Weekly Torah Reading, Beha‘alotekha, June 14, 2025
Weekly Torah Reading, Beha‘alotekha, June 14, 2025 Forget the Cucumbers In the biblical book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet), the author advises, “Do not say, ‘How has it come about that things were better in earlier times than now?’ for you …
Weekly Torah Reading, Naso, June 7, 2025
Weekly Torah Reading, Naso, June 7, 2025 The Priestly Blessing Among all the different items covered in this week’s reading is a brief commandment to Aaron and his sons. As is well known, Aaron’s sons will henceforth be the …
Weekly Torah Reading, BeMidbar, May 31, 2025
Weekly Torah Reading, BeMidbar, May 31, 2025 Numbers 1:1-4:20 Without a Look This week’s Torah reading begins with a detailed census of Israel’s tribes. However, the Levites are not included in the census; they are listed separately afterwards. The …
Weekly Torah Reading, Emor, May 17, 2025
Weekly Torah Reading, Emor, May 17, 2025 Very, Very Much Humble This week’s reading mostly consists of a long list of misfortunes that will befall the people of Israel if they fail to keep God’s commandments. This list is …
Weekly Torah Reading, Aharei Mot-Kedoshim, May 10, 2025
Weekly Torah Reading, Aharei Mot-Kedoshim, May 10, 2025 Leviticus 16:1 to 20:27 Loving Your Neighbor No doubt the most famous verse in this week’s double reading, Aḥarei Mot-Kedoshim, is Lev 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor like yourself.” Rabbi Akiva …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyikra, April 5, 2025
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyikra, April 5, 2025 Leviticus 1:1-5:26 Heresies Avoided Hebrew doesn’t have capital letters: the first letter in a sentence, or the first letter of a proper noun, is written the same size as a letter …
Weekly Torah Reading, Pekudei, March 29, 2025
Weekly Torah Reading, Pekudei, March 29, 2025 The Opposite of Patience This week’s reading ends the Torah’s account of the building of the mishkan, the portable sanctuary created to allow the Israelites to worship during their travels …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyakhel, March 22, 2025
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayyakhel, March 22, 2025 Mirrors and Their Meaning This week’s reading recounts in detail how the Israelites carried out God’s commandment to build a tabernacle (mishkan)—the moveable sanctuary that would serve as a kind of temple during …