Tag: Torah sparks by Rabbi Schell
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Parashat Emor: The real essence of the Torah
A teacher asks his student, “What is the essence of the Shabbat?” She responds, “The essence of Shabbat is that it is a sign of God’s creation of all things in seven days.” “No,” the teacher responds, “that is not the real essence of Shabbat. What really represents the fundamental meaning of the day?” The…
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You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy
The word kadosh is usually translated as “holy,” as in the Holy Land, the Holy of Holies, the Holy Ark, and the High Holy Days. Three times a day, in the K’dushah part of the Amidah, the standing prayer, we say “Holy, Holy, Holy is Adonai Tz’vaot,” which is one of God’s names (Isaiah 6:3).…
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Pesach is our festival to thank God for the many miracles in our lives
Each year we sing Dayeinu as part of our Seder, showing our gratitude to God for all the wonders performed to our ancestors as they went free from Egypt. Though the traditional text encompasses over a dozen items for which we give thanks, many modern Haggadot have added even more to that list, mentioning the…
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Parashat Metzora: Who is in and who is out
After the successful registration last weekend, campaigning has returned to South Africa. And, as a result, it is inevitable that there will be debates about race, empowerment of different classes and the status of foreigners in South Africa. Once again, political leaders will do battle trying to determine who is in and who is out.…
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Parashat Tazria: Impurity is considered to be a spiritual disability
The portions of Tazria and Metzora are perhaps for many of you very uncomfortable portions of the Torah, dealing with all kinds of issues related to ritual purity and impurity.Ritual impurity, or tumah, has nothing to do with hygiene. Instead, tumah is a spiritual state that prevents a person from participating in the worship life…
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Parashat Sh’mini: Risking mistakes with proper moral intention is what our work should be all about
The book of Leviticus has the unfair reputation for being boring and inaccessible. But this week’s portion, Sh’mini, has some of the Bible’s pomp and ceremony as well as drama and intrigue that proves that reputation wrong.The portion opens up with Aaron officiating at his first ever sacrificial offering. The entire Israelite community, gather around…
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This year’s Purim celebration, I challenge you to try something new
Purim is an unusual holiday in many respects. First, Esther is the only biblical book in which God is not mentioned. Second, Purim, like Chanukah, traditionally is viewed as a minor festival, but elevated to a major holiday as a result of the Jewish historical experience. Over the centuries, Haman became the embodiment of every…
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Shabbat Zachor: We can’t tolerate the political abuse of people who suffered under Apartheid
This coming Shabbat is called Shabbat Zachor – the Shabbat of Remembrance, one of the special Shabbatot leading up to Passover. In addition to the regular Torah portion congregations conclude the reading with an additional reading of Deuteronomy 25:17-19. These verses tell us to do something difficult – remember what Amalek did to us after…
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Parashat P’kudei: The freedom to create
In Parashat P’kudei, God gives very explicit instructions for how the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, is to be set up, including the frame, the metalwork, the jewels and the tapestries. It seems that not a detail is omitted. The entire portion, from Chapter 38:21 to Chapter 40:38, which is the end of the second book of…
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Parashat Vayakhel: I feel blessed to work with those wonderful women
The Torah portion Vayakhel presents Moses’ speech to the Israelite community at one of the many special gatherings during their wanderings in the desert. The speech opens with a brief restatement of the commandment to keep the Sabbath. However, the topic of Moses’ message is the building of the Tabernacle. Moses solicits gifts—gold, silver, copper,…
