ARZA

By Loree B. Resnik Yes, I admit it. I am a woman, the oldest of the baby boomers, who struggled and championed women’s rights in America. I think my adult children and their spouses might secretly like to ask me to “give it up already,” “chill” or however one says such things today. Still, I [...]

By Bill Hess After repeatedly bouncing off the seemingly impenetrable wall of the arcane, exceedingly accurate and lengthily described laws that open the third book of Torah, Vayikra/Leviticus, it is not difficult to understand why legions of rabbis and learned teachers flee from dissertations thereon. And to develop a Zionist theme from the sacrifices, much [...]

By Didi Gilbert Though Parshat T’rumah provides instructions regarding the building of the Mishkan – the Tabernacle and the Aron HaKodesh, the container in which the Torah is to be kept and revered, the lessons to be derived from this parasha are much broader. Moses informs the people that they are each expected to make [...]

By Rabbi Jack Alan Luxemburg Adonai spoke to Moses, saying:  “Go and tell Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to let the Israelites depart from his land.” But Moses appealed to Adonai, saying: “The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, a man of impeded speech!” (Exodus 6:10-12) Rabbi Samuel Mohilever (1824-1898) [...]

By Rabbi Bennett Miller We are in the midst of one of the most powerful episodes in the Torah. The narrative reveals a continuation of the story of Joseph, his brothers, Egypt, and Jacob’s entire family. Few Biblical events have been told with greater human drama.

There is an old Chinese saying: women hold up half the sky. It would seem that, in this world view, women and their contributions to life are of equal importance to those of men. This does not really speak to the nature of those contributions, if they are the same or different efforts, but that [...]

How can one best participate in building the State of Israel? In the long history of the Jewish people, this is a very new question. The question of what is the best way to build or protect Israel has been, and continues to be, at the center of many debates. These debates were present in [...]

In the book of Nehemiah (chapter 8), we find a description of an ancient Rosh HaShanah at the time of rebuilding Israel after a period of exile. “When the seventh month arrived – the Israelites being settled in their towns – the entire people assembled as one man in the square (in Jerusalem) before the [...]

Actions have consequences. That is the message of Ekev. It is the message each time we recite the full Shema. On the positive side, we read: “If you will obey the commandments that I enjoin you today, loving the lord your God and serving God with all your heart and soul. I will grant the [...]

Activism is the theme of Parshat Pinchas. The first example is Pinchas, acting violently and alone in order to “solve a problem.” For this he is lauded. The daughters of Zlofchad present a picture of activism that is carefully thought out in order to achieve their goals. The Torah recalls them by name. Mahlah, Noah, [...]