Post List

Parashat Tazria-Metzora

Metzora, M’tzora, (Hebrew for “one being diseased,”) is the 28th weekly parashah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the book of Leviticus. It constitutes Leviticus 14:1–15:33. Jews in the Diaspora generally read it in April. The lunisolar Hebrew calendar contains up to 54 weeks, the exact number varying between leap years and regular years. In years with 54 weeks (for example, 2008),…

Parashat Vayeilech

Be Strong Moshe’s whole life’s work and calling was about to conclude. His concern to the bitter end was for the future of his people and God’s faithfulness to them and to us. Both he and Joshua are called to go before the Lord in Deuteronomy 31, where they hear some unpleasant things: V.16: “go astray or play the harlot”. The Hebrew is strong here and refers to sexual immorality…

Asking the right questions

The major theme in this portion focuses on returning to G-d; the Hebrew word shuv comes very often into these passages, returning to the Land, to G-d and to Torah obedience. This passage reflects so much the final thoughts on the whole Chumash journey, it takes a good hard look at the whole scenario and proposes a way ahead. It begins in the Garden, and as the 5 books of…

Vezot Haberakhah

Hot on the heels of Sukkot comes the final portion of the Torah scroll, before its reprise again at Shemeni Atzeret next week. The name of the portion ‘V’zot HaBrachah’ (and this is the blessing) is taken from the first words of the portion and sets the content for the closing chapters of the book of Deuteronomy. Moshe is about to die and bequeaths his last words. It is is…

The point of it all

Here we are once more, our scroll rolled back to the start and the well-worn path of the history we seem to know so well starts up again. These early verses are so enigmatic; it’s almost as if we’re called to dig deep to understand the broad sweep of the truths contained therein. All of our history is contained in these few verses – and for what? Just what is…

Our Father the Rock

Parashat Ha’Azinu In Devarim 32 we read Moshe’s song of deliverance. This lyrical, sung format is meant to be learnt and sung to each new generation, a wonderful song of redemption amidst rebellion, a song of hope and prophecy, of gloom and the ultimate hope of salvation. It’s a song of possibilities, riven with the anguish of a prophet who loved G-d and His people, yet knowing the end from…

Parashat Masei

On the Move To the untrained eye, this portion like so many appears to be a ‎humdrum list of places and movements with some arcane ‎references to cities of refuge. In the middle of this we find that ‎Moshe is commanded to recap the journey so far, mentioning in ‎detail the 42 places or stages of the journey that has unfolded ‎before them as we wandered in the wilderness. How…

The Importance of Ritual Purity

Shabbat Tazria/Metzora This double portion deals with the purity laws (tamei and tahor). Some have attempted to understand these laws in light of health or hygiene. Perhaps. However, this view should be exercised with caution as other things such as excrement didn’t make you unclean, even though it had to be disposed of outside the camp. Others define these areas along spiritual lines and this is perfectly acceptable and true:…

Parashat Pekudei

Approaching G-d This week’s portion is one of the most profound we can have, an ‎almighty, eternal and utterly ‘other’ G-d, of pure Spirit and ‎normally invisible, comes, visibly and tangibly to fill the ‎completed Mishkan. The G-d who created everything material, ‎yet who is Himself not material, dwells, exists in time and space ‎in the heart of this construction. We get used to this idea and ‎think it’s fine…

Be Strong

Moshe’s whole life’s work and calling was about to conclude. His concern to the bitter end was for the future of his people and God’s faithfulness to them and to us. Both he and Joshua are called to go before the Lord in Deuteronomy 31, where they hear some unpleasant things: V.16: “go astray or play the harlot”. The Hebrew is strong here and refers to sexual immorality tied to…

Weekly Drash