וְלֹ֥א אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְבַדְּכֶ֑ם אָנֹכִ֗י כֹּרֵת֙ אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־הָאָלָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת כִּי֩ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֶשְׁנ֜וֹ פֹּ֗ה עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד הַיּ֔וֹם לִפְנֵ֖י ה’ אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאֵ֨ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵינֶ֛נּוּ פֹּ֖ה עִמָּ֥נוּ הַיּֽוֹם׃ I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, but both with those who are standing here with us this day before our God HaShem and with thoseContinue reading “Shabbat Nitzavim-VaYelekh 5786: All Of Us”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Shabbat Ki Tavo: the Promise, the Curse, and the Blessing
אָר֗וּר מַטֶּ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט גֵּר־יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן׃ Cursed be the one who subverts the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.—And all the people shall say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27.19) Shalom beloveds, On this Shabbat we find our ancestors poised to enter the Land of Promise. Whenever we read about the “Promised Land”Continue reading “Shabbat Ki Tavo: the Promise, the Curse, and the Blessing”
Shabbat Shoftim: Singular and Plural
ancient wall with gateway at Tel Dan, northern Galilee _______________________________________________________ doing the same thing over and over gets old after a while, so we take a break. Is that all there is to the acts of our lives, and the work of our hands? In their wisdom, our ancestors understood that human nature is changeable;Continue reading “Shabbat Shoftim: Singular and Plural”
Shabbat Ekev: As a Result of Listening
וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ And if you do obey these rules and observe them carefully, your God יהוה will maintain faithfully for you the covenant made on oath with your fathers (Deuteronomy 7.12) Our parasha for this Second Shabbat of ConsolationContinue reading “Shabbat Ekev: As a Result of Listening”
Shabbat Nahamu: The Consolation of Community
on a cold morning a small bird finds warmth clinging to the neck of a neighbor horse This Shabbat is Shabbat Nakhamu, the Shabbat of Consolation. No Shabbat of the year cries out for meaningful community more than this one. Which of us can ever feel completely consoled unless we have been seen? In theContinue reading “Shabbat Nahamu: The Consolation of Community”
Shabbat Matot-Masei: Words, Words, Words
“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”
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”
Torah for the 21st Century by Rabbi Ariel Stone 