A final thought for 5779
For the last Shabbat in 5779, our Torah comes with one of the readings I love most in the entire year. In parashat Nitzavim we find the following directive: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and…
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Category Rabbinic Thoughts
Indifference to our world is intolerable, unethical and it breaches our morality
Chaverim, In this week’s column I’d like to share with you an excerpt from my sermon I delivered last Friday. The sermon was about the powerful dictum of Parashat KiTeitzei, wich asks us not to remain indifferent — “Lo tuchal…
Please help us – so that we can help others
You shall not deduct interest from loans to your countryman, whether in money or food or anything else that can be deducted as interest. ” (Deuteronomy 23:20) Chaverim, The Torah portion, Ki Teitzei, prescribes a great act of tzedakah. The…
Parashat Re’eh: Justice, Justice shall you pursue!
Chaverim, The pursuit of justice is one of the most frequently repeated concerns, and not only of the Torah, but of Jewish tradition. The teaching is to pursue justice in dealing with social, political, and international matters. In addition, Jewish…
Parashat Eikev: Cut away the foreskin of your hearts
Chaverim, See, the heavens and the heaven’s heavens belong to Adonai your God, the earth and everything on it. Yet Adonai fell in love with your ancestors and God chose you, their descendants, from all peoples, just as today. So,…
Parashat Va’etchanan: Listen O Yisrael
Chaverim,Moses looks at the Promised Land by the banks of the river Jordan, and continues his final speech to the Israelites before he dies. He pleads with God to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but he is…
Devarim: A story is a powerful instrument for overcoming despair
Chaverim, In the first portion of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses begins a series of farewell addresses to the Israelites. The task before Moses is an enormous one; he wants to remind the Israelites of what came before—interpreted now through…
Parashat Masei: The grass only looks greener from far away
Chaverim, This week’s portion summarises the entire route followed by the Israelites from when they left Egypt until they were ready to enter Eretz Yisrael. The parsha begins, “Moshe wrote their going forth according to their journeys.” At the end of…
Parashat Matot: Thought and action should be unified.
If a man vows a vow to God, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. (Bamidbar 30:3) Chaverim,…
Pinchas: The achievement of Zelophehad’s daughters
In this week’s Torah portion, the daughters of Zelophehad petition to inherit their father’s portion. The story of Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah (Numbers 27:1-11) encapsulates the challenges that women faced and what they had to do in order…