21 Ki Tisa: Day 2 (Monday)

13 Adar 5786.

Today's reading is Exodus 31:18 to 33:11.

This is the link to Daily Chumash with Rashi at Chabad.

The Daily Wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe is titled "The Heights of Repentance."

On 2 March 2026 at 6:23 AM EST, Jonathan writes:

In part by the grace of God, in part because of my bipolar schizoaffective disorder, in part because of my earnest spiritual discipline, and in part because of my experimentation with entheogens, I have had many mountaintop encounters with the divine. At the same time, for all of my adult life until just before I turned 50, I struggled with ego-dystonic sexual immorality and idolatry in the form of emotional dependence on pornography.

Like Moses, I have heard the voice of Hashem and been chosen to teach his law and his love. But like the sinful Israelites, I have also worshipped the Golden Calf.

Cf. Dancing Erotically with the Golden Calf | TheTorah.com.

We see this twin nature in David and Solomon, each of whom clung tightly to God, on the one hand, and to the supernatural beauty of women, on the other.

But genuine death and rebirth in the Way of Yeshua ends the hold that the supernatural beauty of women has on us.

In Romans 6:15-23, Paul writes:

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

"I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness."

"For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

What is freedom from bondage to the fleshpots of Egypt, but "slavery to righteousness leading to holiness"? 

The same dynamic is discussed in a slightly different way in 1 Peter 4:1-11.

"Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin. Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry."

"Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. That is why the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged as men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray. Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without complaining."

"As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the holy opportunity to study your Torah today. We ask that you pour out your blessings on all those who precede us, join us, and follow us in this effort, and that you make us good round-the-clock examples and emissaries of the Noahide Laws. 

Amen and Shalom.