Do we believe in angels? It surprises me how often I am asked that question – that, or another one that asks about the “we” of Jews, and the “supposed to” of our beliefs. When you think about it, the whole idea that you are “supposed” to “believe” is already a curiosity. More, it isContinue reading “Shabbat VaYishlakh: Angels Among Us”
Tag Archives: parashat hashavua
Shabbat VaYetze: Trans Torah on Trans Day of Remembrance
On Shabbat VaYetze we read of Jacob’s leaving his family under threat of death from his brother. His escape is hurried and frightened, and his path traces an ironic reversal of Abraham’s, as Jacob has to leave his family home, the homeland promised to his grandfather’s and father’s descendants, and his people just to survive.Continue reading “Shabbat VaYetze: Trans Torah on Trans Day of Remembrance”
Shabbat Toldot: Keep Digging
This week’s parashat hashavua commentary is published by T’ruah, The Rabbinic Call For Human Rights. You can find it here: Torah from T’ruah.
Shabbat Hayye Sarah: A Mitzvah Abraham Overlooked
The strain of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac, in last week’s parashah, is too much for Sarah, according to the Midrash. This week’s parashah, named for her, begins with the announcement of her death. Immediately after the initial mourning which is Abraham’s purely human response, he has to pull it together. Why? Because after all theseContinue reading “Shabbat Hayye Sarah: A Mitzvah Abraham Overlooked”
Shabbat Noakh 5776: Raging Seas
These are difficult days. The bad news from Israel, and from so many other places of hurting and hatred, seems to come in waves, deep ones. On such a day as this one feels as if one might drown. The imagery of Jonah’s cry is gripping: The waters compassed me about, even unto the soul; theContinue reading “Shabbat Noakh 5776: Raging Seas”
Shabbat Bereshit: We’ll Keep the Light On
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep (Bereshit 1:2) First comes darkness, then light. (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 77b) At the beginning, there is darkness. This is not only true of the account of Creation as we find it in the Book we call Bereshit, known in English as “Genesis”.Continue reading “Shabbat Bereshit: We’ll Keep the Light On”
Shabbat Shuvah 5776
How long does it take for a Jew to write the first sin of 5776 in the Book of Life? Sometimes, only as long as it takes to get from davening to tashlikh. We are meant to take the whole ten Days of Awe to work our way toward a sense of forgiveness toward others and atonement forContinue reading “Shabbat Shuvah 5776”
Shabbat Ki Tavo: The Butterfly’s Wing
How has the human race come to this, that human beings cause the suffering and death of other human beings, even unto a three year old, photos of whose dead body are now all over the Internet? To take our parashat hashavua at face value, the evil way that human beings treat each other is explained very succinctly, inContinue reading “Shabbat Ki Tavo: The Butterfly’s Wing”
Shabbat Ki Tetze: You Can’t Choose Whether, but You Can Choose How
The title of our parashat hashavua is ki tetze, “when you go out”. The Torah is continuing to give instruction for how we shall behave when we go out from our place, and a number of possibilities are offered here. What we come to realize is that there is a Jewish ethic for any act. TheseContinue reading “Shabbat Ki Tetze: You Can’t Choose Whether, but You Can Choose How”
Shabbat Shoftim: No Justice, No Peace
This parashat hashavua offers us so much of the guidance we need for our community relationships – the parashah begins with three perfect verses that cover so much ground. שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים, תִּתֶּן-לְךָ בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ, לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ; וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת-הָעָם, מִשְׁפַּט-צֶדֶק. You must have judges and officers in all your gates which by theContinue reading “Shabbat Shoftim: No Justice, No Peace”
Torah for the 21st Century by Rabbi Ariel Stone 