Category: Rabbi’s Dvrei Torah

I’ve shared this teaching in years past, but I found myself mentioning it this past Sunday in our interfaith service with the Christian Lutheran Church. I spontaneously responded to something the pastor said, and whatever it was led me to tell about the Abuhav synagogue and the prayer ‘Hareini Mikabel.’ I had no idea until…

This week’s Torah portion, Nasso, is the longest in the entire Torah – more letters, more words, more verses than any other of the 54 parshiyot we read throughout the year. You are of course familiar with some very special letters, words, and verses from Naso: The Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing of the people…

For the last several weeks in this email, we’ve followed the custom of studying Pirke Avot – the Wisdom of our Fathers – each Shabbat during the weeks between Passover and Shavuot. Let’s do it again for this final Shabbat before Shavuot, both to uphold this custom and for another reason as well: Today is…

This week’s double Torah portion, Tazria-Metzorah is about how we can purify that which has become corrupt. No, it is not talking about governments – corruption in government must be avoided in the first place. But there are naturally occurring things from which we feel we need to cleanse ourselves. Times when we want a…

We begin a new book of the Torah this week, Vayikra. What this Torah portion is all about – and indeed, much of what the entire book of Vayikra (also known as Leviticus or as the instruction guide for priests, Torat Kohanim) is all about – is details: details about which ancient sacrifice to perform…

It is interesting to note that our tradition is to sing the entire Torah, one weekly portion at a time throughout the entire year. In other words, the Torah is a song as much as it is a text, perhaps more of a song than a text. Although there are several ‘melodies’ for chanting the…

The case could be made that the idea of slavery in Egypt begins in this week’s parashah, Vayigash, with the famine and Joseph’s ability to exploit the people’s hunger to enrich the Pharoah. Don’t feel bad: If it was not Joseph, it would have been someone else. Once the people had given all their money,…

Shalom Chaverim! At first glance, it seems impossible to put ourselves ‘in Jacob’s shoes’ and identify with the feelings he experiences in the face of extreme challenges. Thankfully, not many of us have 13 children, multiple spouses (simultaneously!), nor often find ourselves in the situation of having to ‘divide our camp’ as Jacob does after…

The strong maternal longing for children is central to this week’s Torah portion, Vayetzei. Both Rachel and Leah endure infertility – Rachel for many years, Leah after having children but wanting more – experiencing anxiety, worry, and broken-heartedness, hopelessness and yet still hope for creating their family. They also suffer from the unfortunate and emotionally…

One of the ‘prayers’ we most associate with this season of teshuva is not really a prayer at all. During slichot – which is this coming Saturday evening [8:00pm desert, 8:30pm Slichot at Temple Sinai] – we recite ‘The 13 Attributes’…which is a slightly edited version of the Torah’s quoting God giving a self-description of…