Encounters with sacred text — weekly parashah reflections, midrashic exploration, and close readings drawn from the Torah and tradition. These writings return to the scroll not as artifacts of the past, but as living sources of moral clarity, questioning, and renewal.
Parashat Terumah presents what appears, at first glance, to be an ancient construction manual. Ten cubits by one and a half cubits. Acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. Loops of blue, clasps of gold, curtains of fine twisted linen. The level of specificity is extraordinary—measurements precise to the half-cubit, materials specified down to the type […]
Mishpatim and the Stranger (Ger) Revelation does not end in ecstasy. It descends into law. Parashat Mishpatim follows Sinai’s thunder not with poetry but with procedure. The Torah moves immediately from fire and voice to damages, courts, restitution, and restraint. Holiness, it insists, is not proven by spiritual intensity but by the ordering of power. Among these
Parashat Mishpatim Read More »
The Torah portion Yitro spans a dramatic arc. It begins with recognition—an acknowledgement of G-d’s reality—moves through preparation and ordering, and culminates in revelation at Sinai. The Israelites arrive at Sinai having been freed, sustained, and guided. Yet, when the moment of revelation is upon them, the dominant themes are not intimacy or union, but
Hatred. This is, perhaps, one of the ugliest words in the English language—its counterparts in other tongues no less so. Hatred is, first and foremost, an inner posture. It can exist without speech or action, and it is not dependent upon violence to qualify as such. It is an entrenched enmity—often quiet, hidden, and enduring—often
B’Shalach…Revisited Read More »
This is the 16th weekly Torah portion. B’Shalach is taken from Exodus 13:17-17:16. It marks the true beginning of Israel’s journey as a free nation, into the wilderness, leaving Egypt under divine protection. Pharaoh changes his mind yet again and pursues them to the Sea of Reeds where G-d parts the sea for the Israelites then closes
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Parashat Bo completes the Exodus from Egypt and begins Israel’s transformation from an enslaved population into a people of formation. While the final plagues force Pharaoh’s capitulation, the narrative quickly shifts away from Egypt and toward Israel’s preparation to leave. Time is recalibrated, ritual is instituted, memory is commanded, and departure is framed not as
“Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses because of shortness of spirit/breath, and because of harsh labor.” This week’s Torah portion, Va’era, recounts God’s command that Moses deliver a message of impending redemption to the people of Israel. At first, Moses hesitates. He is not a public speaker;
I find myself a bit moved today to discuss the current parashah, Shemot. Judaism has a regular practice of Torah study. Truly, it is study of Torah that defines Judaism. The Torah is divided into 54 parshiyot (weekly portions), and one is read each week, typically on Shabbat. (Interestingly, in leap years portions are read
