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Shabbat Weekly Dvar Torah

Running, Hiding and Finding Yourself

Jul 25, 2025

Running, Hiding and Finding Yourself

Most of us remember playing hide-and-seek as children. I often thought of the game as one that revealed the difference between those of us who relished being “it” (trying to find their friends after the proper period of counting) and those for whom being “it” came with severe anxiety. As far as the hiders went, growing up was marked by being able to find ever more sophisticated places to take refuge. It was only when the cry of “Ollie Ollie oxen free!” could be heard that we knew it was safe to come out. And it all began again from there. This Shabbat we read the Torah portions Matot-Masei, which taken together, bring the book of Numbers to a close. Among the many matters discussed — such as the rules for entering a foreign city and the taking-on and annulling of vows — are the cities of refuge to be established once the Israelites settle in Canaan.
The Daughters Who Spoke Up

Jul 18, 2025

The Daughters Who Spoke Up

Every so often, the Jewish calendar gives us a parsha that arrives right on time — not just in the weekly rhythm of Torah, but in the deeper rhythm of our lives. Parshat Pinchas is one of those moments. On the surface, it’s not a parsha that immediately signals inclusion. It begins with zealotry and ends with offerings. But tucked within its verses is a quiet, powerful revolution led by five women — daughters who asked a question, told the truth, and changed Torah forever. Their names — Machla, Noa, Hogla, Milka, and Tirza — are not just listed once. The Torah mentions them again and again. We are meant to remember them, to speak their names, to learn from their courage. Their father, Tzelophechad, had died without sons. And in the system of inheritance at the time, that meant his family’s name, and land, would be erased.
To See Ourselves As Others See Us

Jul 11, 2025

To See Ourselves As Others See Us

As Balak begins, the 40 years of desert wandering have passed and the Israelites finally arrive on the borders of the land of Canaan. They are about to move in and conquer it all and seem unstoppable to their opponents. Balak, King of Moab, a neighboring nation, comes up with a novel plan: he will hire Bilaam, a top pagan sorcerer, to curse the Israelites, destroying their chances of defeating his own army and entering his land. Only the scheme doesn’t work. Bilaam may be a polytheistic prophet, but he is also an honest man who conveys only what God permits him to say. This is a colorful portion: we are gifted with such entities as a professional sorcerer-for-hire, an angel with a fiery sword, a talking donkey…
When the Long Road is the Only Road

Jul 4, 2025

When the Long Road is the Only Road

In the immediate aftermath of the horrors of October 7, there was a fleeting sense among many of us that a swift, decisive, and clear victory might be within reach. But nearly two years later — despite the remarkable achievements of the IDF and perhaps even because of them — that initial hope has given way to a deep and widespread sense of exhaustion. This fatigue has seeped into nearly every corner of Israeli society. The ongoing anguish over the hostages, the mounting toll of casualties, the refusal of the Haredi community to share in the burden of national defense, and the constant disruption of daily life have left a nation frayed and disoriented. Worse still, we find ourselves divided — politically, ideologically, even spiritually — on how to move forward.
Pride and the Dangerous Beauty of Being Free

Jun 27, 2025

Pride and the Dangerous Beauty of Being Free

There’s a certain kind of person who simply cannot handle other people being free. Not because they oppose freedom, of course. Heavens, no! They'll say things like: "I'm all for justice!" or "I believe in equality!" — as long as you don’t outshine them … Once you start living a little too out loud? Suddenly they’re quoting scripture, calling security, and suggesting it’s “not the right time.” Welcome to Parshat Korach, where the Torah introduces us to a man who would have absolutely crushed it on Instagram Reels.
We Were Grasshoppers - It’s Time to Be Lions

Jun 20, 2025

We Were Grasshoppers - It’s Time to Be Lions

Like so many of you, I’ve been feeling it all for a week — terror, awe, dread, gratitude. I have been glued to my screen, stunned by the audacity and precision of the IDF, the IAF, and the Mossad. Who are these people? I kept asking. How do they dare? Then came messages from friends and family in Israel under fire. Exhausted, anxious, heartbroken. Yet still — steady. Determined. United. One phrase kept running through my mind: We are living in Biblical times. There’s something ancient and electric in the air. Even the name of this war — Am KeLavi, “A Nation/ People Like a Lion” — is drawn straight from the Torah (Bemidbar/ Numbers 23:24).
Interludes of Connection

Jun 13, 2025

Interludes of Connection

The truth is that we are all heading to unhappy endings. If we take a step back and consider the big picture, we are all going to die. If we take an even bigger step and consider where humanity is heading, things don’t look good. The authors of the Torah didn’t have our scientific knowledge, but they were intimately aware that life steers us away from happy endings. Instead of offering definitive happily-ever-afters, the Torah shows us an ongoing push and pull between connection and disconnection. When the people of Israel arrive in Egypt at the end of the book of Genesis, it seems that they have a promising future with a friendly pharaoh. But then the Israelite population kept growing, and a “pharaoh who did not know” them rose to power.
Bestowing Blessings On Each Other

Jun 6, 2025

Bestowing Blessings On Each Other

The priestly blessing found in this week’s parashah, Naso, is one that has been an important part of our people’s story for three millennia. In the days when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the priests offered this blessing on behalf of G-d to the people. This tradition continues today in many congregations, where those who are descendants of the Kohanim, the high priests, ascend the bimah and bless the congregation. This blessing is also recited under the chuppah, when children are welcomed into the covenant and named, and it is the prayer bestowed upon children by their parents at Shabbat and holy days. The three benedictions of this prayer are simple and yet incredibly powerful. The words ring in our ears as we consider the many special moments when we’ve heard them. I recently came across a story that spoke of the extreme importance and power of these words.
Everyone Counts: What Parshat Bamidbar & Pride Month Teach Us About Sacred Belonging

May 30, 2025

Everyone Counts: What Parshat Bamidbar & Pride Month Teach Us About Sacred Belonging

As we step into the month of June — Pride Month — the Jewish calendar hands us Parshat Bamidbar, the first Torah portion in the Book of Numbers. And yes, it opens with… a census. It’s the spiritual equivalent of a divine Excel spreadsheet: rows, columns, names, tribes, tallies. Not exactly the kind of Torah portion that screams, “Celebrate queerness!” And yet — Bamidbar may be exactly what we need this month. Because buried within its orderly accounting is a message that’s anything but bureaucratic. Rashi, our ever-astute medieval commentator, tells us that God commanded the census not for logistics, but for love.
Education is our Jewish Superpower

May 23, 2025

Education is our Jewish Superpower

This week’s double Torah portion, Behar–Bechukotai, closes out the book of Leviticus with what can only be described as a spiritual mic drop — or maybe more accurately, a Torah-powered origin story. Because what we get here isn’t just a list of laws. It’s a blueprint for building a society powered not by force, but by faith. Not by conquest, but by conscience. And most importantly — by the superpower we’ve relied on for generations: learning. In Parshat Behar, we encounter Shmita — the mitzvah to let the land rest every seven years. No planting. No harvesting. No business as usual. Just stop. Trust. Recharge. It’s the Torah’s version of powering down in order to power up.