The Torah portion this week, Vayirka, focuses very strongly on the sacrificial laws in the Mishkan. We learn a lot of, to my modern ears and eyes, grisly details about exactly what kind of animals are to be brought, and how the priests are to slaughter them and where to spread the blood on the [...]

This week’s parshah, Pekudei, sees the completion of the Mishkan, the portable Tabernacle that serves as G-d’s dwelling place amongst the Israelites as they travel. Moses does a little accounting (hey, he’s the executive director of a non-profit organization, it’s in the job description!), and all of the pieces are brought together to be erected. [...]

At the beginning of this portion this week, Vayakhel, Moses reiterates the commandment to observe Shabbat, and then goes on to explain, in more excruciating detail, the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, that is to be Hashem’s dwelling place with the Israelites as they travel. The question in this portion is what, in all [...]

Ki Tisa In this weeks portion we hear the story of the golden calf, one that is familiar to so many of us, and also one that is so very, very heavy with hidden meaning it would take a very long time to unpack it all.
Moses climbed the mountain to meet with Hashem and to [...]

Parshah Tetzaveh In this week’s Torah portion, we are given more specific instructions on the construction and wearing of the priestly vestments, the different pieces that go into the “uniform” that the Kohanim and the Kohen Gadol, the priests and the High Priest, must wear when serving in the Sanctuary. They are pretty fancy too! [...]

Parshat Mishpatim is focused on, as the name implies, laws, mishpatim being the second word of the portion. In mishpatim Hashem jumps from giving us the Ten Commandments, the basis for our law, and begins to gives us the laws regarding, among many others things, slavery, selling your daughter before puberty, and what happens if [...]

This week’s Torah portion is packed with a lot of things to cover. At the beginning, we see Yitro (Jethro) who this portion is named after, traveling to meet his son-in-law Moses with Moses’ with and two sons. When he gets there Jethro sits down with his son in law and talks about the miracles [...]