12 Tammuz 5780

By templenj | July 3, 2020

Chukat Balak

5 Tammuz 5780

By templenj | June 26, 2020

June 26, 2020 The rebellion of Korach and his allies is recounted in this week’s Torah reading (Numbers 16:1-18:32). The story is fantastical in its depiction of the miraculous way that the…

28 Sivan 5780

By templenj | June 19, 2020

Parshat Shelach Lecha

21 Sivan 5780

By templenj | June 12, 2020

June 12, 2020 This week’s Shabbat greetings is a combined influence of the words of Rabbi Bonnie of Temple Chai of Phoenix, AZ and the Rev. John Armstrong of New…

14 Sivan 5780

By templenj | June 9, 2020

June 5, 2020 Last week, I explained why we have split up the Torah portion, Naso (Numbers 6:1-7:89) into two parts.  This week’s second part includes the famous Birkat HaKohanim – the Priestly…

7 Sivan 5780

By templenj | June 9, 2020

May 29, 2020 The first part of the portion of Parshat Naso (Numbers 4:21-5:31) (divided into two weeks when Shavuot occurs on Shabbat so that we can stay in sync with Diaspora…

29 Iyar 5780

By templenj | May 22, 2020

May 22, 2020 This portion that begins the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20) is generally read on the Shabbat before the festival of Shavuot – z’man matan torateinu – “the time of the…

22 Iyar 5780

By templenj | May 15, 2020

May 15, 2020 The book of Leviticus concludes on this Shabbat in a double portion, Behar-Bechukotai (Leviticus 25:1-27:34) by outlining the blessings that will follow if the people are faithful to their…

15 Iyar 5780

By templenj | May 8, 2020

May 8, 2020 Here we are, finishing up the eighth week of our self-quarantine to protect both ourselves and so many around us. I know it has been challenging for…

8 Iyar 5780

By templenj | May 1, 2020

May 1, 2020 Once again, this week’s Torah reading, Acharei Mot/Kedoshim (Leviticus 16:1-20:27) is a double portion. In the second part, Kedoshim, we learn of two very powerful commands: “Love your neighbor as…

1 Iyar 5780

By templenj | April 24, 2020

April 24, 2020 This week’s double portion, Tazria-Metzora (Leviticus 12:1-15:33), first speaks of the effect of childbirth as a state of ritual impurity and then moves into the medical issue of tzara’at, a…

24 Nisan 5780

By templenj | April 17, 2020

April 17, 2020 We read in this week.s portion, Parshat Shemini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47), “Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what Adonai meant when God said, Through those near to…