’s labor as religious work in a market economy. Hazanim negotiated contracts, balanced multiple jobs, and navigated congregational politics— a far cry from today’s specialized clergy. By the mid-1800s, Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews arrived. The Sephardic-dominated hazan tradition adapted. Yet, its core remained: one voice uniting the many.

The Modern Imperative: Why We Need the Hazan Today

Fast-skip to today, and the hazan’s relevance is stark. In Amarillo, Texas, I serve as a hazan for a dispersed Orthodox community. This city has about 200,000 people and no ordained rabbis from Dallas to Albuquerque. We’re 20,000 souls across the Panhandle, yet Friday nights still carry the scent of challah. I light the candles, read the parsha, and create rhythm for families driving in from four counties. Kids arrive with Fortnite on their minds, but ten minutes into Lecha Dodi, they’re swaying to an ancient tune.

Why the great need for the hazan’s return? Modern life fragments us: urbanization scatters Jews, secularism erodes traditions, and technology— while connecting— often isolates. In rural or small-town America, where synagogues are scarce, a hazan isn’t a relic; they’re an upgrade. They don’t need ordination’s formality but bring vocal mastery, teaching skills, and community glue. As Jewish populations age and intermarry, hazanim can revitalize services, making them accessible and musical without diluting Orthodoxy.


Consider the data: According to the Pew Research Center’s 2020 survey on American Jews, only 17% attend synagogue weekly. Rural isolation makes disconnection worse. Hazanim bridges this gap by offering flexible leadership in pop-up minyans or hybrid online/offline minyans. In a post-COVID world, where Zoom minyans persist, the hazan’s voice—not a rabbi’s sermon—carries emotional weight, fostering belonging.

Moreover, hazanim embody inclusivity. Historically, they served diverse roles; today, they can empower women in non-egalitarian spaces through education or adapt to multicultural congregations. Reviving the hazan addresses rabbi shortages: With fewer entering seminaries, communities like mine rely on passionate lay leaders. It’s not about replacing rabbis but about complementing them—a fiber-optic upgrade to the colonial “phone line,” holding scattered houses together.

Conclusion: A Call to Reconnect

From Recife’s refugees to Route- I-40 faithful, the hazan has never logged off. They’re the unsung heroes of Jewish continuity, chanting through storms of history. In an era of burnout and division, embracing the hazan means reclaiming sacred rest, community, and voice. If the Torah sounds like music to you, you’re already home.

Shalom Hazan Gavriel ben David

Charlie Kirk Was Right:

Honoring the Shabbat as a Timeless Gift

The First Sabbath, Noah and family

By Hazan Gavriel Ben David

Dear Friends,

Charlie Kirk was right in his powerful new book. The book is titled Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life. Keeping Shabbat isn’t just tradition. It’s wisdom we desperately need in our chaotic world to understand why Charlie Kirk was right about honoring it.

When we glance at the Sabbath, we often forget we’re all intertwined. We are connected through generations back to Ham, Shem, and Japheth. These three sons of Noah introduced humanity to a new world after the flood. Nothing remained—just eight souls, the animals, and a rainbow as the eternal sign of God’s covenant. We still admire its beauty today, especially the rare double arcs that remind us of divine promise.

Kirk’s book dives deep into the majesty of biblical principles, echoing how Jewish scholars have cherished these truths for millennia. The language of Torah is precise and powerful—like chemistry in its perfect balance. Even the Hebrew word “Hamas” serves as a prophetic hint. It signifies the violence we’d face across history, right from the beginning.

Shabbat pulls us back to peace.

Shabbat pulls us back to peace.

Consider creation’s rhythm, mirrored perfectly in Noah’s story:

  • Day one: Earth formless and void, waters everywhere, God’s Spirit hovering—just as Noah’s Ark floated, held only by His word.
  • Day two: Waters separated, dry land appears—the Ark rests on Ararat.
  • Day three: Vegetation blooms, mirrored by the dove’s olive branch.
  • Day four: Sun, moon, stars for signs and seasons—unchanged.
  • Day five: Fish and fowl sent forth with divine patterns.
  • Day six: Beasts and man created.

Today, we stand at that sixth-day crossroads: Will we act like animals, destroying with violence, envy, and words? Or will we build a world of peace, love, and hope—that unbreakable rope binding us through history?

On the seventh day, God gave the rainbow—the covenant sign.

On the seventh day, God gave the rainbow—the covenant sign. Kirk nailed it on why the Shabbat relates directly to his views.

It’s not laziness; it’s recharging the soul. In our burnout culture of endless scrolling, hustling, and dopamine chasing, science confirms downtime reduces stress and boosts focus. Shabbat is the ultimate reset—no emails, no noise, just presence with family, faith, and God.

Like Noah adrift on stormy waters, we’re navigating chaos now. The Ark isn’t wood anymore—it’s Shabbat. Step inside, shut out the storm, let the dove fly. Maybe you’ll return with your own olive leaves of peace.

Try it—one quiet evening. Your mind, family, and faith will thank you for embracing Charlie Kirk’s views on the power of the Shabbat.

To learn more about this transformative practice, I highly recommend Charlie Kirk’s insightful book. The title is Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life. It’s a timely call to reclaim what truly matters.

Shalom,

Hazan Gavriel Ben David
Amarillo, Texas
December 13, 2025


Related reading on this site:

Keywords: Shabbat, Sabbath observance, Charlie Kirk book, biblical rest, Torah wisdom, Noah covenant, rainbow sign

“The Hidden Blueprint: How the Names of Jacob’s Sons Reveal the Entire Torah Narrative –

Answering Biblical Criticism with Chazal and Rabbi Fohrman”


In 2015, Rabbi David Fohrman released a now-famous lecture titled “Answering Biblical Criticism.” In it, he quietly introduced a compelling literary argument. This argument references Torah single authorship. It connects to Jacob’s sons and the Exodus. This argument supports the divine authorship of the Torah. The argument is elegant. It is mathematically improbable. It is also rooted in classic Jewish sources. This combination turns centuries of academic Bible criticism on its head.

Here is the argument in one sentence:

The birth order and meanings of Jacob’s first three sons demonstrate a prophetic sequence. Reuben means “see, a son.” Shimon means “He has heard.” Levi means “he will join.” These names perfectly and sequentially predict the three-stage redemption narrative of the Book of Exodus. This is explicitly declared by God Himself in Exodus chapters 3–6.

Torah single authorship Jacob’s sons Exodus

This is not mystical wordplay. It is a verifiable, text-based phenomenon. Chazal noticed it two thousand years ago. Modern scholarship has never been able to explain it away.

The Sons Of Jacob

The Hidden Blueprint: How Jacob’s Sons Prove the Torah Could Only Have One Author

The Names and Their Prophetic Echoes

When Leah names her first three sons in Genesis 29, she is not merely expressing personal emotion. Midrash after Midrash tells us she is speaking with ruach ha-kodesh – divine inspiration.

Torah single authorship Jacob’s sons Exodus

  1. Reuben – “See, a son!” (Gen 29:32) “Because the Lord has seen (ra’ah) my affliction…” → Exodus 3:7. “I have surely seen (ra’oh ra’iti) the affliction of My people…”. In Exodus 4:22, it states: “Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My firstborn (bni bechori).” Baal HaTurim points out that ראובן = בכורי in gematria. The connection is exact.
  2. Shimon – “He has heard” (Gen 29:33) “Because the Lord has heard (shama) that I am hated…” → Exodus 2:24 – “God heard (va-yishma) their groaning…” → Exodus 3:7 – “I have heard (shamoa shama’ti) their cry…”
  3. Levi – “Now my husband will be joined to me” (Gen 29:34). The root ל-ו-ה appears only here in all of Genesis. It is used in the context of marital attachment. → At Sinai, Israel becomes “joined” to God in covenant: “They shall be Mine… a kingdom of priests” (Ex 19:5–6). → The tribe of Levi is literally “joined” (nilveh) to God forever (Numbers 18:2–4).

The sequence is not random. The Torah itself later records God testifying against Pharaoh using the exact same order:

“ראה ראיתי… שמוע שמעתי… בני בכורי ישראל” “I have surely seen. I have surely heard. Israel is My firstborn son.” (Exodus 3–4).

The Chiastic Masterpiece of Exodus

Rabbi Fohrman takes the discovery far deeper. The entire Book of Exodus is structured as a perfect chiasm whose central axis is the tribe of Levi and whose “bookends” are the tribe of Reuben:

  • A – Reuben motif: Pharaoh “sees” the multiplying Israelites and fears them (Ex 1:9 – “ראו”, same root as Reuben)
  • B – Shimon motif: Israel cries out, God “hears” (Ex 2:24, 3:7)
  • C – Levi motif: Covenant at Sinai – Israel is “joined” to God
  • B’ – Shimon reversed: Golden Calf – “They have turned aside quickly… they did not listen”
  • A’ – Reuben reversed: Plague of darkness – “A man could not see his brother” (Ex 10:23)

The literary architecture is breathtaking. The same three tribes begin Israel’s national story in Genesis. They form the symmetrical skeleton of the entire redemption narrative in Exodus.

Chazal Saw It First

The Sages never needed modern literary theory to notice this. Consider these sources:

  • Shemot Rabbah 1:27: “When Reuben was born, God spoke. He said, ‘In the future I will say My son, My firstborn.’ Therefore, she called his name Reuben.”
  • Tanchuma Yashan, Shemot 4: God testifies using the precise order of the three sons.
  • Zohar Chadash (Bereishit 28b): The three sons correspond to the three stages of redemption. The first stage is seeing the pain. The second stage is hearing the cry. The final stage is the joining at Sinai.

Two thousand years ago, our Sages already understood that the Torah was speaking across centuries with a single, prophetic voice.

How Jacob’s Sons Prove the Torah Only Have One Author

Reuben : Behold, a son – Sees affliction but unstable (like Israel’s early wanderings and loss of birthright).

– Simeon : God hears – Heard in suffering, but violent (echoes pogroms and exiles).

– Levi : Joined – Attachment to God amid trials (Levites as priests, but scattered).

– Judah : Praise – Royal line, kingship through David to Messiah (and modern Israel’s resilience).

– Dan : Judge – Justice in the end times (tribal reversals).

– Naphtali : My struggle – Wrestling for freedom (like the Haganah fights).

– Gad : Troop comes – Invasion and victory (biblical wars to 1948 defenses).

– Asher : Happy – Blessing in prosperity (post-exile rebuilds).

– Issachar : Hire/reward – Labor for the land (aliyah waves).

– Zebulun : Dwelling/honor – Maritime trade and global diaspora success. –

Joseph : He adds/increase – Fruitfulness in Egypt/exile (spies, statesmen like Disraeli). –

Benjamin : Son of the right hand – Strength in youth (modern Israel’s tech/military edge).

The Fatal Problem for the Documentary Hypothesis

The academic Documentary Hypothesis claims that Genesis and Exodus were stitched together centuries apart by different authors or schools:

  • “J” likes anthropomorphic “seeing” language
  • “E” prefers “hearing” language
  • “P” focuses on priestly covenant and “joining”

The irony is devastating. The critics use stylistic differences to divide the text into sources. Ironically, these same differences unify the text across centuries in prophetic order.

Ask any honest scholar: What is the statistical probability of three separate documents coordinating their favorite verbs? These documents were written hundreds of years apart by competing schools. They could accidentally match the birth order of twelve brothers named four centuries earlier?

The answer is effectively zero.

From Defense to Offense

For too long, believing Jews have been on the defensive against higher criticism. This discovery flips the script. We now possess an argument that is:

  • Text-based and verifiable by anyone
  • Rooted in classic Jewish sources
  • Statistically and literarily overwhelming
  • Impossible to explain under any naturalistic, multi-author theory

No ancient Near Eastern text – Egyptian, Akkadian, Ugaritic, or Greek – shows anything like this level of long-range design. Its symmetrical, prophetic nature is unparalleled. The Torah stands alone.

Conclusion: One Author Who Knows the End from the Beginning

The Ramban opens his commentary on Exodus by calling it Sefer HaGeulah. This means the Book of Redemption. Every detail of it is woven together with chochmat ha-Elohim, divine wisdom.

We see Reuben’s name echoing in “Israel is My firstborn.” We hear Shimon’s name in the cries God answers. We watch the tribe of Levi become the eternal symbol of Israel’s attachment to God. We are not looking at the work of human editors.

We are looking at the fingerprint of the One who declared, long before the story unfolded:

“See, a son! I have heard! And now – he will be joined to Me.”

That is the voice of a single Author – the Author of history itself.

Sources & Further Study

  • Rabbi David Fohrman, “Answering Biblical Criticism” (YouTube)
  • Bereishit Rabbah 84, Shemot Rabbah 1, Tanchuma Yashan Shemot
  • Baal HaTurim, Sforno, and Ramban on Genesis 29
  • Zohar Chadash, Bereishit 28b

Chazzan Gavriel ben David

What the World Missed: The Star of Yaakov and the Quiet Dawn of Redemption

USA and Israel and the covenant.

A Letter from Gavriel ben David.

It was dedicated on December 7th, 2025.

This date marks the 84th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. The attack ended one world war. It unknowingly set the stage for World War III. This was referred to as the Star of Yaakov and the Quiet Dawn of Redemption.

On this day, we remember the end of World War II and the beginning of World War III. The beginning has already happened. But if we are diligent and ignore the noise, we will see the signal.

We will see that God is moving in the world. Through President Donald Trump, the modern-day Cyrus, He is bringing the nations toward the valley of decision. Ultimately, this will lead toward peace.

Today, I invite every reader. If the Bible is true, then we are all defenders of the covenant God first made with Adam. It was later renewed with Abraham. We must remember we are family. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are the three children of Abraham. They have spent centuries fighting. According to the Torah itself, they are destined to become one in the last days. Unity does not demand agreement; it requires a greater purpose: to leave this world better than we found it. That purpose is the beating heart of all three faiths.

On September 27, 2023 (Elul 12, 5783), a rare triple conjunction of Saturn, Mercury, and Venus occurred. Just days before Rosh Hashanah 5784, they formed a blazing star in the western sky. NASA called it a “planetary alignment.” The Zohar (3:212b) described it differently. The prophecy of Bilam in Numbers 24:17 also mentioned this event. It said, “A star shall shoot forth from Yaakov, and a scepter shall rise from Israel.”

The world scrolled past the picture. The Jewish people looked up and remembered.

That star was the opening trumpet. What followed was no coincidence.

The Star Of Yaacov.
  • October 7, 2023: the Simchat Torah massacre was the spark. Rabbi Matityahu Glazerson’s Torah codes had already marked it as the beginning of the War of Gog u’Magog.
  • The nations began gathering, exactly as Yoel (Joel) chapter 3 described, into the Valley of Jehoshaphat the valley of decision.
  • Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are already contracted to rebuild Gaza. This sets the perfect trap. The moment Israel defends its own soil, the entire world is drawn in.
  • Satellite images analyzed by Israeli intelligence experts show deliberate protection of Hamas leadership. This includes the tunnel infrastructure throughout the war. The officer interviewed by Yishai Fleisher confirms this.
  • Iran, the “king of the north” in Yechezkel 38, orchestrated the October 7 attack. They used a strategy lifted almost verbatim from an American general’s counterinsurgency playbook.

All of this feels planned because, from the human side, it is.

Albert Pike’s 1871 letter and Rabbi Alon Anava’s missing lecture are part of this. The quiet dismantling of Israeli sovereignty since 2005 also fits the pattern. Every piece reflects the pattern the nations have always followed when they conspire against the God of Israel (Psalm 2).

Yet the Torah told us the end from the beginning.

Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 16:14–15 promises: “Therefore, behold, days are coming, says the Lord. This saying will not be repeated. ‘As the Lord lives’ was a common saying. It stated, ‘He brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.’ In the future, people will declare, ‘As the Lord lives. He brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north.’ ‘And from all the lands where He had banished them’ will also be declared.”

The coming exodus will be so great that the exodus from Egypt will become a footnote.

Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 37 shows us how: two sticks, Yehudah and Ephraim, become one in the hand of God. Ephraim, the lost ten tribes, is scattered among the nations. Yet, it still carries the blessing of fruitfulness and multitude. It has always held the banner of the United States of America. This nation is founded on the language. It was financed in its darkest hour by a Polish-Jewish Chazzan named Haym Salomon. It was protected by Jewish blood from Lexington to Normandy. Still today, it is the only superpower that offers help without demanding that Jews convert to Christianity. Jews do not need to change their faith to receive assistance.

That is the mark of Ephraim: they stand with Israel without trying to replace Israel.


In the middle of this storm stands a disruptor. He is a pagan king who does not know the God of Israel by name. Yet, he is being used exactly like Koresh (Cyrus) to clear the path home.

Rabbi Mendel Kessin has taught for almost a decade. He believes that Donald Trump is the rehabilitated soul of Esau. Trump wields raw power to break the chains that the evil forces have placed around the world.

The dry bones are rattling. The sticks are moving toward each other. The star has already risen.

We are not waiting for a superhero. We are waiting for a movement. A movement that begins when the children of Abraham remember they are brothers, when the swords are finally beaten into plowshares, when the witnesses Israel and her unexpected allies stand in the courtroom of history and declare with one voice:

“The God of Abraham is real. He told us the end from the beginning. And He is faithful to perform it.” May we live to see the day when Passover is no longer the greatest story we tell our children. This is because an even greater redemption will have overtaken it.

Ken yehi ratzon.

Chazzan Gavriel ben David December 7, 2025