Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

Reading the Torah on the Shabbat

And he (i.e., Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua King Messiah) came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the Synagogue on the Shabbat / Sabbath day, and stood up for to read" [Luke 4:16]. The reading and the studying of the Holy Scriptures have always played an important role in Jewish congregational lifestyle and worship. It dates back to Moshe, who instructed its reading at religious gatherings (Devarim 31:11-12). Later, Ezra the Scribe emphasized its importance by reading and interpreting Scripture for the people (Nechemyah [Nehemiah] 8:1-8). One explanation attributes the Shabbat reading, as well as the reading on Mondays and Thursdays, to Ezra the Scribe (Baba Kama 82a). Ezra explained that since Bnei Yisrael (The Children of Israel) went without water for 3 days in the desert (Shemot 15:22), three days should not be allowed to pass without hearing the Torah read aloud. The teaching here is that Torah sustains the spirit as water sustains the body. Torah provides spiritual life. Reading portions as part of the daily synagogue service goes back to an early date, and specific prescribed readings for Shabbat and HaMoedim appear to have existed since Maccabean times, approximately 200 B.C Reading and studying the Holy Scriptures is regarded as an act of worship. It should lead directly to prayer and an appropriate response to HaShem, that is,...