Shabbat Chol Ha-mo’ed Pesach
On the news this morning, I listened to an item on money laundering and the corruption of oligarchs from a country somewhere to the east of here. Clearly, these oligarchs
Vayikra
Last week there was a double parashiyot, namely Va-yakhel and P’kudei. In Ya-yakhel, the instructions given to Moses earlier on the building of the Tabernacle, the Ark and the other
Ki Tissa
Please note that service reminders aim to build a bridge between the last Saturday service two weeks before and the one being announced. They will therefore often focus on the
Terumah
Why is the first law, after the Ten Commandments that is, to do with slavery? One reason may be that the Israelites have just themselves emerged from slavery, so the
Yitro
Imagine the wonder of it: to witness the plagues, each one more awful than the one before, to see the hail lash the land and darkness to descend for three
Bo
“Listen heaven! I will speak! Earth hear the words of my mouth! My lesson shall drop like rain, my saying shall flow down like the dew – like a downpour
Sh’mot
As I said last year, Bereshit goes from the macro – the creation, the flood, the scattering of nations after Babel – to the micro, that is the focus on
Va-yiggash
The whole of the book of Genesis can be seen as a history of brothers… and sisters… and brother and sister… “Hang on a minute,” someone is saying. “How can
Va-yeitzei
“But the children clashed inside her.” Is it not unusual for twins to fight? Are not twins usually as alike as two pins? Yet in the case of Esau and
Chayyei Sarah
The Torah has loads of contradictions…. Now, before everyone gathers together into a furious band, comes round to our house with pitchforks and scythes to skewer and shred me to
Lech L’cha
Bereshit is full of big bangs. First there is the startling sequence of light, sky and water, the Earth and the seas, the sun, moon and all the stars, the
Ki Teitzei
We are now deep in the stream of Moses’ discourse as he goes through all of God’s laws, accompanying these with promises and warnings. It is as if he were
R’eih and Blessing for Elul, Machar Chodesh
You are a very stubborn nation. Why? Because (Ekev) you provoked God your Lord in the desert. So Moses tells the Israelites as he continues his lesson to the people
Mas’ei
If a man makes a vow to God or commits himself to some action, he must keep the vow. So we are told in Mattot, and this is not surprising.
Pinchas
“How good are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel. They stretch out like streams, like gardens by the river; they are like the aloes God has planted, like cedars
Chukkat
Some seek power for the sake of power itself and for high status. A few seek it because they have a sense of mission and believe they can make a
Sh’lach l’cha
“When you raise and light the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate the menorah.” The lamps flame with holiness and burn with the freedom of the Israelites. And certainly B’ha’lot’cha
Naso
Lifting the heads of the Israelites in the desert is a nice way to think of the beginning of the book of B’minbar. One can think of it as taking
B’chukkotai
Did you know that, if you have any slaves in your house, you must release them and their children at the next jubilee year? Also, if any of your close
Emor
K’doshim reiterates many of the laws already announced, particularly in Mishpatim. There is a different emphasis now, reflected in the name of the parsha, i.e. holiness. “You must be holy,