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 …
Weekly Torah Reading, Shabbat Zakhor, March 19, 2016
Forget or Remember? The Shabbat just preceding Purim is called “Shabbat Zakhor” because the Torah reading on that day ends with the commandment of Deut 25:17-19: Remember what Amalek did to you on your way out of Egypt—how …
Weekly Torah Reading, Pekudei, March 12, 2016
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 from Egypt to the land of Canaan. In …
Weekly Torah Reading Vayyakhel March 5, 201
The Real Sanctuary It is customary in different Jewish communities to recite regularly a certain rabbinic saying—a saying found in the Mishnah which, on reflection, seems a bit odd: “Rabbi Ḥananya ben ‘Akashya said: ‘The Holy One sought …
Weekly Torah Reading, Ki Tissa February 27, 2016
The Mystery of Hur Moses was on Mt. Sinai for forty days and forty nights, during which time God revealed to him the various laws and regulations to be included in the Torah. But as this period dragged on …
Weekly Torah Reading Tetsavveh April 20, 2016
Clothes Made the Kohen 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; he couldn’t serve in …
Weekly Torah Reading Terumah February 13, 2016
“Lifted Up” Trying to understand a word by examining its origins can be risky; guided by wishful thinking, the procedure often results in misinterpretation. So I hope I am not falling into this trap in thinking about the Hebrew …
Weekly Torah Reading, Mishpatim, February 6, 2016
Watching for Free This week’s reading is full of different rules and regulations: the Hebrew slave who wants to remain a slave; a pregnant woman onlooker at a brawl who is accidentally struck by one of the fighters; …