Shmot Archives | Page 6 of 18 | Academy for Jewish Religion

11 01, 2019

Parashat Bo 5779

By Rabbi Heidi Hoover|2019-01-11T22:59:54-05:00January 11, 2019|

A D’var Torah for Parashat Bo
By Rabbi Heidi Hoover (’11)

In this week’s Torah portion, Bo, we are in the midst of the dramatic story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, when they go from slavery to freedom. Because it is the story we retell at Passover, it is one of the most familiar in the Torah. God frees the Israelites “with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Psalm 136:12).

In parashat Bo, the last three of the ten plagues befall the Egyptians: locusts, darkness, and the death of the first-born. The penultimate plague, darkness, seems like it might be less destructive than the other two. After all, it gets dark every night, and we all get through it. But this wasn’t like that regular, natural darkness. This was three solid days of “darkness that can be touched” (Exodus 10:21). “A person could not see his brother or sister, and for Read More >

4 01, 2019

Parashat Va’era 5779

By Rabbi Irwin Huberman|2019-01-04T09:51:02-05:00January 4, 2019|

Hearing more voices in the Passover story
A D’var Totah for Parashat Va’era
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

The story of the enslavement of Jewish people in Egypt is perhaps one of the most powerful stories within the entire Torah. It is the stuff of heroes and villains, slavery and liberation.

It has captured the imagination of those across many faiths and cultural backgrounds, and continues to inspire Passover – perhaps the most observed holiday across all of Judaism.

Yet, there are so many gaps and unanswered questions.

Indeed, while this week’s Parashah, Va’era (And God appeared) engages us in a thrilling narrative of miracles and plagues, there is perhaps one central perspective which is sorely lacking: “Where are the voices of the Israelites and Egyptians – those who were the most affected by this dramatic story of slavery and human suffering?”

Isn’t it interesting that the entire Passover story is told almost exclusively through three main characters: Moses, Read More >

27 12, 2018

Parashat Shemot 5779

By Bruce Alpert|2018-12-27T15:52:13-05:00December 27, 2018|

A D’var Torah for Parashat Shemot
By Rabbi Bruce Alpert (’11)

Living up to its own name, our Torah portion, Shemot – Names – has a lot of them. Some of them are known to us. Some are new. And some aren’t given at all.

Among the new names are those of Shiphrah and Puah – the two midwives whom Pharaoh orders to kill all the male Israelite newborns. And therein lies a curiosity. We know the names of the servants. We don’t know the name of the king they serve. Indeed, his only identifying characteristic seems to be that he “did not know Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8).

The Rashi on this verse directs us to a dispute in the Talmud between Rav and Shmuel as to this Pharaoh’s identity (Sotah 11a). One insists that he really is a new leader, while the other claims it was the same Pharaoh as in Joseph’s time who issued new decrees following the latter’s death. To me, Read More >

8 03, 2018

March 8, 2018 – Parashat VaYakhel-Pekudei, 5778

By Rabbi Rena Kieval|2018-03-08T10:17:34-05:00March 8, 2018|

You Gotta Have Heart…or Do You?
A D’var Torah for VaYakhel-Pekudei
by Rabbi Rena H. Kieval, ’06

The great communal building project of the mishkan, the wilderness tabernacle, finally gets underway in this week’s double Torah portion, and the participants who craft, create and assemble it are reportedly full of heart. The Hebrew word for heart –lev – and its variants libo, libam, and so on, are repeated at least a dozen times. We read of the generous of heart – nedivei lev (Ex. 35:5, 35:22), who donate their jewels and fine fabrics for the structure; the wise of heart – hokhmei lev (Ex. 35:10, 35:25), who are skilled and able to share their artistic talents, and their building and organizational abilities. We read too of the nesi’ei lev (Ex. 35:21, 35:26) those with uplifted hearts, or perhaps, those whose hearts have lifted them up to participate. The hearts of this community are so overflowing Read More >

28 02, 2018

Parashat Ki Tissa, 5778

By Rabbi Irwin Huberman|2018-02-28T13:03:37-05:00February 28, 2018|

Society’s Golden Calves
A D’var Torah for Ki Tissa
by Rabbi Irwin Huberman, ’10

While attending a conference last year on future trends in Judaism, one of the presenters – a rabbi – told the story of how he had aroused the fury of one of his congregants.

One evening, as he taught a class on the ethics of technology, his phone began to ping.

Because his device had been tucked in his jacket hanging in the back of the room, he was not able to immediately respond to the text messages.

After his lecture ended, when he had the opportunity to check his messages, he realized that his lack of immediate response had triggered the rage of a usually mild mannered congregant.

“Rabbi, can I ask you something?” the first text read.

“Rabbi, I need your advice on something,” the next message read.

And then a series of messages followed in rapid fire: “Where are you?”

“Why are you ignoring me?”

“What Read More >

21 02, 2018

Parashat Tetzaveh, 5778

By Rabbi Len Levin|2018-02-21T11:04:30-05:00February 21, 2018|

Breastplate of Judgment
A D’var Torah for Tetzaveh
Rabbi Lenny Levin

“You shall make a breastplate of judgment…set in it mounted stones in four rows…corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel” (Ex. 28:15–21).

We know from experience how the abstract ideals of religion are embodied in the sacred objects that become familiar through repeated contact and serve as foci of our sense of holiness. Thus, the implements of the Tabernacle — the Ark, the Menorah, the curtain, the table, and the two tablets of the Ten Commandments — became templates for the artwork of the Synagogue, taking varied forms over the two thousand years of synagogue architecture.

One of the more puzzling of these sacred objects is the “breastplate of judgment” described in Chapter 28 of Exodus. It is associated with the “ephod,” a chest-garment of woven gold, blue, purple and crimson yarns, and with the Urim and Thummim, used in oracular consultations. It is Read More >

15 02, 2018

Parashat Terumah, 5778

By Rabbi Isaac Mann|2018-02-15T09:26:40-05:00February 15, 2018|

A D’var Torah for Parashat Mishpatim
by Rabbi Isaac Mann

This week’s Torah portion deals with the construction of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) and the various vessels to be placed in it or in front of it. Most of the vessels were to have rings built on their sides through which rods or staves would be inserted that would allow for the Priests or the Levites to transport them easily from one encampment to another during the sojourn of the Israelites in the Desert. In particular, four vessels were to have these rings adjoined to them: the Holy Ark (Ex. 25:12-15), the Table of the Lehem ha-Panim (Ex. 25:26-28), the Altar for Sacrifices (Ex. 27:4-7), and the Incense Altar (Ex. 30::4-5).

Of the above vessels, only one had a special instruction that applied to it and to none of the others, namely, that the staves must remain in the rings permanently. That vessel is the Read More >

8 02, 2018

Parashat Mishpatim, 5778

By Cantor Sandy Horowitz|2018-02-08T09:21:34-05:00February 8, 2018|

A D’var Torah for Mishpatim
by, Cantor Sandy Horowitz, ’14

Parashat Mishpatim contains over fifty laws covering a range of subjects, which are related to the Israelite people by God through Moses. Having just received the ten commandments in the previous Torah portion, now come the details.

The first law in Mishapatim states, “Should you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall work [for] six years, and in the seventh [year], he shall go out to freedom without charge” (Exodus 21:2). Slavery is certainly a hot topic for the newly freed Israelites. While not abolishing slavery, this and other related laws insert an insistence on humanity with regard to the treatment of others. This ethical backbone is reinforced as we read, twice in this portion alone, about the treatment of the stranger: “And you shall not mistreat a stranger, nor shall you oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Ex 22:20). “And you shall not oppress Read More >

11 01, 2018

Parashat Va’era, 5778

By Rabbi Rena Kieval|2018-01-11T15:32:47-05:00January 11, 2018|

Exodus: God, Women, and Dr. King

A D’var for Parashat Va’era

by Rabbi Rena H. Kieval ’06

“Exodus: Gods and Kings.” That is the name of Hollywood’s most recent major film version of the seminal story of our people. The title resonates with our parashah, as we follow the grand showdown of majestic force between God, capital G, and gods, lower case g, the gods of the Egyptians, and the mighty King Pharaoh. Gods and Kings. We see in this Torah story how Gods and Kings make history. We see the dramatic confrontations which culminate in the defeat of the oppressor King Pharaoh, and the liberation of the Israelites, God’s people.

As we enter into the thick of this spectacular drama, however, we should note that the Torah leads up to the story with a prologue that begins the Exodus narrative with a somewhat different framework. The stage was set in last week’s parashah, Shemot; it reminds us that history is made not only by Gods and Read More >

5 01, 2018

Parashat Shemot, 5778

By Rabbi Irwin Huberman|2018-01-05T16:56:07-05:00January 5, 2018|

The Power of Your Hebrew Name
A D’var for Parashat Shemot
by Rabbi Irwin Huberman ’10

A popular website which monitors facts relating to pregnancy, birth, and babies recently released its list of the most popular baby names for 2017.

According to this site, BabyCenter, top names for newborn boys were Jackson, Liam, Noah, and Aiden. For baby girls the most popular choices were Sophia, Olivia, Emma, and Ava.

Those who study these trends also note that names like Asher, Ezra, Atticus, and LeBron are on the upswing, along with Cora, Isabella, Amelia, and Charlotte.

Those are the secular choices. But what about Judaism? Although few statistics are kept within the Jewish world, we can remain pretty confident that worldwide there was no significant change between 2017 and 2016, or for that matter, for hundreds of previous years.

This is largely because, within Judaism, we attach a unique meaning to names. The Kabbalistic tradition links word for a person’s soul – Neshama – Read More >

All shall unite to do God's will with an open heart.

All shall unite to do God's will with an open heart.

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