The Torah/Old Testament
or to request an individual or family session)
The Torah/Old Testament is a cyclical instruction manual of exactly what we are to be working on, week by week, in order to refine our character. For example, we learn in the Torah that publicly humiliating another is akin to murder. Indeed we have witnessed cases wherein publicly humiliating peers on social media sites has led to suicide. Perhaps if more of the youth read and integrated these types of Torah teachings, it would make it much more difficult for an individual to publicly humiliate peers on social media sites.
We know how upsetting it is when we discover that we have been the subject of gossip. The Torah teaches us in Biblical days that an area in the wall of a home would become discolored from gossip. If the gossip did not cease, a portion of the gossiper's leather garment would become discolored. If the gossip still did not cease, the gossiper would incur a skin break-down on his or her body. This demonstrates to us the degree to which G-d detests His children being gossiped about.
We are taught in the Torah to feed our animals before ourselves. We are taught that we must help an animal struggling with a heavy load. We are taught that we must return, repeatedly, missing property, even to our enemies. When we make restitution for certain stolen property we must pay restitution in full plus one-fifth. Overall the Torah teaches us how to have healthy, honoring, respectful, caring connections with G-d, ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbors.
There are four options to study the Torah/Old Testament together.
- Written Torah/Old Testament Study - 8pm, Thursday evenings, study from the comfort of your own home by phone, via free conference call
- Oral Torah/Old Testament Study - 9pm, Thursday evenings, study from the comfort of your own home by phone, via free conference call
- Tanakh Study (Prophets, Kings, and Writings... after the Israelites settled in the Promised Land) - 4:30pm, Wednesdays, in West Bloomfield
- 613 Commandments Study - weekly
