“What are you reading, my lord?” “Words, words, words.” – Hamlet Act II scene 2 אִישׁ֩ כִּֽי־יִדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר לה’ אֽוֹ־הִשָּׁ֤בַע שְׁבֻעָה֙ לֶאְסֹ֤ר אִסָּר֙ עַל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכׇל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ If anyone makes a vow to HaShem or takes an oath imposing an obligation on themselves, they shall not break their pledge; they must carryContinue reading “Shabbat Matot-Masei: Words, Words, Words”
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Shabbat Pinhas: With Leaders Like These
פִּֽינְחָ֨ס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֜ר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הֵשִׁ֤יב אֶת־חֲמָתִי֙ מֵעַ֣ל בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּקַנְא֥וֹ אֶת־קִנְאָתִ֖י בְּתוֹכָ֑ם וְלֹא־כִלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּקִנְאָתִֽי “Pinhas, son of Elazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion” (Numbers 25.11) אָמַרContinue reading “Shabbat Pinhas: With Leaders Like These”
Shabbat Korakh: An Authentic Team Member
וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, took… (Numbers 16.1) found on a wall at a resistance gathering in October 2021, Portland Oregon The parashah for this week’s learning is Korakh, named for the leader of a rebellion against Moshe. It’s not the first rebellion norContinue reading “Shabbat Korakh: An Authentic Team Member”
Shabbat Shelakh L’kha: Look and Remember
Look at Them and Remember seen in a clothing store window on Ben Yehudah Street in Jerusalem In this week’s Torah reading, parashat hashavua Shelakh L’kha, we come across a very familiar text to anyone who davens even irregularly: דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וְעָשׂ֨וּ לָהֶ֥ם צִיצִ֛ת עַל־כַּנְפֵ֥י בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹתָ֑ם וְנָ֥תְנ֛וּ עַל־צִיצִ֥ת הַכָּנָ֖ף פְּתִ֥יל תְּכֵֽלֶת׃ Continue reading “Shabbat Shelakh L’kha: Look and Remember”
Shabbat BeHa’alot’kha: It Won’t be Perfect, Do It Anyway
There is a difference between Christian and Jewish religious ethics: Christian theology posits that the messiah has already arrived, and therefore they are called upon to practice messianic ethics. For Jews, who are still waiting for a messiah, all we have are messy ethics. – Dr Byron Sherwin ז״ל For this week in which weContinue reading “Shabbat BeHa’alot’kha: It Won’t be Perfect, Do It Anyway”
Shabbat Naso 5786
“if I were a rich man…” הַמַּבְדִיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל. חַטֹּאתֵינוּ הוּא יִמְחוֹל. זַרְעֵנוּ וְכַסְפֵּנוּ יַרְבֶּה כַּחוֹל. וְכַכּוֹכָבִים בַּלָּיְלָה May HaShem who separates between the holy and the mundane forgive our sins and increase our offspring and our money like sand and like stars at night – from the Havdalah prayer This is the oldestContinue reading “Shabbat Naso 5786”
Shabbat Shavuot: Process Not Place
Receiving the Torah, Moving Toward Wholeness Giving of the Torah: Becoming Whole ראוים היו ישראל לקבל התורה במדבר דווקא, כי האדם שנקרא על שם האדמה, כאשר אין לו תורה נחשב כמדבר שאין בו עשב וצמח האדמה. ובשביל חסרון האדם שהוא כמו מדבר ניתנה לו התורה להשלימו, ואז האדמה הזאת מוציאה אילנות וצמחים שלה. It wasContinue reading “Shabbat Shavuot: Process Not Place”
Shabbat BaMidbar: Standing Together
כל ישראל ערבין זה בזה kol yisrael arevin zeh bazeh All Israel are guarantors, each for each other שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל. אין עלויין של ישראל אלא בקיום התורה, ועל כן אחז הכתוב לשון שאו שהוא לשון כולל “take a census of the entire assembly of the Jewish people, etc.” TheContinue reading “Shabbat BaMidbar: Standing Together”
Shabbat Emor: from suffering to hope
בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֜י בְּאַרְבָּעָ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר י֛וֹם בֵּ֥ין הָעַרְבַּ֖יִם יַעֲשׂ֣וּ אֹת֑וֹ עַל־מַצּ֥וֹת וּמְרֹרִ֖ים יֹאכְלֻֽהוּ׃ לֹֽא־יַשְׁאִ֤ירוּ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ עַד־בֹּ֔קֶר וְעֶ֖צֶם לֹ֣א יִשְׁבְּרוּ־ב֑וֹ כְּכׇל־חֻקַּ֥ת הַפֶּ֖סַח יַעֲשׂ֥וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃ They shall offer [Pesakh Sheni] in the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and they shall not leaveContinue reading “Shabbat Emor: from suffering to hope”
Shabbat Akharei Mot/Kedoshim 5786
Shabbat Akharei Mot Kedoshim 5786:Be Holy (Like a Pharisee) (Pharisees), [literally: “those who are separated” from self-indulgence, as will be explained, or “those who practice self-restraint”]. – R Moshe ben Nakhman This Shabbat is the first after the 78th observance of the establishment of the modern state of Israel. Balancing a fine line between my own feelingsContinue reading “Shabbat Akharei Mot/Kedoshim 5786”
Torah for the 21st Century by Rabbi Ariel Stone 