Rabbi Shabbat Greetings

Parashat Noach (Genesis 6:9 – 11:32) is rich with relevance. The stories of Noah and the Ark and the Tower of Babel teach us about caring for animals, honoring parents, preparing…

Read More

Beginning the Torah anew this year with Parshat Bereshit (Genesis 1:1-6:8), I have been asking myself what God was trying to tell human beings by creating us at the very end of…

Read More

This Shabbat we will read the book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), as we do every year on the Shabbat of Chol HaMoed Sukkot. The book of Kohelet, one of the five Megillot,…

Read More

The next to last portion in the Book of Deuteronomy, Haazinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-52) consists of the poetic song that Moses sings to the people of Israel before he delivers his deathbed blessing.…

Read More

In this week’s Torah portion, Vayelech (Deuteronomy 31:1-31:30), we are told (31:22): “That day, Moses wrote down this poem and taught it to the Israelites.” This may surprise some readers who have…

Read More

This week’s portion, Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20), is always read right before the New Year. It is the first of the last four Torah portions left in our Torah. After the lengthy…

Read More

This week, in Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8), we read about how Moses organizes a Rock Concert-like extravaganza, putting some the people on Mount Gerizim, whom we are told will “stand for…

Read More

“For this to Me is like the waters of Noah: As I swore that the waters of Noah nevermore would flood the earth, So I swear that I will not…

Read More

This week’s Torah portion, Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9) opens with the injunction of setting judges and officers within your gates.  The proximity of this portion to the month of Elul has given way to…

Read More

We are slowly working our way to the end of Deuteronomy and the end of summer. Unlike the past few weeks, no major events – rather, a list of laws,…

Read More