Post List

Parashat Korach

Humility! “Is it a small thing to you that the G-d of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the L-RD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; “and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking…

Parashat Sh’lach L’kha

Parashat Shelach (Send) – the sending out of the 12 spies to spy out the land and plan for its capture and settlement. The resultant report upon their return led the people of Israel into a 40 year diversion, one year for every day of faithlessness. However, God’s plans are never thwarted or diverted; in this case, Israel was settled but by a different generation. The passage begins with ‘sh’lach…

Parashat Beha’alotcha

Moving on and holding back Welcome back to the season in Torah that highlights our complaining in the desert! ‘Give me meat!’ I know what’s good for me and it’s not this! With these words the events of the next few Shabbat portions unfold with an almost inevitable consequential development. We find Israel a year into the journey, having spent 1 year at Sinai and now setting off, but already…

Parashat Nasso

Blessings In the film Fiddler on the Roof, the old Rabbi is asked a question…. Lebisch: Rabbi! May I ask you a question? Rabbi: Certainly, Lebisch! Lebisch: Is there a proper blessing… for the Tsar? Rabbi: A blessing for the Tsar? Of course! May G-d bless and keep the Tsar… far away from us! In this week’s Parasha we see what is known as the Birchat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing) יברכך…

Parashat Bamidbar

The portion begins with ‘in the wilderness or desert’. One year ‎after receiving the Torah at Sinai we begin to move on into the ‎next 39 years of wandering through a barren land. We had come ‎out of Egypt (a metaphor for the world’s system) and headed to ‎decision day, our meeting with G-d at Sinai, where we chose to ‎follow (or as the early responses to G-d revealed- rebel…

Parashat Behar-Bechukotai

When was the last time you looked in to the mirror? Can you remember what you saw? What did you look like? Or have you forgotten already? Ya’akov (James) 1: 222 – 24 says, “Don’t deceive yourselves by only hearing what the Word says, but do it! For whoever hears the Word but doesn’t do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror, who…

Influences (Parashat Metzora)

In the Haftorah portion attached to Metzora the thematic link of ‎the skin afflictions caused by sin, in particular the sin of lashon ‎hara (gossip, slander) is carried forward and developed into a ‎real life event .Four leprous men star during a time when famine ‎had engulfed Samaria and they in turn bring about a turning ‎point in the conflict with the Syrian army. The critical issue ‎though here is…

Sukkot

Sukkot, coming as it does towards the very end of our festival year, is a time of great rejoicing. Its English name, variously translated from the Hebrew, is commonly known as the feast of Tabernacles. Its origin of course, like most Jewish festivals, is connected with an actual historical event. The ‘narrative’ year begins in the Spring with Passover, which tells of our deliverance from Egypt, and runs through to…

Parashat Tazria-Metzora

Metzora, M’tzora, (Hebrew for “one being diseased,”) is the 28th weekly parashah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the book of Leviticus. It constitutes Leviticus 14:1–15:33. Jews in the Diaspora generally read it in April. The lunisolar Hebrew calendar contains up to 54 weeks, the exact number varying between leap years and regular years. In years with 54 weeks (for example, 2008),…

Parashat Vayeilech

Be Strong Moshe’s whole life’s work and calling was about to conclude. His concern to the bitter end was for the future of his people and God’s faithfulness to them and to us. Both he and Joshua are called to go before the Lord in Deuteronomy 31, where they hear some unpleasant things: V.16: “go astray or play the harlot”. The Hebrew is strong here and refers to sexual immorality…

Weekly Drash