- 5780, Annual Cycle, Bereshit, Creativity, Dancing, Deuteronomy, Devarim, Dissertation Diary, Farewell, Generations, Genesis, High Holidays, Liturgy, Moses, Parsha, Presence, Rashi, Simchat Torah, Sukkot, Torah
Dancing With Creation
Sukkos is the time of our joy, and Simchas Torah offers a highly tangible expression of our ecstatic expression. Whether momentary or mundane, each year we return in joy to the beginning of…
- 5779, 5780, Adath Israel, Comprehensive Exams, Davening, Dissertation, Faithfulness, HUC, JTS, Relationship, Rosh Hoshannah, Sukkot, Yamim Noraim, Yom Kippur
Decad[e]ing Dreams
After Hebrew school wrapped up last year, I went into deep study mode for my comprehensive exams. B”H, I passed them and am now ABD!* This summer I learned French (to pass a…
- Affliction, Discharge, Infection, Komps Kaos, Leprosy, Leviticus, Loneliness, Medicine, Metzora, Outcasts, Parsha, Plagues, Priests, Quarantine, Sickness, Skin Diseases, Society, Suffering, Vayikra
Quarantined
We don’t think very much about leprosy today. This “ancient” disease plagued people in the Bible (Tanakh), and later in the New Testament. Those who suffered from such a communicable disease were outcasts…
- Childbirth, Children, Family, Generations, Komps Kaos, Leviticus, Maternity Leave, Offering, Parents, Parsha, Provision, Purity, Ritual, Separation, Skin Diseases, Tazria, Vayikra
Ancient Maternity Leave
Parashat Tazria consists of only two chapters, but they are packed to the gills with instructions about bodily purity. This year, the opening verses caught my attention – instructions for women following childbirth.…
- Aaron, Challah, Death, Fire, Hebrew, Kashrut, Komps Kaos, Leviticus, Offering, Parsha, Presence, Priests, Purity, Rabbis, Shmini, Tabernacle, Vayikra, Worship
A Ceremony of Death & Kashrut
The first chapter of Parashat Shmini ceremoniously presents G!d’s appearance before the Israelites, after a series of instructions which they follow, led by the priests. I really wanted to say unceremoniously, even though…
- Aaron, Anointing, Ceremony, Instructions, Intention, Israelites, Komps Kaos, Leviticus, Nation, Offering, Parsha, Priests, Purim, Service, Shul, Tzav, Vayikra, Worship
Pure Intentions…
In Parashat Tzav, instructions for offerings continue, as well as instructions for what the priests should offer to G!d. Rather than allowing Aaron and his sons to simply be covered by the offering…
- Amidah, Avodah, Instructions, Israel, Komps Kaos, Law, Leviticus, Nation, Offering, Parsha, Prayer, Purim, Service, Tabernacle, Temple, Torah, Vayikra, Worship
Let’s See What We Have To Offer…
Vayikra (Leviticus) is famous for the ability to hide sometimes – the laws, instructions, and repetitions that wrapped up Exodus continue in the third book of the Torah. There are a few verses…
- Beauty, Exodus, Faithfulness, Freedom, Instructions, Komps Kaos, Oppression, Parsha, Pekudei, Physical Presence, Priests, Promises, Redemption, Relationship, Shemot, Slavery, Tabernacle, Temple, Tent of Meeting
Enduring Beauty
Every year when I read Exodus, I begin to feel like the last few weeks’ parshiyot are a long repetition (in case that wasn’t obvious to you from my recent reflections). Maybe they’re…
- Commandments, Communication, Craftsmen, Exodus, Israelites, Komps Kaos, Listening, Moses, Parsha, Shemot, Sinai, Tabernacle, Tent of Meeting, Vayakhel
A Long Game of Telephone
We’ve been reading about the Tabernacle for a while now. You can probably list off many of the instructions for building the Tent of Meeting with your eyes closed. This week, we’ll hear…
- Attributes, Birthday, Characteristics, Creativity, Exodus, Golden Calf, Ki Tisa, Komps Kaos, Moses, Parsha, Radiance, Shemot, Sinai, Tabernacle, Tablets, Tent of Meeting
Charactering the Creator
Almost every week I say to someone, “This parsha is one of my favorites” – and this week, that’s definitely true! Full of stories and one of the most diverse parshiyot, Ki Tisa…