Parashat Shemini doesn't lack for themes but the one which stood out for me as I began to prepare this D'var Torah is one that "speaks" to me every year when we read this parashah - namely, the theme of silence. Although Aaron's silence is of course in an almost inconceivably tragic context all its own, I've been recalling and searching for other instances of silence in the Bible and in contemporary literature as well as in the area of mourning practices. An example in the latter category is Chaim Potok's well-known book, The Chosen, which powerfully and poignantly explores the theme of silence between fathers and sons. Rabbi Harold Kushner also explores the concept of silence in his widely-read book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. In it, he deals with Read More >

Normally I look forward to my trips to Israel with much anticipation and excitement. Even following the horrific attack of October 7, and with an ongoing war, I was still looking forward to being with my people.

A D’var Torah for Parashat Tzav By Rabbi Susan Elkodsi (AJR '15) One of the beautiful and amazing things about Torah study is that every time I encounter a parashah, I see something I hadn’t noticed before. This year is no different. As I began reading Parashat Tzav, where Moses is told to command–Tzav–Aaron to keep a perpetual fire–an aish tamid–burning on the altar all night until morning, I noticed that this requirement is mentioned three times in the first six verses. I also noticed that not only does the Torah command us to eat matza brie, the “recipe” is included: עַֽל־ מַחֲבַ֗ת בַּשֶּׁ֛מֶן תֵּעָשֶׂ֖ה מֻרְבֶּ֣כֶת תְּבִיאֶ֑נָּה תֻּפִינֵי֙ מִנְחַ֣ת פִּתִּ֔ים תַּקְרִ֥יב רֵֽיחַ־נִיחֹ֖חַ לה'׃ “On a griddle, with oil, it is to be made, well-stirred are you to bring it, as baked crumbled-bits of Read More >

Receiving the Call A D’var Torah for Parashat Vayikra By Rabbi Rena Kieval (AJR '06) It begins with a call. We are at the center of the Torah, the Book of Leviticus, and Moshe has just overseen the elaborate construction of the mishkan. Now that the sanctuary is complete, God will relay to Moshe and to the kohanim, in painstaking detail, the rituals and rules to be practiced in that sacred space. But first, there is a call to Moshe, a call which gives this book of the Torah and this parashah their name, Vayikra. Why the call? What does it mean to us to be called? Many of us have felt called to serve, to carry out a specific role, or called more generally to be our best selves. Who, or what, calls us, Read More >