In these days of many kinds of prayers, let us consider the nature of Jewish prayer. Jews pray in highly specific ways, teaching us by way of this mindfulness practice a Jewish ethics of existence. The first kind of prayer we see demonstrated in our siddur, our makhzor and any other kind of prayer compilationContinue reading “Shabbat Shelakh L’kha: Trust or Fail”
Tag Archives: parashat hashavua
Shabbat BaMidbar: Now It Gets Scary
Have you begun to ration your news consumption yet? Many of us are finding it the only way to get through a week in these strange and stressful times. Just scanning headlines can feel as if one is absorbing blow after blow of disappointment, concern, anger, and yes, of fear. One source of guidance –Continue reading “Shabbat BaMidbar: Now It Gets Scary”
Shabbat BeHar-BeHukkotai: The Torah of Tokhekhah
COVIDלֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃ You shall not hate your neighbor in your heart. Reprove your neighbor, but incur no guilt because of them. – VaYikra 19.17 On this Shabbat we come to the end of the book VaYikra, Leviticus, and we are confronted by a difficult section of the TorahContinue reading “Shabbat BeHar-BeHukkotai: The Torah of Tokhekhah”
Shabbat Tazria/Metzora: “The One Who is Ill Shall Be Separated from the Camp”
…and other surprisingly relevant aspects of ancient Jewish text in the days of COVID-19 In years past it has been tempting to dismiss this doubled parasha in VaYikra (Leviticus) as superstition at worst and outmoded at best. Because of the focus on skin disease, we laugh at “the dermatologists’ parsha” and wait for more upliftingContinue reading “Shabbat Tazria/Metzora: “The One Who is Ill Shall Be Separated from the Camp””
Shabbat Shemini: Teach Us To Count Our Days
למנות ימינו כן הודע ונביא לבב חכמה Limnot yameynu keyn hoda’ v’navi levav hokhmah “Teach us to count our days that we might acquire a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90.12 “What day is it?” This isolation we are practicing for the sake of public health, and the disruption of the routines that define the daysContinue reading “Shabbat Shemini: Teach Us To Count Our Days”
Shabbat Re’eh: Seeing Hope, Being Blessing
This coming Shabbat is Shabbat Re’eh. We study a parashah named for the command “see!” רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה See, this day I set before you blessing and curse (Devarim 11.26) It is the second Shabbat of Consolation, a time in which our tradition urges us to lift up our heads from the searing despair of TishaContinue reading “Shabbat Re’eh: Seeing Hope, Being Blessing”
Shabbat Balak: Fear and Loathing, and a Talking Ass
This week, parashat Balak allows us to appreciate the importance of parables to communicate difficult truths concisely and memorably. As our story opens, one King Balak of Moab hears his people talking about the immigrants – the Israelites – nearing their border: “This horde will consume everything around us like cows eat all theContinue reading “Shabbat Balak: Fear and Loathing, and a Talking Ass”
Shabbat Mishpatim: Law and Order
The Talmud records that other peoples used to make fun of the Jews, as it was well known in the ancient world already that we had entered into a covenant with HaShem, with all its opportunities and responsibilities, without asking to see the fine print. That was last week; this week, we read many of theContinue reading “Shabbat Mishpatim: Law and Order”
Shabbat VaEra: To Appear, Perchance to be Seen
Our parashat hashavua (the week’s Torah text) describes the ultimate I-Thou moment, between Moshe Rabbenu (the way Moses is known in our tradition, as “Moshe our Rabbi”) and HaShem (the way G*d is known in our tradition. Out of respect, the word “adonai” is avoided, in speech and in print, outside of prayer). ‘וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יוContinue reading “Shabbat VaEra: To Appear, Perchance to be Seen”
Shabbat Shuvah: Remember Who You Are
Every year we observe Shabbat Shuvah between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. It is not the same parashah every year, though; this year, our Torah text is parashat VaYelekh, “he went.” It refers to Moshe, called in our tradition Moshe Rabbenu, “our Rabbi” – our teacher, our guide, our spiritual support. וַיֵּלֶךְ, מֹשֶׁה; וַיְדַבֵּר אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה,Continue reading “Shabbat Shuvah: Remember Who You Are”
Torah for the 21st Century by Rabbi Ariel Stone 