In the Beginning...
This torah portion starts us over appropriately with Genesis 1:1 where YHVH teaches us of the beginning of our world as we know it from the Bible. Rather than discuss the content of this portion I have chosen to talk a little about the torah in general.
What does "torah" mean?
Torah is a Hebrew transliteration which means teachings, instructions or direction. It is used many times in the Bible and you will usually find it translated as "law".
What is the torah reading?
The torah reading is the first five books of the Bible, also called the books of Moses. These five books may also collectively be referred to as "the torah". These five books and their Hebrew transliterated equivalents, which you may run into from time to time, are: Genesis (Bereisheet); Exodus (Shemot); Leviticus (Vayikra); Numbers (Bamidbar); and Deuteronomy (Devarim). Each week a portion of scripture is read from the torah. Typically there are also portions read from the rest of the Bible as well. These are referred to as "haftarah" and "brit chadashah". Although the torah section is the same within different groups, you may find some variances in the other scripture readings. (To see a typical torah reading schedule click here.)
Who follows the torah readings?
Among others you will most typically find the torah readings read in Messianic and Jewish groups.
What is the torah cycle?
The reading has mainly been broken down into a yearly cycle. There is significance to the timing of the torah cycle. The beginning coincides with completion of YHVH’s fall festivals. These final feasts show what we have to look forward to with Messiah’s reign and future end time events. (Click here to read Eddie Chumney’s book "THE SEVEN FESTIVALS OF THE MESSIAH" online.)
Why start over with the readings from year to year? Besides just simply being humans who tend to forget, you can be confident that you will learn new things each year if you put your heart into it and study our creator’s instructions for us.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.