Parashat Va-yiqra

Parashat Va-yiqra
Paul Hoffman

“And Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord inclined towards Abel and his offering.” (Genesis 4:3) From this passage in Genesis we understand that the institution of sacrifice is as old as the human race itself. Religious instinct is an element of man’s nature implanted in him by the Creator and sacrificial offerings were the earliest expression of that instinct. Here in Genesis, Scripture records the first act of worship in the form of a “minhah to God,” a present offered to the Holy One, blessed be He.

This gift offering represented Abel’s acknowledgment of, and submission to, God as the purveyor of all bounty. By presenting God with his firstlings, the finest that he possessed, Abel would then be worthy to receive his portion as a Divine favor. So noble was this sentiment that it warranted Abel’s acceptance by Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-03-29T07:24:11-04:00March 29, 2007|

Parshat Tzav

Parshat Tzav: Through the Lens of Healing
by Margaret Frisch Klein

At first glance this week’s portion, parashat Tzav would appear to be dry ‘ perhaps appropriate for wandering in the desert ‘ but, in reality, there is much to glean from it about healing.

My teacher, Rabbi Nehemia Polen, talks about the importance of the sacrificial ritual. He explains that the stability of the routine, one in the evening and one in the morning, in fact brings healing, just by doing them ‘ routinely. The evening offering was left burning all night until the new one was added in the morning. That constancy was a reminder of the Divine Presence, all the time from evening until morning and back to evening again. God was always present and available. He tells the story of how important this daily ritual was ‘ both then and now. Then, the whole sacrificial system was about reconnecting with the Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-03-29T06:41:20-04:00March 29, 2007|

Parashat Ki Tissa

By Michael G. Kohn

Jews speak often and passionately about ‘community.’ Whether it is ‘the Jewish community,’ or ‘our community,’ the word conjures up something special, something important. But ‘community’ is more than a word; it is a living, breathing, organic entity that we Jews have tried to build and perfect for millennia. For all the drama in Ki Tissa ‘ this week’s parashah ‘ the Torah teaches us about ‘community,’ its triumphs and its failures.

Ki Tissa describes enough high points and low points for the Israelites to comprise a modern day roller coaster. Yet, each of these constitute a paradigm for the struggles of an emerging community seeking to find its way.

At the outset, the Torah portrays G-d, like any concerned parent, cautiously molding the children into a family; directing the Israelites into a true community dedicated to one another and to G-d’s commandments. Moses is told Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-03-18T20:10:12-04:00March 18, 2007|

Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei

By Julius Rabinowitz

As we go through our daily routines, the concept of ‘giving’ enters our thoughts and, it is hoped, our actions. Often times this concept manifests itself through obligatory or routine giving. Perhaps it arises in the course of providing for our family or other household members, for example, putting breakfast on the table or running errands. Alternatively, at some point in a weekday synagogue service, someone puts a Tzedakah box on the table or marches around with it, and we reach into our pocket and put some amount in, the usual amount or whatever loose change may be available. Or, we are sitting on a crowded bus and, confronted with a mother with young children, we unconsciously give up our seat without missing a beat on our iPod or a line from the New York Times.

Yet as rewarding as these acts may be, in the overall Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-03-18T19:57:15-04:00March 18, 2007|

Parashat Tetzaveh

By Halina Rubinstein

This week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh (Ex.27:20-30:10), is also Shabbat Zakhor, the Shabbat before Purim. We will read this portion as well as the verses that command us to remember the encounter of Israel in the wilderness with Amalek (Deut. 25:17-19), who sought to destroy them cruelly and gratuitously. Generations later, Saul’s failure to kill Agag the Amalekite king ‘ a failure that will ultimately cost him his reign– is the theme of the Haftarah reading (I Sam.15:2-34).

One of the distinct features of this Torah portion is the minute description of the priestly vestments, particularly those of the High Priest. Clothing has great significance in the Bible. The first act of hesed (kindness) was performed by God when He made garments to cover Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit that made them aware and ashamed of their nakedness. Ever since, one of the things that distinguishes us Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-03-01T08:00:27-05:00March 1, 2007|

Parashat Terumah

By David Ian Cavill

I think that when most of us look at Exodus 25:8 “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” (New JPS) it reads as a commandment from God. We see instruction and a promise from God to be present among the people if the mikdash (sanctuary) is constructed in a certain way. I’d like to suggest that this is not a commandment but rather a question. Moreover, I’d like to propose that it is in fact Moses, who speaks these words, and not God.

The first nine verses of the parashah form their own discreet unit of text. In my opinion, these verses summarize the rest of the reading. Furthermore, every verse in this section has a parallel later on in the text. Each of the gifts that God deems acceptable in verses 3-7 is revisited later on in the Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-02-15T09:13:35-05:00February 15, 2007|

Parashat Mishpatim

What God Wants of Us
By Irwin Huberman

For thousands of years, rabbis, scholars, and commentators have parsed, dissected, and analyzed the laws of the Torah to help better understand one thing:

What does God want of us?

Tradition tells us that we are created B’tzelem Elohim – in the image of God. If only we could grasp the true meaning of Torah, perhaps we could better understand how to be true partners with God in creating a perfect and complete world.

Throughout the generations, rabbis and commentators have debated how to properly follow the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) contained in the Torah.

Some rabbis and commentators have guided us towards the meticulous observance of each mitzvah, while others have suggested that capturing the essence of the commandments is most important.

This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Mishpatim, provides fodder for this ongoing discussion. No fewer than 51 mitzvot are contained in the parashah, covering everything Read More >

By Rabbi Irwin Huberman|2007-02-14T20:07:15-05:00February 14, 2007|

Parashat Yitro

Reason & Revelation
By Suri Krieger

A riddle:
5 scrolls, ancient word
Direct dictate of God heard
Moses writes it all down
On top Mt Sinai, holy ground . . . What am I?

Have you got the answer? OK
Hold that thought, and let’s try another:

5 scrolls, a few thousand years
Words of poets, priests and seers
Reworked by the hands of so many scribes
Until finally edited and codified . . . What am I?

Parashat Yitro, stands out as one of the quintessential parshiot ‘ portions – in our whole Torah cycle. It contains both the moment of Revelation at Sinai, and the giving of the Ten Commandments, aseret ha-dibrot. Based on this parashah, a debate between Revelation and Reason has been raging for centuries. (I use this dichotomy to stand for the problem of whether the traditional claims for how the Torah was given to Israel ‘ Revelation – are Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-02-06T12:26:00-05:00February 6, 2007|

Parashat Bâ€™shalah

By Steve Alatarescu

As we know, the God of the Torah can be seen as protective but also capable of unspeakable cruelty. The God of liberation portrayed in the plagues in this week’s parashah, B’shalah, needs a makeover in order for us to have a God Who helps in our present-day liberation, personal and communal.

The Israelites in our parashah are portrayed as needing the protection and the direction of a tough God. God sees us as scared and soft. The Israelites experienced the plagues, including the killing of the first-born, and, in this parashah, the drowning of Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the sea. They follow Moses, perhaps shocked by the course of events, and faithfully go through the Red Sea. They can’t help but know that this God is serious about their liberation and they are about to learn about God’s plan for becoming a holy people. Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-01-22T10:23:38-05:00January 22, 2007|

Parashat Va-era

By Arnold Saltzman

In parashat Va-era we learn that God is not only the Creator, but the preserver of existence. God has established His covenant and therefore He cannot forget B’nei Yisrael ‘ the Children of Israel – in our ordeal of slavery. God tells Moses that He has heard our groaning and remembered His covenant (Exodus 6:5). This portrait of God, Who is compassionate, feeling, caring, and loyal, stands in opposition to the perplexing portrayal of God Who, as the Bible reports many times, ‘hardens the heart’ of Pharaoh.

The midrash discusses these instances. In Midrash Rabbah, Exodus VII, 3, we learn that God said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Although I really set out to punish him [Pharaoh], I want you to show him the respect due to his regal position.’

We also learn in another midrash that Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn (kaved), even without God’s additional action of hardening it: ‘God said Read More >

By ahsilver|2007-01-18T09:07:51-05:00January 18, 2007|

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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