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 >

Both Sides Now A D’var Torah for Parashat Pekudei By Cantor Robin Anne Joseph Let’s look at clouds. From all sides now. Shall we? Clouds are—what? The presence of God? A cover for God? A signal from God? In Parashat Pekudei, they are D) All of the above. And then some. One cloud in particular makes a brief, but spectacular, cameo appearance as the curtain comes down on the second “act” (Book) of the Five Books of Moses. Not just any cloud, not just a cloud, but The Cloud (הֶעָנָ֖ן). As much a supporting actor in the Torah as anyone (or anything) else, I’m continually surprised not to see the word “cloud” capitalized in the English translation whenever the article "the" precedes it. This is not the first time that The Cloud has made an Read More >

There are individuals for whom learned information remains merely theoretical, and there are others who internalize their learning until it becomes part of their very being. We know the second ones in biblical language as "wise-hearted" (חכמי לב). A "wise-hearted" individual understands and internalizes their learning until it permeates their thoughts and actions.

Yishar Koah! A D’var Torah for Parashat Ki Tissa By Rabbi Rob Scheinberg Among the various words and phrases you’re likely to hear in a synagogue is the phrase “Yishar koah,” sometimes pronounced as “Yashar koah” or “Yeshar koah” or even abbreviated to “Sh’koyah!” Since Talmudic times, this phrase has been a way to express praise for an achievement, even an extremely minor achievement. “Yishar” comes from the root “y.sh.r.”, meaning “upright” or “aligned,” and “koah” means “strength” or “force.” The phrase itself can be translated in a few different ways; it could be a prayer or good wish for the future, “may your strength be upright,” or it could be a complimentary statement of fact, “your strength is upright” or “your force is aligned.” Read More >