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Ethics of War
Aug 14, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Ki Tetzei
Parashat Ki Tetzei opens by teaching one of the biblical ordinances related to ethical conduct in war.
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Roads to Nonviolence
Aug 7, 2013 By Ofra Arieli Backenroth | Commentary | Shofetim
Is there a way to wage war in a humane way?
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Healing of Body and Soul (Part 2)
Aug 7, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary
If an anthropology student from the University of Mars were to attend a Shabbat morning service in an American Jewish synagogue, what kind of understanding about our real synagogue lives might emerge in the student鈥檚 term paper on the topic? The essay might suggest that announcements and kiddush are the most important parts of the experience because that is when the most people are present. The Martian professor (whose appearance we will not explore here) might urge the student to be more subtle and to observe closely the body language of the human participants to discern which parts of the service are most engaging and important to those present.
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Leave Egypt Behind
Aug 7, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Shofetim
The Cairo Genizah鈥攁 treasure trove of Jewish history rediscovered by Solomon Schechter toward the end of the 19th century (43,000 fragments of which are housed in The Library of 91抖阴)鈥攁ttests to the rich Jewish life that flourished in Egypt and beyond.
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Balancing Peshat and Sensitivity
Jul 31, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Re'eh
Parashat Re’eh contains a categorical pronouncement against idolatry in the Land of Israel.
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Bacon in the Season of Repentance
Jul 31, 2013 By Charlie Schwartz | Commentary | Re'eh
As it becomes clear that living and dealing with 鈥渂acon mania鈥� is part of early 21st-century life in the United States, now is a good time to reflect on the Jewish prohibition of eating pork, which appears in this week鈥檚 parashah.
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Healing of Body and Soul (Part 1)
Jul 31, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary
In addition to the well-known mi sheberakh prayer for healing recited (or sung, in modern versions) during the Shabbat Torah Service, our liturgy engages with the theme of healing in the weekday 鈥楢尘颈诲补丑, in the blessing that begins, 鈥�Refa鈥檈inu Adonai veneraf鈥檈i, hoshi鈥檈inu venivashe鈥檃鈥� (Heal us, Adonai, and we shall be healed, save us and we shall be saved). The blessing continues, asking for complete healing (refu鈥檃h sh鈥檒eymah) for all among the People of Israel who are unwell.
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Consolation and Repair
Jul 24, 2013 By Rabbi Abigail Treu | Commentary | Eikev
Here we find ourselves two weeks into the seven weeks marked ever so gently by their haftarot, the shiv鈥檃h d鈥檔ehemata (seven haftarot of comfort or consolation)鈥攕even weeks in which the haftarot have nothing to do with the parashiyot, and everything to do with where we are in the calendar year: heading from Tish鈥檃h Be鈥橝v into the season of teshuvah, and ultimately into a new year.
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Gratitude for the Land
Jul 24, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Eikev
Parashat Eikev is centered on the Land of Israel.
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Separation and Connectedness
Jul 17, 2013 By Leonard A. Sharzer | Commentary | Va'et-hannan
In Parashat Va-ethannan, Moses seems to have finally come to accept that he will not enter the Promised Land with the People, whom he liberated from Egyptian slavery and guided during a 40-year trek through the wilderness. As he concludes his first oration, he recalls his pleading with God to allow him to enter the Land, a plea that was denied because of his response to the demand of the People for water. Now, no longer pleading for a pardon, or even a commutation of the sentence, he exhorts the People to follow God鈥檚 commandments and the teachings he, Moses, has transmitted to them.
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Jerusalem
Jul 17, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary | Tishah Be'av
As we emerge from our encounter with destruction and desolation on Tish鈥檃h Be鈥橝v, we approach Shabbat Nahamu, named for the opening words of the haftarah 鈥�Nahamu nahamu ami鈥� (Be comforted, oh be comforted My people; Isa. 40:1). This becomes the week when we allow ourselves to encounter all the images of Jerusalem that are presented to us as signs and symbols of hope in our liturgy.
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Humility Toward God, Even in Victory
Jul 17, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Va'et-hannan
Parashat Va’et-hannan, the second Torah reading of the book of Deuteronomy, places much of its emphasis on the loyal observance of mitzvot, God鈥檚 commandments.
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A Just and Sustainable Society
Jul 13, 2013 By Daniel Nevins | Commentary | Devarim | Tishah Be'av
What is your vision of a righteous city? This is an important question, because this week is known as Shabbat Hazon, the Sabbath of Vision, and the vision offered by our prophets is that of a city that has gone astray, abandoning the path of righteousness.
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Taking Two to Tango
Jul 9, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Devarim
This coming Shabbat, we begin the fifth and final book of Torah as we read Parashat Devarim, the opening of the book of Deuteronomy.
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Tisha Be’av
Jul 8, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary | Tishah Be'av
These words will reach you during the nine days that lead to the fast on Tish鈥檃h Be鈥橝v, the day we mourn the destruction of the first and second Temples and many other tragedies of Jewish history. It is traditionally a complete fast鈥攆rom sunset until sunset鈥攚ith Yom Kippur the only other such fast day in the Jewish calendar. There is a Hasidic teaching that no halakhah concerning fasting on these days is needed, for 鈥渙n the black fast of Tish鈥檃h Be鈥橝v, who could eat, and on the white fast of Yom Kippur, who needs to eat?鈥�
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To Listen and to Discern
Jul 3, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Masei | Mattot
Parashat Mattot,the first of the two parashiyot this week, opens and closes with the idea of meaningful and thoughtful communication.
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“My Soul Thirsts for You”
Jul 2, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary
“My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You” (Ps. 63:2).
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鈥淭hey Said鈥�/鈥淭hey Said鈥�
Jul 2, 2013 By Walter Herzberg | Commentary | Masei | Mattot
In this week鈥檚 parashah, we are told that the children of Reuben and Gad 鈥渉ad a very great multitude of cattle鈥� (verse 1) and the land of Gilead on the eastern side of the Jordan was an excellent 鈥減lace for cattle.鈥� They, therefore, hoped that Moses would permit them to stay on the eastern side of the Jordan and not cross over to Canaan/Israel proper when the time would arrive to enter the Land.
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Turn Aside (Haseir) Evil Forces
Jun 25, 2013 By Samuel Barth | Commentary
, we began to explore Hashkiveinu, the blessing unique to the evening service that asks for peace through the night and renewed life in the morning (Siddur Sim Shalom for Weekdays, 140).
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Comfort Food
Jun 25, 2013 By Rabbi Abigail Treu | Commentary | Pinehas
When we go to help someone鈥攊n times of mourning, illness, or just a basic potluck pitch-in鈥攄o we give them what we need to give, or what they need of us? How are we to know, if we are not explicitly told, what will please, comfort, or help someone else the most? And the religious corollary to this line of thinking: do our answers change when it comes to bringing an offering to please or comfort not our friends, but God?
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