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“Behold, days are coming, says the L-rd, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Yisra᾽el, and with the house of Yehuda… but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Yisra᾽el after those days, says the L-rd; I will put my Torah in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their G-d, and they shall be my people…”
-Jeremiah 31:31, 33
“Rabbi Elazar says: Be diligent in learning Torah, and know what to respond to one who denigrates the Torah. Know before Whom you labor–the Master of your work is trustworthy to pay you the wage for your activity.”
-Pirkei Avos 2:14
“While writing this commentary of the New Testament, I had no other goal, as I have said in the first volume, but to reconcile these two enemy sisters: The Church and the Synagogue… to show everyone that the New Testament only comes to show that the root of existence is in the unity of G–d (ahdut ha-Bore) … and also to strengthen the law of Moses (Torat Moshe)… I publish this commentary (to Matthew) in Hebrew for Jews, to introduce them to the New Testament who, until now, have not recognized its beauty (eynam makirim ’et yofya)… Notwithstanding the contrary misconception, the New Testament is in no manner contrary to the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) or to the Talmud.“
-Rabbi Eliyahu Tzvi Soloveitchik, Kol Kore
Waykeeper Principles #6 & #8
6. The Jewish writings called, “the New Testament,” are not equal, but are subordinate to the Torah given by G-d at Sinai (and therefore not intended as a Halachic authority).
8. We do not yet have a kosher translation of the “New Testament,” but its general teachings align especially with Hasidic Judaism (e.g. serving G-d with and beyond ‘the letter’).
Based on the Weekly NT Schedule…
Sunday (1):
2 Corinthians 6:1 → 2 Corinthians 7:1 (19)
Chapter 6
1 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of G-d in vain— 2 for He says: “At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation— 3 giving no cause for stumbling in anything, that the ministry not be blamed; 4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of G-d: in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 in purity, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of G-d; through the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet true; 9 as unknown and yet well-known; as dying, and behold, we live; as disciplined and yet not put to death; 10 as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet making many rich; as having nothing and yet possessing all things. 11 Our mouth has been opened to you, O Corinthians; our heart has been enlarged. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 Now as a recompense in kind—I speak as to children—be enlarged also. 14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 And what agreement does the Messiah have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the Temple of G-d with idols? For we are the temple of the living G-d, even as G-d said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their G-d, and they shall be My people. 17 Therefore come out from their midst and be separate, says the L-rd, and do not touch the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the L-rd Almighty.”
Chapter 7
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of G-d.
Monday (2):
2 Corinthians 7:2 → 2 Corinthians 8:7 (22)
2 Make room for us; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my boldness toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I have been filled with comfort; I overflow with joy in all our affliction. 5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest—we were afflicted on every side: without were conflicts, within were fears. 6 But G-d, who comforts the lowly, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted over you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me—so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it—for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 I now rejoice, not that you were made to grieve, but that you grieved unto repentance; for you were made to grieve according to G-d, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For the grief that is according to G-d produces a repentance without regret unto salvation; but the grief of the world produces death. 11 For behold, this very thing—your being grieved according to G-d—how much earnestness it produced in you, yes defense, yes indignation, yes fear, yes longing, yes zeal, yes avenging of wrong. In every way you showed yourselves to be pure in the matter. 12 So then, although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but that your earnestness toward us might be made manifest among you in the sight of G-d. 13 For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more abundantly at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For if I have boasted anything to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved true. 15 And his affection abounds toward you all, as he remembers the obedience of you all—how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice that in everything I am confident regarding you.
Chapter 8
1 Now we make known to you, brothers, the grace of G-d which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability—and beyond their ability—of their own accord 4 they begged us with much entreaty for the gracious gift of participation in the ministry to the set-apart ones, 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the L-rd and then to us through the will of G-d. 6 So we urged Titus that as he had previously begun, so he also complete this gracious gift in you. 7 But just as you abound in everything—in faith and speech and knowledge and all earnestness and in the love from us to you—see that you also abound in this gracious gift.
Tuesday (3):
2 Corinthians 8:8 → 2 Corinthians 9:5 (22)
8 I say this not as a command, but through the earnestness of others proving also the genuineness of your love. 9 For you know the grace of our Master Yeshua the Messiah, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this I give my judgment, for this is beneficial for you, who began before not only to do, but also to desire, a year ago. 11 But now complete the doing of it also, that just as there was the readiness to desire, so also the completion from what you have. 12 For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others are relieved and you are burdened, 14 but by way of equality—your abundance at the present time supplies their want, that their abundance also may supply your want, so that there may be equality; 15 as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.” 16 But thanks be to G-d who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. 17 For he accepted the exhortation, and being himself very earnest, of his own accord he went forth to you. 18 And we sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is throughout all the assemblies; 19 and not only this, but he was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this gracious gift that is administered by us to the glory of the L-rd Himself and to show our readiness— 20 avoiding this, that anyone should blame us in this abundance that is administered by us; 21 for we take thought for honorable things not only in the sight of the L-rd but also in the sight of men. 22 And we sent with them our brother whom we have often proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest by reason of the great confidence he has in you. 23 As for Titus—he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers—they are emissaries of assemblies, an honor to the Messiah. 24 Therefore show them the proof of your love and our boasting about you before the face of the assemblies.
Chapter 9
1 For concerning the ministry to the holy ones, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to the Macedonians—that Achaia has been prepared for a year past—and your zeal has stirred up the majority of them. 3 But I sent the brothers, lest our boasting about you should be made empty in this respect, so that you may be prepared, even as I was saying— 4 lest somehow, if Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—that we should not say, you—should be put to shame in this confidence. 5 Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers that they should go before to you and arrange beforehand this bounty of yours which was previously promised, that it may be ready as a bounty and not as covetousness.
Wednesday (4):
2 Corinthians 9:6 → 2 Corinthians 10:11 (21)
6 Now this I say: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for G-d loves a cheerful giver. 8 And G-d is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor; his righteousness abides forever.” 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You being enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us produces thanksgiving to G-d. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the wants of the holy ones, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to G-d. 13 Because through the proof of this ministry, glorifying G-d for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of the Messiah and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 and by their prayer on your behalf, who long for you because of the surpassing grace of G-d upon you. 15 Thanks be to G-d for His indescribable gift!
Chapter 10
1 Now I, Shaul, myself exhort you through the meekness and gentleness of the Messiah—I who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you— 2 I beg that when I am present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be courageous against some who reckon us as walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before G-d for the pulling down of strongholds, 5 pulling down reasonings and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of G-d, and taking captive every thought into the obedience of the Messiah, 6 and being ready to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made complete. 7 You are looking at things according to outward appearance. If anyone has confidence in himself that he is of the Messiah, let him reckon this again with himself, that even as he is of the Messiah, so also are we. 8 For even if I should boast somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Master gave for building up and not for casting you down, I shall not be put to shame, 9 so that I may not seem as if I would terrify you through my letters. 10 For his letters, they say, are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech is of no account. 11 Let such a one reckon this: that what we are in word through letters when absent, such we will also be in deed when present.
Thursday (5):
2 Corinthians 10:12 → 2 Corinthians 11:15 (22)
12 For we dare not number ourselves or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding. 13 But we will not boast beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which G-d apportioned to us as a measure—to reach even as far as you. 14 For we do not overextend ourselves as if we did not reach to you, for we came even as far as you in the Good News of the Messiah; 15 not boasting beyond our measure in others’ labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we shall be greatly enlarged within our province, 16 to proclaim the Good News even in the regions beyond you—not to boast in another’s province in things already made ready. 17 But he who boasts, let him boast in the L-rd. 18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but he whom the L-rd commends.
Chapter 11
1 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. But indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to the Messiah. 3 But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Chavah by his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity which is in the Messiah. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Yeshua whom we have not proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different good news which you have not accepted, you put up with it beautifully. 5 For I consider myself to have been in no way inferior to the extra-special emissaries. 6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; but we have made this manifest to you in all things and in all ways. 7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed the Good News of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them to minister to you; 9 and when I was present with you and had need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied my need. And in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself. 10 As the truth of the Messiah is in me, this boasting shall not be stopped from me in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? G-d knows I do. 12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the occasion from those who desire an occasion, so that in that which they boast they may be found even as we. 13 For such ones are false emissaries, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as emissaries of the Messiah. 14 And no wonder, for the Adversary himself disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
Friday (6):
2 Corinthians 11:16 → 2 Corinthians 11:33 (18)
16 I say again, let no one think me foolish; but even if otherwise, receive me even as foolish, that I also may boast a little. 17 What I speak, I speak not according to the L-rd, but as it were in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with the foolish, being wise yourselves. 20 For you bear it if anyone enslaves you, if anyone devours you, if anyone takes from you, if anyone exalts himself, if anyone strikes you in the face. 21 To my dishonor I say that we have been weak. But whatever anyone dares—I speak in foolishness—I also dare. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Yisra’elites? So am I. Are they seed of Avraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of the Messiah? I speak as one beside himself—I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes exceedingly, in deaths many times. 24 Five times I received from the Jews forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in dangers of rivers, in dangers of robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers; 27 in labor and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Apart from the things that are external, there is the daily pressure upon me—the care of all the assemblies. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness. 31 The G-d and Father of the Master Yeshua—Who is blessed unto the ages—knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the ethnarch of Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and through a window I was lowered in a basket through the wall and escaped his hands.
Shabbat (7):
2 Corinthians 12:1 → 2 Corinthians 12:21 (21)
Chapter 12
1 Boasting is necessary, though not beneficial; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Master. 2 I know a man in the Messiah fourteen years ago—whether in the body, I do not know; whether out of the body, I do not know, G-d knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
“From thence the prayer mounts to the third heaven, the chief of which is Gedariah, who has under him numerous officers and chiefs. He ministers three times a day in the presence of a ray of light that is constantly shooting up and down in that heaven without ever being still.”
-Zohar, Vayakhel 11:143
“§ Rabbi Yehuda said: There are two firmaments, as it is stated: “Behold, to the Lord your God belongs the heaven and the heaven of heavens” (Deuteronomy 10:14), indicating that there is a heaven above our heaven. Reish Lakish said: There are seven firmaments, and they are as follows: Vilon, Rakia, Sheḥakim, Zevul, Ma’on, Makhon, and Aravot.“
-Talmud Bavli, Chagigah 12b:4-5
3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body, I do not know, G-d knows— 4 that he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not permitted for a man to utter. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. 6 For if I should wish to boast, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may reckon more of me than he sees in me or hears from me, 7 and by reason of the surpassing greatness of the revelations—therefore, that I might not become too exalted, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of the Adversary to buffet me, that I might not be too exalted. 8 Concerning this I entreated the L-rd three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Messiah may tabernacle over me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in distresses—for the Messiah’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 11 I have become foolish; you compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for I was in nothing behind the extra-special emissaries, even if I am nothing. 12 The signs of the emissary were performed among you in all endurance—signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For what is it in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong. 14 Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not burden you; for I seek not yours but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less? 16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you; but being crafty, I caught you with guile. 17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? In the same steps? 19 All this time you are thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. In the sight of G-d we speak in the Messiah. And all things, beloved, are for your upbuilding. 20 For I fear lest somehow, when I come, I may find you not such as I wish, and may myself be found by you such as you do not wish—lest somehow there be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, slanders, whisperings, puffings up, tumults; 21 lest when I come again my G-d should humble me before you, and I should mourn over many of those who have sinned before and have not repented of the impurity and sexual immorality and lewdness which they practiced.
Eye To Zion 