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Shabbat Weekly Dvar Torah

When Loving Is Difficult

May 6, 2022

When Loving Is Difficult

The name of the parsha is taken from the first important word at the outset of the portion (which is how all parshiot get their name)—Kedoshim Tehiyu/ Be holy! No one is entirely sure what the word Kedusha / Holiness means, but at bare minimum, it implies the elevation of human beings and our actions from animal-like to G!D-like.
The GOAT That Isn’t So Great

Apr 29, 2022

The GOAT That Isn’t So Great

The term "scapegoat" was apparently coined by William Tyndale, the first great English Bible translator, and has come to mean "someone whom people blame for their own misfortunes and even for their faults and sins--though the original notion of a scapegoat included the public acknowledgement by the community of its own transgressions."
Counting the Omer: The Next Phase of Our Spiritual Journey

Apr 21, 2022

Counting the Omer: The Next Phase of Our Spiritual Journey

This week, at the conclusion of Havdalah, we will bid farewell to Shabbat and the festival of Pesach, and begin a new journey, a spiritual ascent to Mt. Sinai. On the second night of Pesach, we began counting the omer, a spiritual exercise, as we prepare to receive the gift of Torah.
Slavery: Inside and Out

Apr 15, 2022

Slavery: Inside and Out

One of the more challenging questions about the seder - How do we make it relevant today? Here is one suggestion. Let’s start by discussing a well-known statement found in the Haggadah: “In every generation a person is required to see oneself as if he personally went out of Egypt.” How is it possible to do this? And why is this necessary?
Pesach: How to Preserve Our Freedom

Apr 8, 2022

Pesach: How to Preserve Our Freedom

The Pesach seder is an event filled with symbols that have dual and opposite meanings; likewise, there’s a subtext of argumentation. It’s ‘organized’ argumentation - like the Talmud - but built into the Haggadah (the “script’ of the seder) is debate and even conflict among the participants.
The Slap

Apr 1, 2022

The Slap

When I was 12, a few weeks before my Bat Mitzvah, I went in to meet with one of the rabbis of my synagogue. At the time, the synagogue newsletter included a “pasuk of the week,” a verse from that week’s Torah portion that was particularly interesting or thought provoking. However, as the rabbi confessed to me, the week of my bat mitzvah was to be the end of that custom. He just couldn’t find anything that fit the bill. That week’s parashah? Tazria.
Igniting The Fire Within Ourselves

Mar 25, 2022

Igniting The Fire Within Ourselves

While there is an ocean of difference between pagan Greek myth [of Icarus] and our Torah, often cross-cultural comparisons can be enlightening. Interestingly, the very hubris that motivated Icarus’s downfall is reflected in a different way in this week’s parashah (Shmini) in a story, which has troubled many.
Purim Redux: Jew vs. Haman Once Again

Mar 18, 2022

Purim Redux: Jew vs. Haman Once Again

As I write these words, I have just watched a young 44-year-old former comedian in an olive drab t-shirt address the Congress of the United States and indeed the world. It is a Churchillian moment, although he is speaking in Ukrainian, and this young political novice within weeks has not only become the voice of his people but has embodied the consciousness of the world.
How Do We Make Jewish Learning Relevant?

Mar 11, 2022

How Do We Make Jewish Learning Relevant?

One of the main challenges of Jewish education in the twenty-first century is finding relevance in Jewish learning... This week’s Torah portion is Vayikra, the first portion in the book of Vayikra, translated [from Hebrew to Latin] as Leviticus. It discusses aspects of the korbanot or sacrifices that were made in the Tabernacle and later the Temple, but it is hard to find meaning in the detailed ancient practices.
The Work of Our Hands

Mar 4, 2022

The Work of Our Hands

This Shabbat we read Parashat P’kudei, containing the final verses of the Book of Exodus. The Exodus narrative takes us on an incredible journey from bondage in Egypt to the experience of revelation at Sinai and the transformation of the Israelites to a people committed to a life guided by Torah and walking in G!d’s ways.