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.

20 03, 2023

Parashat Vayikra 5783

By |2023-05-03T12:08:48-04:00March 20, 2023|

Click here  for an audio recording of this D’var Torah

Keeping focus on sacred connections
A D’var Torah for Parashat Vayikra
by Rabbi Steven Altarescu (’14)

The Book of Vayikra begins where Exodus leaves off. The Israelites have finished building the Mishkan and God has shown approval through the appearance of a cloud of God’s Presence. Exodus thus ends triumphantly with a description of the work being finished;

“Now the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of YHVH filled the Mishkan” (Exodus 40:34)

We are then told that Moses:

“was not able to come into the Tent of Meeting for the cloud was dwelling on it and the Presence of YHVH filled the Mishkan.” (Exodus 40:35)

Vayikra begins with God calling out to Moses:

“YHVH called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting…” (Leviticus 1:1)

The building of the Mishkan and the blessing of God’s presence add a sense of completion to Read More >

10 03, 2022

Parashat Vayikra 5782

By |2022-11-09T14:59:29-05:00March 10, 2022|

Click HERE for an audio recording of this D’var Torah

The Covenant of Salt, the Salt of Your Covenant
A D’var Torah for Parashat Vayikra
By Rabbi Katy Allen (’05)

וְכׇל־קׇרְבַּ֣ן מִנְחָתְךָ֮ בַּמֶּ֣לַח תִּמְלָח֒ וְלֹ֣א תַשְׁבִּ֗ית מֶ֚לַח בְּרִ֣ית אֱ-לֹהֶ֔יךָ מֵעַ֖ל מִנְחָתֶ֑ךָ עַ֥ל כׇּל־קׇרְבָּנְךָ֖ תַּקְרִ֥יב מֶֽלַח:

You shall season your every offering of meal with salt; you shall not omit from your meal offering the salt of your covenant with G!d; with all your offerings you must offer salt. —Leviticus 2:13

Waves—
lapping gently against warm sand,
crashing ferociously against rocky crags,
mixing with sweet water in sheltered estuaries,
cresting endlessly across vast open oceans—
a constant reminder
of the everlasting brit melah, covenant of salt. (Num. 18:19)

Ancient is this covenant,
from Creation, (Rashi Lev. 2:13)
when G!d decreed that salt would be offered on the altar
with the sacrifices—
salt,
derived from the sea,
perhaps to enhance the taste,
perhaps Read More >

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