The Dubner Maggid told a parable about a champion marksman who was passing through a tiny village when he saw a hundred circles drawn on the side of a barn, and in the center of each circle was a bullet hole. The man was so amazed, he stopped his horse and yelled out: “Who is this Continue Reading »
This has been a time of building up walls and of tearing them down. We have endured a prolonged period of enforced separation to protect us from the dangers of COVID. And many of us have had to tear down walls that were infected with mold spawned by floodwaters from Hurricane Ida. It is as Continue Reading »
There is a tense moment at the opening of this week’s Torah portion, Shemini. It has been only a year since the liberation of Israel from Egypt and nine months since our people arrived at Mount Sinai. Led by Moses and Aaron, the Israelites have received the Torah and labored to build the Tabernacle that Continue Reading »
Having received the Torah at Mount Sinai, our people built a sanctuary to carry God’s presence with them on their journey to the Promised Land. How was this possible? What made it possible to bring God – God who is infinite and beyond time and space – into that space? It was not the beauty Continue Reading »
The phone rings… you recognize the number, but you pick up anyway… Hello? Hi! This is Gary from Temple Beth-El, I’m calling about our current fundraiser… we want you to stop sending money… we have too much! Yes, Esther, it is Adar, but Purim aside, this actually happens in this week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel. For Continue Reading »
This week’s Torah portion is Tetzaveh, meaning “you shall further instruct.” The further instruction is a reference to last week’s portion, Terumah, in which God laid out highly specific directions for the building of the Mishkan to Moses. Having now designed a sanctuary so that God may dwell among the people of Israel, it is Continue Reading »
Terumah is found in the Book of Exodus and follows Parsha Mishaptim, where we learned about laws as well as the Special Shabbat Shekalim where a census was taken. Now that we had laws to abide by and a good idea of how many people there were, it was time to turn to fund raising Continue Reading »
This week’s parashah, Vayigash, offers a clear and powerful example of what has been called writing one’s spiritual autobiography. In Genesis 45:4-8 Joseph offers this remarkable retelling of his story: “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come forward to me.’ And when they came forward, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, he whom you sold Continue Reading »
When the children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt, the Torah describes a moment when they found themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s army, which was gaining on them from behind, and the Sea of Reeds, which was before them. Not knowing what else to do, the people cried out to God, and Moses assured them that Continue Reading »
No one relishes their struggles. Life’s challenges are often daunting, fraught with uncertainty and fear of failure and loss. Conventional wisdom bids us to take the path of least resistance and avoid difficulty. And yet, time and again, we see that the hard times in our lives are often the ones of greatest growth, and Continue Reading »
