Shabbat VaEra: Breathe

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה But when Moses told this to the Israelites, they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage (Exodus 6.9) Traditional Jewish teaching about the escape of our ancestor Israelites from Egypt maintains that it could not occur until we criedContinue reading “Shabbat VaEra: Breathe”

Shabbat VaYekhi: Deathbed Blessings

Two good things are near to you and far from you,  far from you and near to you:  Repentance is near to you and far from you,  far from you and near to you. Death is near to you and far from you,  far from you and near to you. – Kohelet Rabbah 8.17 In parashatContinue reading “Shabbat VaYekhi: Deathbed Blessings”