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torah commentary
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Broken promises addressed by Torah
Naso, Numbers 4:21-7:89 Parsha Naso is interesting. While a great deal of the sedra refers to its name, identifying the offerings and count of the leaders of each tribe, or nasiam, there are iso...
May 17, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend
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Our firstborn no longer belong to God
Bamidbar, Numbers 1:1-4:20 Once upon a time, a long time ago, every firstborn belonged to God. We were always supposed to give the first of all “our fruits” to God, literally. Now, let’s go way b...
May 09, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
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<i>Rabbi Aaron Bisno</i>
Shabbat as a utopian ideal
Behar-Behukotai, Leviticus 25:1-27:34 This week’s Torah reading is drawn from a double portion, Behar-Behukotai. Behar is associated with the laws of sabbatical; that is, we are instructed to al...
May 02, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend
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<i>Rabbi Scott Aaron</i>
You kiss your mother with that mouth? Blasphemy then and now
Parshat Emor, Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23 This week’s portion ends with a troubling story of blasphemy, social isolation and death.  (I know … a lot of our Torah portions have troubling stories of bla...
Apr 25, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 3 3 recommendations | email to a friend
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<i>Rabbi James Gibson</i>
‘Can’t we all just get along?’
Achare Mot–Kedoshim, Leviticus 16:1-20:27 Those famous words, “Can’t we all just get along?” were plaintively said by Rodney King, whose beating at the hands of the Los Angeles Police more than ...
Apr 18, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 3 3 recommendations | email to a friend
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<i>Rabbi Joe Hample</i>
Getting it together
Tazria-Metzora, Leviticus 12:1-15:33 Just between you and me, I feel a lot of ambivalence.  I’m full of faith and doubt, calm and stress, gloom and hope.  I’m an introverted extrovert, a sloppy p...
Apr 10, 2013 | 1 1 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend
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Archives
Vows make a difference, as tradition teaches
Mattot, Numbers 30:2–32:42
by Cantor Richard Berlin
Parkway Jewish Center
Jul 21, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 14 14 recommendations | email to a friend
“If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath imposing an obligation upon himself he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips.” — Numbers 30:2 “If a woman ...
Change is inevitable — and appropriate
Pinchas, Numbers 25:10-30:1
by Rabbi Aaron Bisno
Rodef Shalom Congregation
Jul 14, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 14 14 recommendations | email to a friend
Amidst the many disparate matters discussed in Parashat Pinchas, we read of Moses being informed by God that he will die before being permitted to enter the Promised Land. We then hear Moses ask Go...
Faith vs. fear, foe vs. faux
Balak, Numbers 22:2-25:9
by Rabbi Mark Joel Mahler
Temple Emanuel of South Hills
Jul 06, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 12 12 recommendations | email to a friend
Fateful and fraught is the number 40 in the Torah. Forty days of rain in the flood story, 40 days for Moses on Mt. Sinai, and 40 years wandering from Egypt to the Promised Land prove the power of t...
The irony of healing
Chukkat, Numbers 19:1-22:1
by Rabbi David C. Novitsky
Beth Israel Congregation, Washington
Jun 30, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 14 14 recommendations | email to a friend
At one time, there was a red heifer in Washington County, or so several individuals have told me. The Torah portion of this week discusses the red heifer. What exactly is a red heifer? The Bible in...
Location matters in disputes
Temple David Korach, Numbers 16:1-18:32
by Rabbi Barbara Symons
Temple David
Jun 24, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 16 16 recommendations | email to a friend
What is the proper arena for dispute? If you are a Food Network groupie, then you are familiar with the show “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.” In the territory of a chef’s kitchen, he cooks his own ve...
Temper mercy with anger when the kvetching starts
Shelach, Numbers 13:1-15:41
by Rabbi Beth Jacowitz Chottiner
Temple Shalom, Wheeling, W.Va.
Jun 16, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 14 14 recommendations | email to a friend
Kvetching is a great Yiddish word. It’s robust and full of flavor. And it’s something we find plenty of in this week’s Torah portion, Shelach. Twelve scouts are sent by G-d to the land of Canaan to...
‘Yitro Phenomenon’ is still with us
Behalotecha, Numbers 8:1-12:16
by Rabbi Jonathan Perlman
New Light Congregation
Jun 10, 2011 | 1 1 comments | 9 9 recommendations | email to a friend
“I have always believed I was Jewish,” Cathy said. This was her real reason for converting to Judaism, she confided to me. Though her ancestors came many generations ago from Sweden, she believed ...
Priestly blessing a reminder of 'shaddai,' 'shalom' Naso, Numbers 4:21-7:89
by Rabbi Sara Rae Perman, Congregation Emanu-El Israel, Greensburg
Jun 02, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 14 14 recommendations | email to a friend
Brought to You by the Letter ”Shin” (with thanks to the sofer Neil Yerman). Probably one of the best-known blessings comes from this Shabbat’s Torah portion: “May the Lord bless you and keep you. M...
Numbered or Innumerable? Bemidbar, Numbers 1:1-4:20
by Rabbi Jamie Gibson, Temple Sinai
May 26, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend
In this week’s parasha, Bemidbar, a census is called for to divide the Israelites up into their tribes and fighting units. The numbers are carefully counted, except for the Levites, who will not be...
Different ways to give, Parashat Behukotai, Leviticus 26:3-27:34
by Rabbi Art Donsky, Temple Ohav Shalom
May 23, 2011 | 0 0 comments | 11 11 recommendations | email to a friend
In the final chapter of Sefer Vayikra (Leviticus) in Parashat Behukotai we are presented with a description of three types of gifts that can be given for the sanctuary. The first type of gift is gi...