Our Torah portion, Naso, begins with a census, continuing the counting of the Israelites and the Levites that began in last week’s parashah, B’midbar. The language used to describe the task is noteworthy. “naso et rosh b’nai Gershon,” translates literally to, “lift up the head of the children of Gershon.” The original intent was clearly Continue Reading »
This week’s parashah, B’midbar, has extraordinary resonance for this moment in our lives. B’midbar, which means “in the wilderness,” describes the beginning of our people’s difficult journey of 40 years through the desert to the Promised Land. Along the way, they encounter many challenges. They experience fear, anxiety, frustration, uncertainty, and deprivation. Yet they endure. Continue Reading »
On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty. He didn’t succeed in eradicating it. He didn’t win the war. But his clarion call did lead to a noble effort. Congress responded by passing the Economic Opportunity Act, which spawned 40 programs to alleviate the plight of the poor by expanding government funding for Continue Reading »
Our Torah portion for this week, Emor, contains the origin of challah, the beloved bread that is the foundational element of virtually every festive meal on Shabbat and holy days. Each Shabbat the Priests of ancient Israel were instructed to bake 12 loaves of bread made from exact measurements of fine flour. These challot were Continue Reading »
Our Rabbis tell us that we should strive to be like Aaron, “loving peace and pursuing peace, loving all people and bringing them near to the Torah.” (Pirkei Avot 1:12) This is the way our tradition remembers Aaron, as a man of peace, a lover of humanity. But if we look at this week’s Torah Continue Reading »
Our Torah portion this week is Parashat Yitro from the Book of Exodus (Sefer Shmot). Two major events occur in this portion. The first is when the Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro or Yitro, brings Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, to Moses in the wilderness. Seeing the situation Moses is in, Yitro Continue Reading »
This Shabbat, we study Parshahat Bo from the Book of Exodus. The word ‘Bo’ is translated in English as ‘Come’ and, according to scholars, can be read as ‘come to Pharaoh’ in this Parsha. Bo depicts the last three of the Ten Plagues which descended upon Egypt: a swarm of locusts which destroyed all the Continue Reading »
Parashat Va-eira; Exodus 6:2-9:35 This week’s Torah portion Va-eira begins in the book of Exodus chapter 6, verse 2. In Hebrew this book is called Sh’mot – the Book of Names. The fifteenth century Italian commentator Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno teaches that “a name describes the individual features of a person. And these individual features are Continue Reading »
It is appropriate on this Martin Luther King Day Shabbat, that we read in parshat Sh’mot the story of how the Israelites became enslaved by the Egyptians, and how they started on their road to redemption. As I read through the parashah I am struck by Pharoah’s attempt to enlist the Israelite midwives in thesubjugation Continue Reading »
Parashat Vayechi Genesis 47:28 – 50:26 This week’s parsha is Vayechi, which means “and he lived.” It is the final portion of the Book of Genesis and the end of the Joseph Cycle. This being a family Shabbat, and with your indulgence, I’d like to specifically include our young people in sharing my comments. As Continue Reading »
