So many things happening, so many thoughts in my head, so many feelings in my heart, and so little ability in me to express it all. Pesach is coming, and the Israeli elections seem to be fitting into a timing that is supposed to be of reflection, self-cleansing and preparing for a better, free future….
Tag: Moshe
Korach קֹרַח
This is a Parshah about leadership. Leadership לשם שמים – for the sake of heaven, and leadership for the sake of oneself. It is also about holiness – קְדֻשָּׁה. Are we all holy? Is there one role more holy than another? What is an individual’s place in society? It is also about wisdom – wisdom to act…
Shemot, Mosheh, And The Strangest Story Of All
Originally posted on joe wolfson:
There is currently a state of emergency in New York with a snow blizzard keeping everyone in doors. So here are three shiurim on Parshat Shemot to help you all pass the time learning Torah. 1. Introducing Shemot – What’s In A Name – An introd uction to the book of…
Roller-Coaster During Yamim Noraim / ימים נוראים
These Days of Awe – ימים נוראים have been very challenging for me so far. Is the Universe trying to tell me something that I refuse to hear? Right after Rosh haShana my body started to give in somehow. Yesterday, I decided to defy the pain and walk to a Community Beit Midrash Kick off at Mechon…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Eikev / עקב
Reading these last parashot of the year, I keep wondering – why did things go wrong after the years of miraculous existence in the desert that should have taught our forefathers all the right things? יב וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן, אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה, וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם, אֹתָם–וְשָׁמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ, אֶת-הַבְּרִית וְאֶת-הַחֶסֶד, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע, לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ. 12 And it shall come…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses Vaetchanan / ואתחנן
Fittingly, after the 9 of AV, we are reminded by Moshe Rabbeinu what we have to do in order to stay alive on the “good land”. ו וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם–כִּי הִוא חָכְמַתְכֶם וּבִינַתְכֶם, לְעֵינֵי הָעַמִּים: אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמְעוּן, אֵת כָּל-הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה, וְאָמְרוּ רַק עַם-חָכָם וְנָבוֹן, הַגּוֹי הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה. 6 Observe therefore and do them; for this is your…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Pinchas / פינחס
There are plenty of great comments on this Parshah. I am just going to direct you to one of them, from Rabbi Alex Israel. He teaches at Pardes Institute. There are many more if you’d like to read about Pinchas and the census. For me, this Parshah is all about the women, and how they have…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Korach / קֹרַח
This is a very hard Parshah. Honestly, aren’t most of them hard to digest? Here, we see that the fight for a better position, more privilege or higher standard of living is as old as time itself. Korach, a man of distinguished lineage and great knowledge orchestrates a revolt against Moshe and Aaron. When the…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Bo
“Go!”, He said. “Don’t ask for reasons, do as I say” Your people will leave this cursed place And you will be the leader. Now and forever. כב וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יָדוֹ, עַל-הַשָּׁמָיִם; וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ-אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים. 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Vaeira
This is a parshah of Gd’s names. ב וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי יְהוָה. 2 And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: ‘I am the LORD; ג וָאֵרָא, אֶל-אַבְרָהָם אֶל-יִצְחָק וְאֶל-יַעֲקֹב–בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי; וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה, לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם. 3 and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name…
We are in it Together. Pardes in Jerusalem.
For the last few days, I find myself walking the streets of the city I love the most, Jerusalem. Not only I am in the place the very air of which makes me breathe easier even through the heat, but I am blessed to be learning at the institution that brings people together based only…
Noshing Across the Nation 