Tag: Torah sparks by Rabbi Schell
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Parashat Devarim: Perhaps Moses forgot?
During my vacation in Berlin I was having a conversation with a friend where we were reminiscing about some events from our past. While we, broadly speaking, remembered the event in the same way, there were certain elements and details which we both remembered differently. Possibly because of perspective, possibly because I don’t have the…
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Parashat Mas’ei: Finding our goal(s) in life
In Parashat Mas’ei, we read a review of the Israelite’s journeys through their forty years in the desert. It is important to understand that the journey was not orchestrated by the human mind, but was designed by God. The point of the journey was not fun or entertainment, but to find a way home. Throughout…
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Make your voice count!
How many times have we meant to call our legislator, wanted to sign that petition but let it fall to the bottom of our e-mail inbox, planned to sign up for a shift at the soup kitchen or intended to bring extra food to the Kehillah’s food collection box?We have the best of intentions, but…
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Parashat Pinchas: Leading to better communication and understanding
Parashat Balak (last week’s reading) has quite a disturbing end. The short chapter reads like a report that predicts the end of “Project Exodus”. The situation in the camp is chaotic, all boundaries are fallen and no one cares anymore about God and the values taught by Moses. What happened? After the episode with Balaam,…
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Chukkat: A wonderful role model
Reading Parashat Chukkat, we engage ourselves quite often in the discussion of Moses’ big mistake which resulted in God’s severe punishment. Why is he prohibited to enter the promised land, why can’t he enjoy the fruits of his hard work? It must have been something dramatic. So we engage ourselves in looking for the negative…
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Parashat Sh’lach Lecha: We looked like grasshoppers to ourselves
I think it’s fair to say that just about everybody knows that the Israelites were condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years – a biblical generation. But what led to it, is less well known. This week’s parashah—Sh’lach Lecha—tells that story.Israel is on the verge of entering the promised Land. Moses, on directions…
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What in God’s name is happening in this, our world?
The news on Sunday was shocking, confusing, and unspeakably tragic.What in God’s name is happening in this, our world? Last week Tel Aviv, this Sunday Orlando, and next week …? There is so much pain.In thousands of places all over the world Jews studied Torah last weekend. We engaged ourselves in those studies, because we…
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Parashat B’midbar – Lift up the head
Coming Sunday (5 June/28 Iyyar) we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, one of several Jewish holidays com-memorating events of war in the modern State of Israel. This one recalls Israel’s regaining of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967. Despite these modern memorial days, it seems safe to say that we Jews…
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Parashat B’chukotai: Once upon a time there was a king
Once upon a time there was a king who had a wonderful and very large palace. The palace was decorated so beautifully that it took people’s breath away when they entered. There was, however, one very long and wide hall that was empty, for the king couldn’t decide what to do with it.The king decided…
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Parashat Behar: Back to the top
After several chapters about purity and the sacrificial system, our Torah portion “Behar”, feels 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…
