Weekly Torah Reading, Tetsavveh, February 16, 2019
Adam Had No Clothes This week’s Torah reading describes the special garments to be worn by the kohanim (priests) in the Temple. Those garments were no minor detail. In ancient Israel, clothes made the kohen; kohanim couldn’t serve in the …
Weekly Torah Reading, Terumah, March 4, 2017
The Human Garden This week’s reading contains God’s instructions for the building of the mishkan, the traveling tabernacle (i.e., a big tent) in which the Israelites will offer sacrifices to God. Hardly a detail is left unmentioned. We learn about …
Weekly Torah Reading, Mishpatim, February 2, 2019
Is Abortion Legal? This week’s reading contains numerous laws governing various aspects of daily life. At first, some of these might seem far removed from our own daily lives. You’re probably not going to pay anyone compensating for your …
Weekly Torah Reading, Yitro, January 26, 2019
How Much Is Torah Worth? This week’s reading includes the famous account of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The people of Israel stood at the foot of the mountain as the Ten Commandments were solemnly proclaimed. Of …
Weekly Torah Reading Beshallaḥ February 19, 2019
Two Great Songs This week’s reading prominently features the Song of the Sea—the song that the Israelites sang after their miraculous crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15). For this reason, this Shabbat is also known as Shabbat Shirah, …
Weekly Torah Reading, Bo’, January 12, 2019
With a Heavy Heart Why does God say to Moses “Come [bo’] to Pharaoh” at the start of this week’s reading? Shouldn’t that be “Go to Pharaoh”? Or is God hinting that He himself will have already gone to …
Weekly Torah Reading, Va’era, January 5, 2019
“Alas for Those Who Have Passed Away” The first two verses of this week’s reading have long posed a problem for interpreters. God says to Moses, “I am the Lord.” (Here the Torah uses God’s holiest name, the one that …
Weekly Torah Reading Shemot December 29, 2018
Mind Your Own Business Despite Pharaoh’s cruel decrees against the people of Israel, the Israelite population just kept increasing. Even his order to have all newborn babies thrown into the Nile didn’t work: the mother of the newborn Moses did …