Most Jews will tell you a non-Jew is not allowed to keep Shabbat. Most Christians will tell you the Sabbath was nailed to the cross and replaced by Sunday. Most Muslims will tell you the real Shabbat is Friday.

All three are wrong. The proof is hidden in plain sight. It lies in the mirror between the Seven Days of Creation and the Seven Stages of the Flood.

Rabbi David Fohrman explains in his breathtaking Aleph Beta series “Noah & the Flood: The Second Creation.” He argues that the entire Flood narrative is a deliberate replay of Genesis 1. However, this time, the world is re-created for all of people, not just Israel.

Day of Creation	Genesis 1	Flood Parallel	Who Receives the Sign?
Day 1 – Light / Darkness	“Let there be light” – Spirit hovers over the face of the waters	Genesis 8:1 – “A wind from God hovered over the face of the waters” – total darkness, void	All living creatures
Day 2 – Separation of waters	Firmament separates waters from waters	Waters above and below separated again	—
Day 3 – Dry land & vegetation	Dry land appears, seed-bearing plants	Dove returns with olive leaf – first sign of dry land and vegetation	—
Day 4 – Sun, moon, stars for seasons	“For signs and for seasons”	Genesis 8:22 – “Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter… shall not cease” – the rainbow covenant	All descendants of Noah
Day 5 – Birds & sea creatures	“Let the waters swarm… let birds fly”	First to leave the ark: creeping things, birds, swarming creatures	—
Day 6 – Land animals & man	Beasts, cattle, and man in God’s image – “Be fruitful and multiply”	Animals leave, then Noah’s family – but they separate (violating “be fruitful”)	—
Day 7 – God rests	“God blessed the seventh day and made it holy”	Genesis 9 – Rainbow covenant: “I will establish My covenant with you and all flesh” – an eternal sign	Every human being

The rainbow is the ot — the eternal sign — of the seventh day for all the children of Noah. And the last time I checked, every male on earth descends from Shem, Ham, or Japheth — Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson’s Y-chromosome research in Traced proves it.

Charlie Kirk, in his book Real Citizenship, writes: “God gave the rainbow as a universal covenant. It was not given to one nation, but to every living creature. The Sabbath rest was baked into that covenant before Sinai ever happened.”

Yet today: • Some rabbis declare a gentile may not keep Shabbat (a tragic over-correction against missionary theft). • Christians move the day to Sunday — the only day in Creation week never called “good.” • Muslims change it to Friday, which is Day Six. This day represents the beast and man’s animal nature. It is also the very day the Torah warns against murder (Sixth Commandment).

We sing every Shabbat morning in VeShamru. This passage is found in Exodus 31:16–17: וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת… כִּי אוֹת הִיא בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֹלָם. “The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath.” It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever.

But read the Hebrew carefully — the word בֵּינִי (“between Me”) appears twice in the Torah:

1. Exodus 31 — between God and Israel
2. Genesis 9 — the rainbow between God and all flesh that is on the earth

Two covenants, one sign.

Rabbi Fohrman’s conclusion is shattering: The Flood was not destruction — it was re-creation. And the seventh day of that re-creation was given as a gift and responsibility to every human being alive.

So who is right about Shabbat? No religion today. The Torah is.

Shabbat was never taken from the nations — it was stolen by bad theology and fear.

The rainbow still hangs in the sky every seventh day, whispering the same promise it whispered to Noah:

Rest. Remember who made you. Because the world depends on it.

The children of Noah must learn to rest together on the day God actually blessed. They include Jews, Christians, Muslim, and everyone else. Until they do, the Flood’s waters of chaos will keep rising.

Related essays on beithashoavah.org • Essay 4 – The Fourth Commandment in Toldot: The First Shabbat in Exile. Why Does God Play Favorites? The Silence Cain Heard Wrong • The Rainbow Covenant Science Cannot Erase (Dr. Jeanson & Genesis 9)

Shabbat Shalom — to all the children of Noah, [Your Name] Kohen, descendant of Aaron Beit HaShoavah – Return, Repent, Rejoice

(Publish this as a separate post — it’s too explosive to bury. Link it right after Essay 4 with: “And if you think Shabbat belongs only to the Jews… read this.”)

Most people think the Sabbath commandment began with thunder and smoke at Sinai.

It didn’t.

It began with a terrified Jewish boy running for his life and his mother whispering the Fourth Commandment in Toldot:

“Stay with Laban a few days until your brother’s fury subsides.” (Genesis 27:44)

Rabbi David Fohrman reveals the exact Hebrew parallel:

Sinai (Exodus 20:8–11)	Toldot (Genesis 27:44)
זָכוֹר אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”	שֵׁב יָמִים אֲחָדִים עַד אֲשֶׁר־תָּשׁוּב חֲמַת אָחִיךָ “Stay a few days until your brother’s anger subsides”

The phrase יָמִים אֲחָדִים (“a few days”) is the Torah’s coded language for Shabbat rest in exile.

Why? Because the only other time the Torah uses “a few days” in this exact context is when Pharaoh refuses to let Israel rest, and God answers with the plagues and the very first Shabbat in history (Exodus 5:3 → 7-day cycle). “A few days” = the sacred pause before redemption.

Rivkah is not just giving travel advice. She is commanding Jacob to observe the first Shabbat in exile — to stop running, to rest, to let God fight the battle while he waits.

This is the Fourth Commandment in Toldot: When the world is burning with Esau’s rage, the Jewish response is not more action — it is holy waiting.

Why This Matters for Jewish Chosenness

Every time Christianity or Islam claims the Torah’s commandments while rejecting the Jewish people, they violate the Fourth Commandment in Toldot.

They refuse to “stay a few days” — to pause, to rest, to let the Jewish people carry the burden of exile while the nations rage.

But the Torah says the Sabbath belongs to the family that was told to rest first — in a tent in Beersheba, centuries before Sinai.

As Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz teaches: “The Jewish people keep Shabbat, and Shabbat keeps the Jewish people.”

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?”
• Why Does God Play Favorites? The Silence Cain Heard Wrong

Next in this 10-part series: Essay 5 – The Fifth Commandment in Toldot: Honoring the Mother Who Risked Everything

Shabbat Shalom from Synagogue Beit HaShoavah who learned to rest in exile, [Chazzan Gavriel ben David] Beit HaShoavah – Return, Repent, Rejoice https://beithashoavah.org

Most Christians and Muslims have never heard this sentence as the Torah intends. The third of the commandments is spoken.

“Why should I be bereaved of both of you in one day?” (Genesis 27:45)

Rivkah is not just a worried mother. She delivers the Third Commandment in Toldot, centuries before Sinai.

The Third Commandment in Toldot – Exact Parallel

Sinai (Exodus 20:7)	Toldot (Genesis 27:45)
לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת־שֵׁם־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא “You shall not take the name of Hashem your God in vain”	לָמָה אֶשְׁכַּל גַּם־שְׁנֵיכֶם יוֹם אֶחָד “Why should I lose both of you in one day?” – terror of false oaths causing double death

Rabbi David Fohrman points out: the deepest meaning of “taking God’s name in vain” is not just swearing falsely. It is invoking God’s name to justify something that will bring destruction while pretending it is holy.

Rivkah sees the future clearly: If Esau swears by God to take revenge, and Jacob is forced to defend himself, both sons could die on the same day—one by murder, one by execution. Two corpses because someone used God’s name to sanctify hatred.

That is the ultimate desecration of the Name.

Why This Destroys Replacement Theology

Every time a church taught that “God curses the Jews,” they did exactly what Esau threatened to do. When Islam claimed “the Jews corrupted the Torah,” they acted the same way. They took God’s name in vain. They used Scripture to justify hatred and dispossession.

Rivkah’s cry in Toldot is the Torah’s eternal protest. It stands against every false oath sworn “in the name of God.” These oaths aim to harm Jacob.

As Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz teaches: “The Jewish people remain alive for a specific reason. Every attempt to destroy us in God’s name violates the Third Commandment in Toldot.”

Internal Links – Keep Reading 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”
• Why Does God Play Favorites? The Silence Cain Heard Wrong
• From Crypto-Jewish Mexico to the Torah of My Fathers

Next in this 10-part series: Essay 4 – The Fourth Commandment in Toldot: “Stay a Few Days” – The First Shabbat in Exile

Shabbat Shalom from a Kohen. His mothers never stopped crying this cry. [Chazzan Gavriel ben David] Beit HaShoavah – Return, Repent, Rejoice https://beithashoavah.org

When the church taught me the Second Commandment was only about statues and idols, I learned something unexpected. I never imagined it was first spoken by a Jewish mother fleeing her own son’s violence.

Yet in Parashat Toldot, centuries before the thunder at Sinai, Rivkah utters the Second Commandment in Toldot almost word-for-word:

“Your brother Esau is comforting himself (מִתְנַחֵם) with the thought of killing you.” (Genesis 27:42)

Rabbi David Fohrman demonstrates that this single sentence is the exact precursor. It leads to “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Esau’s rage is not just anger. It has become his god.

How Esau Became the First Worshipper of “Another God”

In Hebrew, the verb מִתְנַחֵם (mitnachem) means “to comfort oneself.” After losing the blessing, Esau does not turn to Hashem for comfort. He turns to murder.

Murderous hatred becomes his new deity—the very first “other god” in human history after Cain.

Rivkah’s urgent warning to Jacob is therefore the Second Commandment in Toldot in its embryonic form:

Do not serve the god of revenge. Do not let violence sit on the throne where only Hashem belongs.

This is why the Rebecca Jacob Sinai mirror is so devastating to replacement theology. The Second Commandment did not begin with golden calves or Baal statues. It began when a Jewish mother identified the first false god humanity ever worshipped: the god of blood-revenge.

The Chiastic Proof – Side by Side

Sinai (Exodus 20:3)	Toldot (Genesis 27:41–42)
לֹא יִהְיֶה־לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל־פָּנָיָ “You shall have no other gods before Me”	וַיִּתְנַחֵם הוּא לְהָרְגְּךָ “He is comforting himself by killing you” – serving the god of murderous rage

Watch Rabbi Fohrman lay this out:

• Aleph Beta / YouTube Part 1
• Aleph Beta / YouTube Part 2

Why This Matters for Jewish Chosenness

Every time Christianity or Islam claims the Torah’s commandments while rejecting the Jewish people, they repeat Esau’s original mistake.

They replace the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the god of supersessionist revenge: “The Jews killed our savior” or “The Jews lost their chosenness.” That is modern avodah zarah—serving another god on the very face of the God who spoke to three million Jews at Sinai.

As Chazzan I teach in Esnoga Beit HaShoavah: “We are not hated because we are worse. We are hated because we are the living witness that the Second Commandment in Toldot still applies. There is only one God. He never annulled His covenant with Jacob.”

Internal Links – Continue the Journey

• Essay 1: The Ten Commandments in Toldot – They Began with Rivkah, Not Sinai
• Why Does God Play Favorites? The Silence Cain Heard Wrong
• From Crypto-Jewish Mexico to the Torah of My Fathers – My Personal Return
• The Passover Lamb Was Never Jesus – It Was the Egyptian God

Next in this 10-part series: Essay 3 – The Third Commandment in Toldot: “Why Should I Lose Both of You in One Day?”

Shabbat Shalom from the Chazzan carrying the same warning Rivkah gave, [Gavriel ben David ] Beit HaShoavah – Return, Repent, Rejoice https://beithashoavah.org

When I discovered I am a descendant of Aaron through the Diaz Ramirez crypto-Jewish family of Nuevo León, one question has never left me:

How can any religion claim to replace the Jewish people? As my Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz says ” you first must enjoy the question before you can enjoy the answer. It’s a bit like understanding Rivkah and the Ten Commandments, where the deeper you delve, the more you discover.

The Ten Commandments in Toldot – the words quoted by the entire world – were first whispered in a tent. A Jewish mother whispered them in Beersheba. The story of Rivkah and the Ten Commandments illustrates the profound connection between the Jewish mothers and their faith.

The Shocking Discovery Rabbi Fohrman Makes About the Ten Commandments in Toldot

In his groundbreaking Aleph Beta series on Parashat Toldot, Rabbi David Fohrman demonstrates something remarkable. He reveals that Genesis 27–28 is structured as a perfect chiastic mirror of the Revelation at Sinai. The Ten Commandments in Toldot are in the exact same order. They contain the exact same themes and key phrases that will later thunder in Exodus 20.

Watch the teaching that changed everything:

• Part 1 on YouTube (Aleph Beta)
• Part 2 on YouTube (Aleph Beta)

The Ten Commandments in Toldot – Side-by-Side Proof

#	Sinai (Exodus 20)	Rivkah’s Words in Toldot (Genesis 27–28)
1	“I am Hashem your God”	“My son, listen to my voice… do exactly what I command you” (27:8,13) – establishing divine authority
2	No other gods	Warning against Esau’s murderous hatred – serving the god of violence (27:41-42)
3	Do not take God’s name in vain	“Why should I lose both of you in one day?” – terror of false oaths (27:45)
4	Remember the Sabbath	“Stay with Laban a few days until your brother’s anger turns” – Shabbat rest in exile (27:44)
5	Honor father and mother	Jacob obeys his mother above Isaac’s mistaken blessing – the entire plot!
6	You shall not murder	Direct warning against Esau’s plan to kill Jacob
7	You shall not commit adultery	“Do not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan” (28:1)
8	You shall not steal	The blessing was “stolen” only in appearance – Rivkah insists it belongs to Jacob
9	You shall not bear false witness	The goatskin deception protects deeper truth
10	You shall not covet	Esau covets the blessing that was never his – root of the conflict

Why the Ten Commandments in Toldot Destroy Replacement Theology

This Rebecca Jacob Sinai mirror is the Torah’s way of shouting to Christianity and Islam. The Ten Commandments in Toldot were born inside the Jewish family. This occurred centuries before Sinai. You cannot inherit the commandments while rejecting the family that birthed them.

As Rabbi David Fohrman teaches, “The Jewish people are not chosen because we are better. We are chosen because we are the only nation that carries the historical event of Revelation in our national DNA.”

Internal Links to Related Articles on Beit HaShoavah

• Essay 1: Why Does God Play Favorites? The Silence Cain Heard Wrong
• My Return Story: From Crypto-Jewish Mexico Back to the Torah of My Fathers
• The Tree That Christianity Got Wrong – Eden and Jewish Resurrection
• Passover Lamb Was Never Jesus – It Was the Egyptian God

Next in this 10-part series: The Second Commandment in Toldot – Esau’s Rage and “No Other Gods”

Shabbat Shalom from a Chazzann who came home, [Gavriel ben David ] Beit HaShoavah – Return, Repent, Rejoice https://beithashoavah.org

Why Does God Play Favorites?

The Shocking Answer Hidden in the Story of Cain and Abel

We all know the children’s version of the story: Cain brings an offering. Abel brings an offering. God likes Abel’s better. Cain gets jealous and kills his brother. Moral of the story: Don’t be jealous.

But that version leaves the most troubling question completely unanswered:

Why did God reject Cain’s offering in the first place? Why would the Creator of the universe—who loves all His children—seem to play favorites with the very first two brothers in history?

For two thousand years Jewish and Christian readers have struggled with this. Many simply say, “Well, Abel brought the best (firstlings and fat), Cain just brought whatever.” But the Torah never actually says God told them to bring the best. In fact, the Torah never even commanded offerings at all! So on what basis did God “have regard” for Abel’s offering and not for Cain’s (Genesis 4:4-5)?

Rabbi David Fohrman points out something almost no one notices in the text:

The Hebrew phrase describing God’s response is deeply asymmetrical.

• About Abel: וַיִּשַׁע אֶל־הֶבֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתוֹ “And He turned to Abel and to his offering.”
• About Cain: וְאֶל־קַיִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָתוֹ לֹא שָׁעָה “But to Cain and to his offering He did not turn.”

The grammar itself is screaming at us: God is not evaluating the gifts in isolation. He is looking at the person and the gift together. The offering is an expression of the offerer.

Abel brings the firstlings and their fat portions because that is who Abel is—he gives of his essence, his very best, holding nothing back. Cain brings “an offering of the fruit of the ground”—perfectly adequate, but nothing in the text suggests it cost him anything deeply personal. It’s not that his offering is bad; it’s that it doesn’t reveal Cain.

God’s “rejection,” then, is not favoritism. It’s a mirror.

God is saying to Cain (without words, because sometimes love speaks through silence): “Cain, I want you. Show me you.”

Cain hears the silence as rejection instead of invitation. And instead of looking inward (“What could I have brought that would have been more me?”), he looks outward in rage: “Why him and not me?” Jealousy is born—the first human emotion after shame in the Garden—and with it, murder.

Fohrman’s staggering conclusion:

God introduces the appearance of favoritism on purpose. He creates the very first instance of “chosen vs. not chosen” not to alienate Cain, but to teach humanity the single most dangerous spiritual truth we will ever face:

When God seems to love someone else more than you, the problem is almost never that God loves you less. The problem is that you have stopped giving Him you.

This is the seed that will flower thousands of years later at Mount Sinai—the same question in national form: “Why this nation and not the others?” The midrash famously says God offered the Torah to every nation first and they all refused. But beneath that midrash lies the exact same principle we meet in Cain and Abel: God chooses those who choose to give Him their deepest selves.

Cain and Abel is not a story about why Abel was better. It is a story about why God sometimes withholds His face—to invite us to chase it.

And the tragedy is that Cain never learns the question behind the silence.

That question will echo through Ishmael, through Esau, through every instance of apparent divine favoritism in the Torah. And every time, Rabbi Fohrman teaches, God is doing the same thing He did with Cain:

Silently pleading, “Show me you.”

Shabbat Shalom,

From Cain and Abel to Gaza.

In the Torah, we are introduced to the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible, from which themes of jealousy and rivalry emerge.

In the prophetic words of Isaiah 46:9-10, Hashem reminds us: “Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Bible Gateway). This divine declaration isn’t mere poetry—it’s a roadmap where ancient biblical stories foreshadow modern challenges. As explored by Rabbi Manis Friedman in his insightful lecture (watch here), the tale of Cain and Abel introduces jealousy as a tool for teaching the morality of right and wrong. In this article, we’ll delve into how truth over jealousy shapes biblical narratives, from Genesis to Gaza, emphasizing Hashem’s eternal lessons. For more on spiritual warfare in Jewish perspective, check our article on Hashem’s non-physical nature.

The Introduction of Jealousy: Cain and Abel’s Moral Lesson

Genesis 4 recounts Cain and Abel’s offerings: Abel’s accepted, Cain’s rejected. Why the distinction? Rabbi Friedman explains it’s Hashem’s deliberate introduction of jealousy—not to harm, but to highlight morality. Cain, driven by envy, murders Abel, showing unchecked jealousy leads to destruction. Yet, this teaches that truth—right and wrong—must prevail over emotions. As Friedman notes, without such distinctions, free will vanishes. Explore similar themes in our post on the spiritual war and end-times prophecies.

This pattern of truth over jealousy echoes in today’s victim culture, where rich and poor, right and left, all claim grievance. What matters? Prioritizing Hashem’s moral framework.

Abraham’s Test in Gaza: Concession to Envy

In Genesis 21:22-34, Abraham forges a peace treaty with Abimelech, ceding wells in Gaza amid envy of his prosperity (Sefaria). Sages in Bereishit Rabbah view this as a faith test: Does Abraham trust Hashem’s land promise (Genesis 13:15) despite concessions? His goodwill toward envious neighbors foreshadows conflicts, but Hashem’s counsel stands. No two-state solution born of jealousy; truth demands morality’s triumph. For insights on Gaza in modern context, see our discussion on Charlie Kirk and Israel.

Isaac and the Philistines: Envy’s Territorial Grip

Genesis 26:12-16 details Isaac’s success provoking Philistine envy: “The Philistines envied him” (Bible Gateway). They sabotage his wells, echoing Cain’s rage. Isaac relocates, trusting divine blessing. This highlights resilience against jealousy, prefiguring claims by religions superseding Judaism. If truth is creation’s fabric, envy-fueled replacement theologies must yield. Learn more about Esau’s envy links in our Understanding Esau article.

Modern Implications: Truth Trumps Jealousy for Morality

Today, Christianity and Islam’s supersessionist claims mirror ancient envies. Yet, Isaiah affirms Hashem’s unchanging purpose. In a world of victims, Friedman’s teaching urges: Let truth dissolve jealousy. Gaza’s disputes? Abraham’s treaty warns against envy-driven compromises. Morality lives when truth reigns.

Join the conversation—contact us or follow at Beit HaShoavah. For deeper rabbinic insights, visit Chabad.org.

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The Hidden Echoes of Cain and Abel: A Midrash on James Chapter 4 in the Christian Bible

Drawing from Torah wisdom, this midrash interprets James Chapter 4 as an echo of Cain and Abel’s story in Genesis 4.[^1] Cain (Qayin in Hebrew) means “to acquire” or “fabricate,” symbolizing a quest for riches and self-reliance. Abel (Hevel) signifies “nothingness” or “vapor,” implying humility or low self-esteem before the divine. James 4’s warnings on desires and quarrels midrashically expand this, urging truth over jealousy. For interfaith explorations, read our piece on Judaism and Christianity’s parting.

James 4: Desires as Cain’s Acquisitive Spirit

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1, NIV, Bible Gateway). This mirrors Cain’s envy-fueled murder. Rabbi Manis Friedman teaches Hashem introduced jealousy to teach morality—right trumps emotion.[^2] Cain fabricates his offering; Abel humbly surrenders. James warns covetousness leads to “kill” (James 4:2), alluding to Genesis. Dive into related prophecies in our spiritual war perspective.

Humility vs. Pride: Abel’s Nothingness in Action

James extols humility: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6). Abel’s name evokes transience, a virtue in Psalms (Sefaria). Cain’s acquisition breeds slander (James 4:11), judging like Cain did Abel. For Christians, this ties to Jesus’ self-denial; from a Jewish view, it’s Torah’s choice gift.

Practical Lessons: Resisting the Devil’s Envy

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil” (James 4:7). Midrashically, Cain’s spirit is worldly friendship (James 4:4); Abel’s is mist-like planning (James 4:13-17). In social media quarrels, choose Abel’s humility. Hashem declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10, Bible Gateway).

Contact us or follow at Beit HaShoavah for more dialogues. Explore Rabbi Friedman’s talks on Chabad.org.

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[^1]: As a Jewish educator rooted in Torah study, I offer this midrash from a place of interfaith respect, not as a Christian adherent. My insights draw from Hebrew Scriptures and rabbinic tradition to bridge understandings.

[^2]: Rabbi Manis Friedman, “The Story of Cain and Abel,” YouTube lecture (watch here), emphasizing divine introduction of jealousy for moral teaching. I reference this as a Jewish voice, distinct from Christian theology.