A D’var Torah for Parashat Korah By Rabbi Dorit Edut (AJR 2006) “Jewish tradition cherishes free speech. ‘When a person refrains from speech, the ideas die, the soul stops, and the senses deteriorate,’ said Moses ibn Ezra, insisting on respect for honest differences of opinion. (Shirat Yisrael, 12c). If one reads the classic texts of the rabbinic era, the Mishnah and the Gemara, every page brims with the arguments both of the majority and of those who dissented from them, recognizing that each reflected aspects of God’s truth. ‘These and these are the words of God,’ the Talmud observes about these disputes (Eruvin 13b).”[1] Yet while Jewish law encourages robust debate and respectful dialogue, it strictly prohibits malicious speech, such as gossip, public shaming, and Read More >

Remembering as an Act of Imagination A D’var Torah for Parashat Shelah By Rabbi Dr. Rachel Posner This week I met with my psychotherapy client, Melanie (not her real name), who is preparing to give birth for the first time. At her recent baby shower, friends and relatives could not resist sharing their own birth stories. Each woman hoped to help prepare Melanie for what lay ahead. Instead, their stories multiplied her anxiety. "I'm scared," she told me, "because I'm not really in control. I don't know what will happen, or what it will really feel like." This is, of course, a completely natural response to a completely natural situation. Women give birth every day - but for Melanie, it is not every day. It Read More >

A Reflection on Symbols, Service, and the Future of Am Yisrael A D’var Torah for Parashat Beha’alotekha By Rabbi Anat Katzir Parashat Beha’alotekha opens with the image of one of the most enduring symbols of the Jewish people: דַּבֵּר֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֵלָ֑יו בְּהַעֲלֹֽתְךָ֙ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹ֔ת אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה יָאִ֖ירוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת הַנֵּרֽוֹת׃ “Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you raise up the lamps, let the seven lamps give light at the front of the menorah.” (Numbers 8:2) The menorah becomes more than a ritual object. It is a symbol of continuity, responsibility, and resilience of Am Yisrael. Throughout Jewish history, the menorah has represented the spiritual light of the Jewish people. Today, it is also the emblem of the modern State of Israel, reminding us Read More >

In this week's D'var Torah, Cantor Sandy Horowitz reflects on Shavuot as an opportunity to re-enact the moment of revelation at Sinai, and looks at how the chanting of the Ten Commandments supports us in this endeavor.