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Dvar Torah
Parashat Emor By Doug Alpert Chapter 23 of Vayikra commences with God directing Moshe Rabeinu to 'Speak to the Children of Israel - b'nai Yisrael - and say to them: These are the appointed [fixed] times of HaShem which you shall designate as callings of holiness - these are My appointed festivals.' The parashah goes Read More >
Dvar Torah
By Michael Kohn Two years ago, as the flood waters from Hurricane Katrina raged in New Orleans, some thought it necessary to remark that the devastation wrought by the storm was divine retribution for the sins of the people living in that area. According to press reports, some prominent Rabbis described Hurricane Katrina as America's Read More >
Dvar Torah
By Rabbi Yechiel Buchband In this week of Jubilee celebrations in our AJR community, it feels good to be so in tune with the rhythm of the Torah reading cycle: our first portion, Parshat Behar, includes the Torah's teachings concerning the Yovel, the fiftieth year, made special by its unique observances (Lev. 25:8-13): the return Read More >
Dvar Torah
Parashat Aharei Mot/ K'doshim: Two Aspects of Holiness Rabbi David Greenstein Our double Torah portion occupies the central core of our Torah, called by modern Bible scholars "The Holiness Code." It is an extended working out of the concept of holiness and how it might be experienced by Israel - her priests and common folk, Read More >
Dvar Torah
Israel's 'New' Tribes By Irwin Huberman This week, as we begin reading Bemidbar, the fourth book of the Torah ' Numbers ' God commands Moses to conduct a count of males 20 years of age and older. The parashah (the weekly Torah portion) goes into painstaking detail describing who the leaders of each tribe were, Read More >
Dvar Torah
Shavuot By Rabbi S. Robert Waxman, AJR '79 During these weeks since the Festival of Passover we have been moving toward Shavuot ' Pentecost, the Festival of Weeks, the time of the giving and receiving of Torah. What is Torah? That is a basic question. As we look into possible answers to this question we Read More >
Dvar Torah
Parashat B'ha'alotekha By Rabbi Aryeh Meir In his translation of the Five Books of Moses, Everett Fox introduces this section of Sefer Bamidbar (the Book of Numbers) with the title, 'The Rebellion Narratives.' The nation, exhausted, hungry (for meat) and thirsty, hurl a series of complaints against their leaders, most harshly against Moses. When the Read More >
Dvar Torah
Looking Without Seeing By Paul Hoffman The Lord said to Moses saying: Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of the garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe on each corner. That shall be your fringe;look at it and Read More >
Dvar Torah
Korah By Rabbi Yehonatan Chipman 'The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.' ~ William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming Traditionally, Korah's revolt is interpreted as a conflict revolving around issues of religious power and authority. What qualifies a person to be a leader, and who, or what determines whether Read More >
Dvar Torah
Parashat Hukkat By Michael G. Kohn This week's parashah is noteworthy for a number of reasons, but what caught my eye are the deaths of Moses' two siblings ' Miriam and Aaron. The account of Aaron's death, not surprisingly, is more elaborate, with its description of Moses' transfer of the vestments of the kohein gadol Read More >