Sacrifices Seen Through Love and Law
Mar 31, 2012 By David Levy | Commentary | Text Study | Pesah
Every year, the weeks during which the Torah portions of Leviticus are read, many Jews complain about the challenge of finding interest or meaning in such esoteric material. I, myself, also struggle to engage deeply with these texts when I forget that even our ancient Sages felt the need to bolster the relevance of these laws, which largely became defunct after the Second Temple was destroyed.
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Swallowed in the Ground
Apr 7, 2012 By Rabbi Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Pesah
Swallowed in the ground,
Saved from forces stronger than ourselves,
Hooves over our heads.
A miracle occurred.
Freedom As Process
Apr 14, 2012 By Charlie Schwartz | Commentary | Text Study | Pesah
The last days of Passover take on a relaxed feel for me. With the cleaning done, the four cups of wine, Hillel sandwiches, and bitter herbs a distant memory, I tend to focus on the remaining festival days and the visions of fully leavened bread that are inclined to pop into my head. The midrash above, based on the Torah reading for the seventh day of Passover, creates a sharp contrast to this feeling of relaxation and matzah saturation.
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Who Are You? A Question For All Of Us
May 21, 2014 By Eliezer B. Diamond z”l | Short Video | Shavuot
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A Deer In The Sheepfold: A Conversion Tale
May 21, 2014 By Anne Lapidus Lerner | Short Video | Shavuot
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Brothers: Isaac And Ishmael
Sep 9, 2014 By Burton L. Visotzky | Short Video | Rosh Hashanah
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Choosing Love and Life
Jul 14, 2012 By Andrew Shugerman | Commentary | Pinehas | Tishah Be'av
Every summer I find striking the juxtaposition of Parashat Pinhas with its place in our calendar. This portion either soon follows (as it does this year) or immediately precedes 17 Tammuz. We always read the complete description of the biblical holidays’ offerings with the calamities listed above also in mind. This litany of misfortunes does not only include those related to the end of Temple-based worship; it also locates within the Torah the origin of each of these infamous dates observed as fast days. Those interpretations teach a deeper lesson about Jewish unity when considered with this week’s Torah portion and current events.
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