Weekly Torah Readings: (in Israel) Kedoshim, May 7, 2016
Starting this week and continuing into August, the weekly Torah readings in Israel will be different from those outside of Israel. I plan to include both readings each week: first the Torah reading in Israel, followed by the one read …
Weekly Torah Reading, Aḥarei Mot, April 30 (in Israel), May 7 (outside Israel)
Two Sanctuaries The very beginning of the reading for this Shabbat ought to appear somewhat surprising. Following the death of Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, in the wilderness sanctuary (mishkan), God says to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron …
Torah Reading, Seventh Day of Passover, April 2016
Disproportionate Measure for Measure With the last of the Ten Plagues, Pharaoh was forced to relent, and the Israelites left Egypt “with hand held high,” that is, full of confidence. Nevertheless, God did not lead them by the shortest …
Weekly Torah Reading, Passover, April 23, 2016
Haggadah Tips, Part II In four different passages of the Torah, Jewish parents are commanded to tell their children about the exodus from Egypt ((Exod 12:26-27, 13:8, 13:14, and Deut 6:20-21). We fulfill this commandment next Friday night …
Weekly Torah Reading, Shabbat ha-Gadol, April 16, 2016
How to Recline The Shabbat before Pesaḥ is called the Great (or Big) Shabbat, Shabbat ha-Gadol. Various explanations of this name have been offered, but the most likely one is that it reflects the practice of rabbis to speak …
Weekly Torah Reading, Tazri‘a, April 9, 2016
The Handoff In addition to the regular weekly reading (Tazri‘a), this Shabbat includes a special reading, since it is Shabbat ha-Ḥodesh, the Shabbat that falls before or on the first day of the month of Nisan. The special reading …
Weekly Torah Reading, Shemini, April 2, 2016
Our Religious Leaders Why were Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, struck dead in the desert tabernacle (mishkan)? Everything was all set for the inauguration of regular sacrificial worship in the mishkan, and then this tragedy—why? The Torah …
Weekly Torah Reading, Tzav, March 26, 2016
About Midrash The Hebrew word midrash means, basically, a piece of biblical interpretation, but of a certain kind. Midrash never means explaining a biblical verse in its obvious sense, something any reader would come up with. Rather, midrash is …