Sabbath Reading - July 24, 2026

Parashah 45: Va’etchanan (I pleaded)

Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11

Isaiah 40:1–26

Matthew 4:1–11; 22:33–40

Mark 12:28–34; Luke 4:1–13; 10:25–37

Acts 13:13–43

Romans 3:27–31

1 Timothy 2:4–6

James 2:14–26

And all the readings for Parashah 17: Yitro (Jethro)

Exodus 18:1–20:23(26)

Isaiah 6:1–13:6; 9:5(6)– 6(7)

Matthew 5:21–30; 15:1–11; 19:16–30

Mark 7:5–15; 10:17–31

Luke 18:18–30

Acts 6:1–7

Romans 2:17–29; 7:7–12; 13:8–10

Ephesians 6:1–3

1 Timothy 3:1–14

2 Timothy 2:2

Titus 1:5–9

Hebrews12:18–29

James 2:8–13

1 Peter 2:9–10

Deuteronomy 3:23-24: ²³ “Then I pleaded with Adonai, ²⁴ ‘Adonai Elohim, you have begun to reveal your greatness to your servant, and your strong hand — for what other god is there in heaven or on earth that can do the works and mighty deeds that you do?

This week’s readings begin with a crucial lesson for us all. Moses is pleading with the Most High to please let him go into the Promised Land, but the answer remains, “NO,” but the Most High allows Him to climb to the top of Mt. Pisgah to see the Promised Land, before He has to commission Joshua as His successor. I cannot imagine how Moses is feeling, the intensity of the moment, the wave of emotions he is experiencing.

The most humble man in all of Israel according to the Most High, the chosen leader to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, one of the most powerful servant leaders entrusted to oversee the birth of the Most High’s chosen nation (Israel), and the Most High said, “NO!” None of us know the limit when the Most High says, “Enough!” It is important to respond correctly each time and obey His command not based on how we think or feel at the moment, but with a heart sold out to answer every time with reverential fear of who G-d is!

For me I am desperately working on my flaws, my emotions, and watch how I speak to and treat each of the Most High’s children, and importantly to hear and obey His commandments (Deuteronomy 6 is just as crucial this week with the Shema, to hear and obey). Read and reread this week’s messages as necessary, and try to feel what Moses had to have felt to lead Israel for 40 years, to intercede for them time and time again, and then get to the place to crossover and not get to just go in!

Note the fitting bookend for this week’s readings, a reminder as to who we are and whose we are, 1 Peter 2:9–10, “⁹ But you are a chosen people, the King’s cohanim, a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Shabbat Shalom Ephraim! 🙏🏽🔥❤️