Category: Rabbinic Thoughts
-
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 to affirm their rights with dignity.We might expect that women, heirs to Egyptian slavery and…
-
Sh’lach lecha: See it with your own eyes
Chaverim, Once a year, I travel back to Germany to see my family and friends, but also to see for myself how things are, back in Europe. Things have changed since I moved to South Africa, nearly five years ago. Of course Chayim tells me of his impressions, I read the news, see what friends…
-
Shavuot: No shofar, seder, Chanukah candles or sukkah, but Torah – only Torah
Chaverim,This coming Sunday we will observe Shavuot, the day we celebrate receiving the Torah. Unique among our holidays, it has no specific mitzvah associated with it. With no shofar, seder, Chanukah candles or sukkah, there is little to grab the attention of all but the most serious of Jews.It’s precisely because Shavuot celebrates the gift…
-
Bechukotai: Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do
Chaverim,Many Reform siddur editors have been bothered by the biblical language of retribution as they appear in our Torah portion Bechukotai and in various parts of Deuteronomy. The same holds true for many congregants. On the Shabbatot when these portions are scheduled to be read, often the baal korei (Torah reader) will chant them quickly at a…
-
Behar: Thinking long-term
Chaverim,After several chapters about purity and the sacrificial system, our Torah portion “Behar”, feels it necessary to refer back once again to the time of the revelation of the Torah. This chapter appears as if it is an afterthought, something that Moses had neglected to mention until now.I am saying this due to the sheer fact…
-
Emor: Time for new bridges
Chaverim,The point of being Jewish is to have a relationship with God. Yet, a relationship implies a certain give and take, and there is precious little in the Torah that talks about what we have that God could possibly need. What can we give to God?In our parashah (Lev 22:32) we read: “You shall not…
-
Kedoshim: When the world seems to lose its own compass
Chaverim,Once again we are mourning and raging after an anti-Semitic attack on a synagogue over the weekend. I have been and remain determined not to give any anti-Semite the victory they want in any way. Whenever they want to push us out of society, whenever they want us to be too afraid to gather in…
-
Omer—Counting
Beginning with the second night of Pesach we count the Omer until we arrive in our calendar at Shavuot. To help you with the counting, we have prepared a leaflet for you with a calendar, the blessings and the numbers (download link below and available in the Shul).
-
Mark the Omer time in a significant way
Many of us know that Passover takes place during the Hebrew month of Nisan. In contrast, most of us do not know that the month of Nisan also includes another observance which begins on the second day of Passover. In ancient times, as set forth in the Book of Leviticus, our ancestors would start bringing…
