Rabbi Shabbat Greetings

This week’s Torah portion, Shemini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47) arrives with a jolt. Just as the Mishkan (portable tabernacle)is inaugurated in a moment of joy and divine closeness, tragedy strikes: Nadav and Avihu, filled with a passion to serve,…

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On this Shabbat during Passover, as we gather in the overlap of sacred time, the Torah invites us to reflect more deeply on what freedom means. We recall the Exodus as…

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This week’s portion, Tzav (Leviticus 6:1-8:36) begins with God instructing Moses: “Command (tzav) your brother Aaron and his sons…” The word tzav conveys not only instruction but also urgent responsibility. In this portion, the Torah focuses…

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We begin the book of Leviticus quietly with the first portion, Vayikra (Leviticus 1:1-5:26). God calls to Moses, vayikra el Moshe, with a small voice, from within the Mishkan. After the drama of Exodus, revelation,…

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This week’s double portion, Vayakhel–Pekudei (Exodus 35:1 – 40:38), brings the book of Exodus to a close not with drama or miracles, but with details: measurements, materials, repeated actions, and careful accounting. After…

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This week’s Torah Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35) presents one of the most unsettling moments in the Torah: the sin of the Golden Calf. In Moses’ prolonged absence, the Israelites panic, seek certainty, and…

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Parashat Tetzaveh opens with an unusual command: “V’atah tetzaveh” — “And YOU shall command.” From this point on, Moses’ name disappears from the portion entirely. The leader who brought light to the world seems hidden, operating…

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This week’s Torah portion, Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19) opens with a surprising command: “V’yikchu li terumah” — “You shall take gifts for Me” (25:2). Not give, but take. The Torah then clarifies: the offering must come from “kol ish…

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This week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18), begins with a series of detailed civil and ethical laws: instructions on slavery, property, torts, and justice. Though these laws may seem ordinary, they teach…

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This week’s Torah portion, Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23), presents us with one of the most pivotal moments in the Torah: the revelation at Sinai. Amidst thunder, fire, and the shofar blasts, the Israelites receive…

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