Rabbi Shabbat Greetings

We read in this week’s Torah portion, Eikev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25), Take care lest you forget Adonai your God and fail to keep [God’s] commandments, rules, and laws that I enjoin…

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There are a plethora of crime TV shows. In one series, the detectives, after some good sleuthing (and not so great dialogue), were interviewing witnesses and trying to convince various…

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The Book of Deuteronomy, Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22) which we begin reading this week, is written in a different style than the earlier biblical books – not from the perspective of…

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Our portion this week opens right after the priest, Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1), has committed a vigilante act and has executed an Israelite prince, along with his Midianite girlfriend, for having…

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Every so often, I learn something very surprising, something that I had no idea to be the case. Here’s an example: Those of you who have lived in the New…

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The double Torah portion this week, Chukat-Balak (Numbers 19:1-25:9) offers us two distinct perspectives through which we may view our present circumstances, as Jews, and as Americans preparing to celebrate our nation’s…

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This portion (Korach – Numbers 16:1-18:32) tells of the famous challenge of Korach and his camp in their confrontation with Moses and Aaron. In the end they are swallowed up…

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Grasshoppers!. Our Torah portion this week, Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-15:41), emphasizes that we saw ourselves as grasshoppers. Moses is commanded to send out twelve scouts to scout out the promised land.…

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I would be willing to bet that most people, when asked what the symbol of the state of Israel is, they would respond “the Magen David – the Star of…

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As shared in last week’s Shabbat Greetings, we repeat our portion, Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89), so that we can stay in sync with the Diaspora reading.  Israel’s weekly Torah portions will…

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