וַיַּ֨רְא מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־כׇּל־הַמְּלָאכָ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ עָשׂ֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה כֵּ֣ן עָשׂ֑וּ וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹתָ֖ם מֹשֶֽׁה When Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks—as the LORD had commanded, so they had done—Moses blessed them. (Ex. 39.43) One of the fascinating aspects of Torah study is how archaeological discoveries often offer adjustments to what we thinkContinue reading “Shabbat Pekudey/HaHodesh: once more, with kavvanah!”
Monthly Archives: March 2025
Shabbat VaYak’hel/Parah: Every Little Bit
לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. It is not up to you to finish the work – yet neither are you free to give up. (Pirke Avot 2.26) Our parashat hashavua might seem to be a boring, overly detailed account of every little detail that went into the actual construction ofContinue reading “Shabbat VaYak’hel/Parah: Every Little Bit”
Shabbat Ki Tisa: Truth requires Mercy
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי׃ “you cannot see My face, for a human being may not see Me and live.” (Ex. 33.20) “You can’t handle the truth.” – Col. Jessup, A Few Good Men, Aaron Sorkin, 1992 This Shabbat we read from parashat Ki Tisa, in close proximity to the storyContinue reading “Shabbat Ki Tisa: Truth requires Mercy”
Shabbat Zakhor: What are we supposed to remember? to forget?
What are we supposed to remember to forget? Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt— how, undeterred by fear of G!d, they surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear. Therefore…you shall blot out the memory ofContinue reading “Shabbat Zakhor: What are we supposed to remember? to forget?”
Torah for the 21st Century by Rabbi Ariel Stone 