וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם

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

וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם

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

Sefer Vayikra

19 04, 2012

Parashat Shemini

2012-04-19T17:37:22-04:00

Untimely Death and the “Pesikta D’Rav Kahana”

By Rabbi Paul Bender

Parashat Shemini and its normally coupled Haftarah (II Samuel 6:1-7:17) both contain stories of the unnatural and instantaneous death by God’s hand, of apparently well meaning and respected characters, two sons of Aaron’s and Uzzah. To explain these troubling stories, and justify the deaths of Aaron’s sons, Hazal (our Sages) felt the need to provide a list of their errors and sins. But why would God cause or permit the death of people who are attempting to do good in the world? In my chaplaincy training at Sloan Kettering, a distraught husband, whose wife had ovarian cancer, with only weeks to live, came up to me and said Rabbi, how can Hashem take her so soon after our marriage? He must honor our Ketubah; how can He allow this? The grief felt by family is often indescribable. Even in the face of clear Read More >

Parashat Shemini2012-04-19T17:37:22-04:00
29 03, 2012

Parashat Tzav/Shabbat HaGadol

2012-03-29T16:00:54-04:00

By Rabbi Regina L. Sandler-Phillips

WHO S ROBBING GOD?

The future of life on earth depends upon whether we among the richest fifth of the world s people, having fully met our material needs, can turn to non-material sources of fulfillment.

Alan Durning, How Much Is Enough? (Worldwatch Institute, 1992)

Every year, I draw upon an ancient rabbinic ritual to transfer ownership of all hametz (leaven) in my home for the duration of Passover. Like many Jews, when I  œsell  my hametz before Passover, I actually  œbuy  a donation of ma ot hittin (portions of wheat) for those in need. This reminds me that preparing my home for the holiday includes concern for those outside my home. Read More >

Parashat Tzav/Shabbat HaGadol2012-03-29T16:00:54-04:00
22 03, 2012

Parashat Vayikra

2012-03-22T10:42:22-04:00

by Rabbi Sanford Olshansky

Many American Jews say they don’t like ritual. Nevertheless, most of us are creatures of ritual, although we may call it habit.We have rituals for how we begin our day and prepare for work, whether or not we include traditional prayers. Parashat Vayikra, the first portion of the book of Leviticus (Sefer Vayikra in Hebrew), is almost entirely about ritual – specifically the offering of sacrifices.In ancient Israel, until formal prayer services developed, probably in response to the destruction of the Temple in the year 70, C.E., sacrifices were the main method of worshipping God. These sacrifices addressed needs that we still experience today.

One of the strongest human emotions is guilt.We need ways to deal with feelings of guilt – as individuals and as communities. In Leviticus this is accomplished through sacrifice rather than other methods (Richard Elliott Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, San Francisco, 2001, p. 322). As Read More >

Parashat Vayikra2012-03-22T10:42:22-04:00
18 05, 2011

Parashat Behukkotai

2011-05-18T16:34:12-04:00

By Rabbi Halina Rubinstein

In this week’s portion, the last in the Book of Leviticus, Moses relates to the people of Israel the blessings that God will bestow if they obey God’s commandments and the curses in store for them if they don’t. Behukotai raises serious questions about divine justice. For sure, following mitzvot framed in the ethical precepts of Judaism leads to a better world, regardless of our reward; indifference and neglect cause many of the scourges described in our parashah. But are they punishments? And, are the blessings in life rewards?

I understand this parashah as an assertion that everything in nature is a consequence or effect of God’s will; that the real drama of life is not between man and nature but a moral drama between man and God. This reminds me of something I experienced in a recent visit Read More >

Parashat Behukkotai2011-05-18T16:34:12-04:00
12 05, 2011

Parashat Behar

2011-05-12T21:23:06-04:00

By Rabbi Bruce Alpert

Here’s the scene: I open the door to the cupboard or refrigerator and stare intently at its contents. Perhaps I rearrange things a bit to discover what might be hiding in a remote corner. I stare some more. Then, after an additional moment or two of hesitation, I grab a handful of something I don’t really want and, disdainfully shutting the door, declare that “there’s nothing to eat in this house.”

What brought this domestic idyll to mind were a pair of verses from this week’s parashah, Behar.The Torah is discussing the command to give the land a sabbatical. While allowing land to lie fallow is a cardinal agricultural principle, it does call for a certain amount of faith. The Torah addresses the issue directly: “Should you ask, ‘what are we to eat in the seventh year, if we Read More >

Parashat Behar2011-05-12T21:23:06-04:00
4 05, 2011

Parashat Emor

2011-05-04T10:24:56-04:00

By Rabbi Bob Freedman

It’s surprising that there is no blessing to be said before giving tzedakah. Certainly it’s an important mitzvah, but unlike other mitzvot that require us to say a formula to engage mind and spirit before we do them, there’s no such requirement for giving. A passage in our parashah offers a clue as to why this is so.

Appended to the instructions for offering the omer and first fruits, and not eating the new grains before making an offering is a reminder about leaving the gleanings and the corners of the field for the poor (Lev. 23:22-23). But being the second time it’s mentioned (see Lev 19:9-10), here it may teach something new. The first time it’s mentioned, the instruction follows those for a thanks offering, as if to say (see Ibn Ezra there) that just as God has Read More >

Parashat Emor2011-05-04T10:24:56-04:00
27 04, 2011

Parashat Kedoshim

2011-04-27T22:45:56-04:00

By Rabbi Maralee Gordon

We learn from Rabbi Akiva that the greatest principle in the Torah is V’ahavta l’reyakha kamokha– Love your fellow as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).  That teaching is found in this week’sparashah, Kedoshim, part of the Holiness Code.  Sometimes we stop reading at that point in the text; after all, that’s the pinnacle-or is it?

A story:  When I learned that immigrants were being detained by the federal government in the county jail two miles from my home in Woodstock, Illinois, I applied to be a member of the interfaith ministry allowed in to provide pastoral counseling to these detainees once a week.  I was propelled by my innate sense of being the child of immigrants, even though both of my grandmothers were born in Chicago.  We all tell the story of where our families came from, why they left, how they got started in this country.  I have a poster photograph of Maxwell Street ca. 1905 in which you can Read More >

Parashat Kedoshim2011-04-27T22:45:56-04:00
14 04, 2011

Parashat Aharei Mot

2011-04-14T10:59:46-04:00

Shabbat Ha-Gadol

Herald of Redemption

“Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the Lord.  He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents…”  (Malachi 3:23).

The liturgy of Passover in its original form seems focused on past history-the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt in the time of Moses.  Along the way, however, it acquired the theme of ultimate future redemption-the Messianic redemption at the end of days.  This thematic development can be seen particularly in the haftarot that the Rabbis assigned to be read for this festival.  Shabbat Hol Ha-Mo’ed features the haftarah from Ezekiel Chapter 37, with the vision of the dry bones taking on flesh and breath and coming back to life.  The haftarah for the eighth day of Passover centers on Read More >

Parashat Aharei Mot2011-04-14T10:59:46-04:00
7 04, 2011

Parashat Metzora

2011-04-07T10:36:11-04:00

GOSSIP UNDER OUR SKIN

By Rabbi Irwin Huberman

With the increased use of text messages and emails, and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, society is currently experiencing an unprecedented change in the way we communicate with each other.

Through time, the Torah and Talmud, and such great rabbis as Maimonides and the Hafetz Hayyim have warned us about careful use of words, and the pitfalls of Leshon Hara (evil tongue and language).

In most cases, these sacred texts and rabbinical commentators were referring to gossip which occurred face to face in homes, synagogues or other public places.

But today, we, and in particular our children communicate less “face to face” and more “screen to screen.” Read More >

Parashat Metzora2011-04-07T10:36:11-04:00
31 03, 2011

Parashat Tazria

2011-03-31T10:37:07-04:00

By Sandy Horowitz

Wrestling with Ritual

In his book Sacred Fragments, author Neil Gillman discusses the issue of ritual in Judaism. He addresses the distinction between laws having to do with relationships among human beings, as compared with commandments to perform ritual acts whose function was for the sake of God.  The commandments of human relationship are ones we probably would come to ourselves, whereas the laws of ritual would only have come about by divine decree.

Today, we live in a culture that values interpersonal relationship, in which the former tends to make more sense to us, whereas the latter may be more difficult for some of us to understand or accept.

How we view this week’s Torah portion probably depends a lot on our relationship with Jewish ritual, and what we do with our modern sensibilities.  The first eight verses, in Read More >

Parashat Tazria2011-03-31T10:37:07-04:00
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