Category: Torah
-
Yom HaShoah: Reinstating the memory and names as a permanent remembrance
When someone we love passes away, we experience deep sorrow and grief. We miss that person’s presence and caring. We miss the support and all that we shared. Jewish mourning rituals and customs are meant to help us cope, to face the loss realistically, and to find comfort. Jewish tradition helps us to understand that…
-
Torah Sparks: Resurrection of the death?
This coming Shabbat, we have a dramatic haftarah reading from Ezekiel 37:1-14. The prophet shares the vision of dry bones coming to life. What does this vision have to do with Passover, our festival of freedom, our deliverance from slavery? The Haftarah Commentary, by Gunther Plaut, offers the following opinion on the connection between Passover…
-
Pesach Seder: A very Jewish version of a symposium
The most well-known thing that Jewish people do during Passover is to gather together for a ceremonial festive meal called a seder. The main thing to understand about a seder is that it combines a delicious meal, the telling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt, and a lot of symbolic foods and rituals…
-
Parashat Ki Tisa: Lights of Glory
At the conclusion of our parashah, Moshe descends from Mount Sinai with a new set of hewn tablets in hand. The Torah narrates, “Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant [karan or], since he had spoken with God. Aaron and all the Israelites saw that the skin of Moses’ face…
-
Purim: Apparel oft proclaims the man
In Hamlet, the character Polonius proclaims, “Apparel oft proclaims the man” – the only thing to add is that apparel no less proclaims the woman. Indeed, our clothing says a lot about all of us. At times, we wear clothes to be noticed, at other times to blend in. Our clothing indicates our status, the…
-
Parashat Terumah – Let them make me a sanctuary
At the beginning of our parashah we read the following request from God to Moses: “Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts (t’rumah); you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is so moved. V’asu li mikdash v’shachanti b’tocham. Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.”But,…
-
Parashat Mishpatim – For you were strangers in the land of Egypt
Last week’s parashah contained a magnificent description of the revelation at Mount Sinai. God revealed Godself and gave the Decalogue. The “Ten Commandments” represent the first laws of the mutual covenant between God and Israel, and this week’s parashah contains more of these laws. Our sages pointed out that our parashah starts with the Hebrew…
-
Parashat Yitro – Shabbat rest becomes a taste of the redemption
Our Torah portion includes the “10 commandments”. While most of us recall the commandments not to murder or to honour our parents, many forget one of the 10 statements is to observe the Shabbat day. According to our tradition, this law is as important as any others. But why?Why do we observe Shabbat rest? The…
-
Parashat Beshalach – Entering the dance floor of life
This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shirah, “Shabbat of Song,” because on it we read/chant the epic poem, Shirat HaYam, “Song at the Sea,” contained in the Torah portion B’shalach. The musical/poetic nature of the reading is compounded with the haftarah portion that includes Shirat D’vorah, the “Song of Deborah” within the selected passage from…
-
Parashat Bo – Never again!
Our Jewish tradition speaks frequently about the gift of memory. The festival of Passover is the prime example of the importance that Judaism places on memory. Every holiday and Sabbath are to be observed as “a memorial of the Exodus from Egypt.” In this week’s Torah portion we read the words that “this day shall…
