Parashat Toldot (Genesis 25:19–28:9) By Rabbi Neal Gold | Nov 01, 2021 Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer that I may feel you, my son—whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob drew close to his father Isaac, who felt him and wondered. “The voice is the voice of Jacob, yet the hands are the hands of Esau.” (Genesis 27:21-22) There was Jacob, standing anxiously before his father and feeling like an incredible dork. How had his... Read more
Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1–25:18) By Naomi Gurt Lind | Oct 25, 2021 “People are strange when you’re a stranger. Faces look ugly, when you’re alone.” —Jim Morrison, The Doors Jim Morrison’s classic lyrics from his bout with depression in 1967 have been playing in my mind recently. There is so much that is unsettling about the time that we are in, as we come out of the pandemic, but don’t. We are meeting in person now, but skittishly. We smile through... Read more
By Rabbi David Maayan The first three verses of Parashat Vayeira present a number of puzzles to the Torah’s readers: And Y-H-W-H appeared to him [Abraham] by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold: three men standing near him. He saw, and he ran to greet them . . . . He said, “ADONAY, if I have found grace in your eyes,... Read more
Parshat Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1–17:27) Yael Werber | Oct 12, 2021 Eleven years ago, I moved to New York City, young, naive, and without any idea of where I was going next. The first apartment I moved into turned out to be uninhabitable, so, two days into my New York City adventure, I was left without a home, a job, or a place to spend the night. Thankfully, I had a relative in Washington Heights who took me in and... Read more
Parashat Noah (Genesis 6:9–11:32) By Rabbi Or Rose | October 05, 2021 This week’s Torah portion includes two great dramas: the Flood story (chapters 6-9) and the tale of the Tower of Babel (chapter 11). In the closing lines of the reading, we are briefly introduced to the great patriarch Abraham (still known as Abram at this point). This introduction, however, is terse and understated, especially considering the drama of the two earlier narratives. We learn nothing about Abram’s character... Read more
Parashat Bereshit, Genesis 1:1–6:8 By Dr. Susie Tanchel | September 27, 2021 “All beginnings are hard,” commented Rashi, a medieval Jewish commentator, on a verse in the Torah. Yet, this week, as we begin a new liturgical cycle of the Torah with the reading of Bereishit 1, this does not immediately appear to be the case. After all, God quite easily creates the world from the pre-existing unformed matter (1:2). Indeed, all God needs to do is speak, and... Read more
Shabbat Sukkot (Exodus 33:12-34:26; Numbers 29:17-34) By Rabbi Shira Shazeer | September 20, 2021 Mazel tov! We’ve made it through a second pandemic High Holy Days and reached Sukkot, the season of our joy. Most Jewish holidays have a core story. Passover is zman cheiruteinu, the time of our liberation. Shavuot is zman matan torateinu, the time we were given the Torah. Hanukkah and Purim each have a story. Even Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have the narratives of the birthday of the world,... Read more
Haazinu (Deuteronomy 32:1–52) By Jessica Spencer | Sepember 15, 2021 Haazinu is a swansong, a poem declaimed by Moses before he dies and leaves the Israelites to face their future. At this time of year, a time of both reflection and new beginnings, it calls us to remember our past and to take these words to heart for the new year. Maimonides draws attention in particular to the last line of the first aliyah: זְכֹר֙ יְמ֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם בִּ֖ינוּ שְׁנ֣וֹת דֹּר־וָדֹ֑ר... Read more
Parashat VaYelech (Deuteronomy 31:1-31:30) By Rabbi Ebn Leader | September 8, 2021 As the Torah winds up its narrative towards the death of Moshe, it offers a few final examples of his leadership. These include his teaching of the song of Ha’azinu in next week’s parasha (Devarim 32:1-43), and his blessings to the tribes in the final parasha. Yet this week’s reading introduces the song with a very dark moment. In Devarim 31:16, God says to Moshe: After you die... Read more
Parashat Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20) By Rabbi Becky Silverstein | August 31, 2021 This summer, my family and I spent four nights at my mom and step dad’s house in Vermont. For two of the nights we were there, our group consisted of 11 adults and 4 children, ranging in age from 14 months to 7 years old. I spent a lot of time thinking about food. What will we feed our toddler for lunch? Do we have enough bananas? (We never... Read more
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