Aecet-Yik Now It’S Time to Read the Torah Portion

3-Year The Torah Portion | Parashat #143 Ki Teitzei (Reading 2 of 3) Torah Cycle July 31, 2021 Parashat #143 I) Reading the Torah Portion aecet-yiK Now it’s time to read the Torah portion. You will get the most out of the Torah portion if you have a Ki Teitzei disciplined plan for approaching it each week. I suggest the following (although you may want to Deuteronomy 22:8-23:25 develop your own plan of attack). Prepare by having a pen and paper ready to take notes or by having Isaiah 1:16-26 your computer ready. Read the Torah portion quickly just to get a bird’s-eye view of it and to gain a Ephesians 5:3-14 general understanding of its contents. Then read it again slowly and more contemplatively. As you read it, you should keep track of 1) changes in the main storyline (plots and subplots) of the text, 2) the introduction of new major themes you have not encountered heretofore and 3) connections to the main themes developed in the Torah portion. Keeping track of the major themes will provide you with thoughts to help you outline the passage later on. Recording changes in the storyline (subplots) will Revelation 21:9-14 1) help you more accurately interpret Scripture and 2) see connections to themes that may be repeated in the Haftarah and Apostolic readings.

I strongly recommend that when you study these lessons you have the following tools available. 1) A Bible [all references are based on the NKJV], 2) a printed copy of this lesson, 3) pen and paper [notebook preferred] where you can either write extra notes or complete answers to questions where the lines in this lesson are not enough space to write on, 4) an on-line version of the Bible. I suggest BibleGateway (https://www.biblegateway.com/). There are many instances where I will ask you to make a connection to some other passage. The BibleGateway app has an awesome SEARCH feature to find Bible passages. Also, once you find a passage you can use Control-F or Command-F (MAC users) to find words, numbers or phrases in the text on display. Lastly, as often as possible . . . have a partner studying with you! II) Outlining the Torah Portion

Now that you have read the Torah portion, it’s time to outline it. Try to divide the Torah portion into its major subject divisions. Please limit the outline to no more than seven major headings. Also, try to limit each subject division to a short phrase. In the chart below provide a brief phrase describing each significant change of events in the reading. Outlining will help you develop the skill of “seeing” the themes in the text.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII. VIII.

III) Torah Portion Discussion Questions

I have given you a number of questions to stimulate your thought about the Torah portion reading. My goal is two-fold. First, I want to ask you questions about what the Spirit has shown me are important lessons to learn from the Torah reading. Secondly, I want to help you develop the art of making thematic connections. This skill will develop as you practice, practice, practice.

1. What theme seems to unite Deuteronomy 22:9-11? ______2. How is Isaiah 1:22 (Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.) thematically connected to our Torah portion? What is the negative connotation being hinted at concerning an alloy and wine mixed with water? ______3. What phrase is repeated three times in Deuteronomy 22:20-24? ______4. When is the first time the idea of a mixture is introduced in the Bible? Give chapter and verse and some explanation. ______5. What are we to think of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? ______6. How is the theme, “so you shall put away the evil from Israel” thematically connected to the laws of forbidden mixtures and the idea that the first mixture was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? ______

IV) Messiah in the Parsha In Luke 24:25-27 and 46-47 Yeshua stated that Moses, the Prophets and the Writings all prophesied of His death, burial and resurrection in three days. Therefore, we should expect to see teachings about Yeshua and His role in redemption throughout the Torah. In this section I will ask you questions that will hopefully help you “see” Messiah Yeshua in the Torah portion and sometimes the Haftarah reading as well.

1. How is Deuteronomy 22:9 (You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled.) thematically connected to one of Yeshua’s parables? ______2. How is 2 Corinthians 6:14 (Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______3. It should be very clear that Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 6:14 is based on him making a thematic connection to Deuteronomy 22:10! However, he did not limit his understanding to just the physical realm. How did Paul expand upon what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 22:10, and how does it connect with concepts we learned in the

Copyright © 2021 Restoration of Torah Ministries. 2 Torah Portion Discussion Questions section? ______4. How is 1 Corinthians 15:33 (Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

5. How is Revelation 14:1-5 (Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? You should find at least three connections. ______

6. How is Revelation 17:5 (And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

V) Making the Connection to the Haftarah Reading I have listed a number of passages from the Haftarah reading that have thematic connections to the Torah portion. Your job is to find the thematic connections in the Torah portion. Although I may quote an entire verse or two from the Haftarah reading, you should focus most of your attention on the text that is bold and italicized. The bold and italicized text will contain the main theme or words that I want you to connect to the Torah portion. Once you have found a connection to the Haftarah verses, record the chapter and verse of the Torah text connection and write a brief sentence describing how the two passages are thematically connected.

1. How is Isaiah 1:16a (“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean . . .”) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

2. How is Isaiah 1:16b (Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil . . .) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

3. How is Isaiah 1:17 (Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

5. How is Isaiah 1:19 (If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

6. How is Isaiah 1:21a (How the faithful city has become a harlot!) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

7. How is Isaiah 1:21b (Righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

8. How is Isaiah 1:22 (Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

9. How is Isaiah 1:24b (“Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

10. How is Isaiah 1:26b (Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

VI) The Apostolic Writings I have listed a number of passages from the Apostolic reading that have thematic connections to the Torah portion. Your job is to find the thematic connections to the Torah portion. Although I may quote an entire verse or two from the Apostolic reading, you should focus most of your attention on the text that is bold and italicized. The bold and italicized text will contain the main theme or words that I want you to connect to the Torah portion. Once you have found a connection to the Apostolic verses, record the chapter and verse of the Torah text connection and write a brief sentence describing how the two passages are thematically connected.

1. How are Ephesians 5:3 (But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints) and 5:5 (For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

2. How is Ephesians 5:3-4 (But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.) thematically connected to the Torah portion?

3. How is Ephesians 5:6 (Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

4. How is Ephesians 5:9 ([for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth]) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

5. How is Ephesians 5:10 (finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

6. How is Ephesians 5:11 (And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.) thematically connected to the Torah portion? ______

This crossword puzzle will cover basic facts about the Torah portion, Haftarah reading and Apostolic readings. The answers are based on the text from the New King James Version of the Bible and may contain phrases as well as individual words.

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Let’s get practical. The study of the Word is not complete until we are encouraged to think, speak and act differently. Our study of the Word should always involve personal application of the text to our lives. As I’ve heard it said before, Adonai’s Word needs to go from our head to our hearts and then to our hands. Our lifelong journey is to become like our master, Yeshua, and this is only accomplished as we faithfully apply His Word to every aspect of our lives. Discipling Our Children What have you learned from this week’s Torah study that you can teach your children? Ø Write down what you learned that can and/or should be discussed with your children? Perhaps they need to know some of the facts covered in the crossword puzzle? o ______o ______o ______Ø Write down anything you learned that revealed bad habits or thought patterns in your children’s lives? o ______o ______o ______Ø Write down anything you learned that revealed good habits or thought patterns that your children need to be encouraged or strengthened in and grow in obedience to? o ______o ______o ______

Ø Write down anything you learned that can be a topic of prayer for you and your children this week or permanently? o ______o ______o ______Discipling One Another Think about what you’ve studied in this week’s lesson. Ø Write down anything you learned that impacted you the most? o ______o ______Copyright © 2021 Restoration of Torah Ministries. 7 o ______Ø Write down anything you learned that revealed bad habits or thought patterns you need to stop? o ______o ______o ______Ø Write down anything you learned that revealed good habits or thought patterns you need to be encouraged or strengthened in and grow in obedience to? o ______o ______o ______Ø Write down anything you learned that can be a topic of prayer for yourself, your family, your worship community, your neighborhood, the world or Adonai’s people at large? o ______o ______o ______Just focus on one thing and talk to an accountability partner about it. Determine what you can DO over the next week (or more) in order to put what you’ve learned into practice. Make a commitment to someone else that you are going t seek to put some aspect of this week’s lesson into practice. ANSWER KEY Outlining the Torah Portion I. Deuteronomy 22:8-12 – Miscellaneous Laws II. Deuteronomy 22:13-30 – Laws Regarding Sexual Purity III. Deuteronomy 23:1-8 – Prohibitions of Person Who Can’t Enter the Tabernacle IV. Deuteronomy 23:9-14 – Preserving Holiness in Israel’s Camp V. Deuteronomy 23:15-25 – Miscellaneous Laws

Torah Portion Discussion Answers 1. The theme of forbidden mixtures, the idea that certain things should not be mixed. 2. Answers: A. The silver mixed with dross and the wine mixed with water is a mixture of two things and thematically connected to Deuteronomy 22:9-11. B. Dross lowers the value of silver, making it less pure. Inclusion of water dilutes the alcohol such that it won’t taste as good after the dilution. The idea of mixtures in Isaiah 1:22 has a negative connotation in that the mixture lessens the quality of other things. 3. “So you shall put away the evil from Israel.” 4. Genesis 2:9 – And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Here we see a tree that has both good and evil in it—a mixture. 5. It was something bad, not good. 6. Adonai did not want evil to exist within Israel. He did not want evil people and evil actions to exist in Israel. In other words, He did not want there to be a mixture of good and evil. Messiah in the Parsha Answers 1. Matthew 13:24-30 – Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, Copyright © 2021 Restoration of Torah Ministries. 8 ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Here we can see an unfortunate mixture of wheat and tares! 2. Deuteronomy 22:10 – You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. 3. He made a spiritual application of the physical reality of being unequally yoked. He saw within Deuteronomy 22:10 a spiritual application! One can be unequally yoked (like the oxen and donkey) spiritually. Specifically, a believer and unbeliever are a forbidden mixture. For a believer and a unbeliever to be spiritually yoked is like mixing righteousness and unrighteousness, and light and darkness. 4. Once again, Paul is showing that evil company amidst a believer is a forbidden mixture. 5. Answers: A. Revelation 14:4a (These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins.) is thematically connected to Deuteronomy 22:23 (If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her) in that both reference virgins. B. Revelation 14:4 (These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.) is thematically connected to Deuteronomy 22:9 (You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled.) in that both are referring to a harvest. C. Revelation 14:4a (These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins.) is thematically connected to Deuteronomy 22:13-30 in that both are referring to a people who have not been defiled through sexual misconduct! 6. Deuteronomy 23:17 – There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Israel, or a perverted one of the sons of Israel. Haftarah Connection Answers 1. Deuteronomy 23:11—But it shall be, when evening comes, that he shall wash with water; and when the sun sets, he may come into the camp. 2. Deuteronomy 22:21b—So you shall put away the evil from among you. Also 22:22 and 22:24. 3. Deuteronomy 23:16—He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him. 4. Deuteronomy 22:11—“You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.” 5. Deuteronomy 23:24—“When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes at your pleasure, but you shall not put any in your container. 25When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain.” 6. Deuteronomy 23:17-18—“There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Israel, or a perverted one of the sons of Israel. 18You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the LORD your god for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God.” Also, 22:21. 7. Deuteronomy 22:26—But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter. 8. Deuteronomy 22:29a—then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver . . . 9. Deuteronomy 23:14a—For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you. 10. Deuteronomy 22:18—Then the elders of that city shall take that man and punish him. City appears seven times in the Torah portion. Apostolic Reading Answers 1. Deuteronomy 22:13-30 is a list of the commandments pertaining to sexual morality. 2. Deuteronomy 23:10—If there is any man among you who becomes unclean by some occurrence in the night, then he shall go outside the camp; he shall not come inside the camp. 11But it shall be, when

Copyright © 2021 Restoration of Torah Ministries. 9 evening comes, that he shall wash with water; and when the sun sets, he may come into the camp. 12“Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; 13and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. 14For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you. Just as Adonai dwelt in the midst of the army of Israel when they went out to battle and they needed to keep their campsite clean, so, too, the Holy Spirit dwells within believers, and we should keep our conversation and language pure. We represent a holy God among the evildoers in this world, as we read in Philippians 2:15—that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. 3. Deuteronomy 23:3-4, 6—“An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the LORD . . . 4because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 6You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.” 4. Deuteronomy 22:20—“But if the thing is true, and evidences of virginity are not found for the young woman . . .” 5. Deuteronomy 22:13-30 teaches us what types of unions are acceptable to Adonai. In fact, our entire Torah portion teaches us what is acceptable to Adonai—from building a fence on one’s roof for protection, to not mixing seed in one’s field, to not committing adultery, to keeping the Israelite camp clean, to not returning runaway slaves to owners, to not allowing harlotry in the land, to not charging interest to a brother, to keeping vows to Adonai, etc. If we want to find out what is acceptable to Adonai, we study His Word—the Torah, the Tanakh and the Apostolic Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:16-17—All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 6. Deuteronomy 22:28—“If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found out . . .” Also, Deuteronomy 22:30—“A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor uncover his father’s bed.”