The need for humanitarian support for displaced people is increasing, and our moral obligation is to care for them. Lev. 19:33-34 states: When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your...
In this week’s Torah portion Vayekhel, Moses invites all whose heart moves them to help with the building of the sanctuary. “and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them, came and brought an offering to the Eternal for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its...
There is a verse in this week’s Torah portion that resonates with our community and me. This week’s Torah portion is really the instruction manual for the building of our sanctuary, and in the middle of all of these details is this spiritual line: And let them make me a...
This week’s Torah portion, Beshalach often corresponds so appropriately with Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend. In this week’s Torah portion, we go free from Egypt, and we celebrate our freedom from slavery. At the shores of the sea, we sing our “Song of the Sea,” dancing and singing Mi Chamocha....
In this week’s Torah portion, Shemot, upon gazing on the burning bush, Moses said, “I must turn aside to look at this marvelous sight; why doesn’t’t the bush burn up?” (Ex. 3:3) This precious verse is one of the few times we can hear the inner dialogue of Moses. If...
In this week’s Torah portion, Lech L’cha, God tells a young Abraham “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and it shall be blessing.” (Gen. 12:2) Throughout the portion, an emphasis is on how “great” of a nation...
Over the pandemic, one of my sins has been personifying COVID. I have found myself saying COVID has taken away opportunities to be together, to mourn together, to gather in large groups safely. I have found myself saying COVID brings out our selfish natures and COVID is divisive. COVID has...
This week we began the Jewish month of Elul, which is the month when we start the preparation for the High Holy Days. The Hebrew Month of Elul is comprised of these Hebrew letters– aleph, lamed, vav, lamed – which is known in the Talmud, as the acronym for “Ani...
At the beginning of our Shabbat Morning Service, we recite a Blessing for Torah Study. Even though we specifically also have a Torah Service and Reading later in the service, the reading of Torah is throughout our liturgy. One example of this is the recitation of the “Shema” and “V’ahavta”...
In this week’s Torah portion, Matot- Masey we close the book of Numbers. The words: Matot-Masey, mean “tribes-journeys.” At the end of the portion two of the 12 tribes, tell Moses that they would like to stay outside of the Promised Land. The tribes of Gad and Reuben felt that...
