Deuteronomy 29:3 וְלֹא־נָתַן֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם לֵב֙ לָדַ֔עַת וְעֵינַ֥יִם לִרְא֖וֹת וְאזְנַ֣יִם לִשְׁמֹ֑עַ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. I’m not a particularly visual person. To the frustration of my wife there are many times when I am looking for something and I…
Deuteronomy 22:6 כִּ֣י יִקָּרֵ֣א קַן־צִפּ֣וֹר ׀ לְפָנֶ֡יךָ בַּדֶּ֜רֶךְ בְּכׇל־עֵ֣ץ ׀ א֣וֹ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ א֣וֹ בֵיצִ֔ים וְהָאֵ֤ם רֹבֶ֙צֶת֙ עַל־הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים א֖וֹ עַל־הַבֵּיצִ֑ים לֹא־תִקַּ֥ח הָאֵ֖ם עַל־הַבָּנִֽים׃ If along the road you chance upon a bird’s nest, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs and the mother sitting over the fledglings or on the eggs, do not take the mother together with her…
Deuteronomy 17:8 רִיבֹ֖ת בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ וְקַמְתָּ֣ וְעָלִ֔יתָ אֶ֨ל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַ֛ר יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בּֽוֹ׃ If a case is too baffling for you to decide, be it a controversy over homicide, civil law, or assault, matters of dispute in your courts, you shall promptly go to the place that the Lord your God will have chosen. A story is told of a father and…
Deuteronomy 12:13 הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּֽן־תַּעֲלֶ֖ה עֹלֹתֶ֑יךָ בְּכל־מָק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה׃ Take care not to sacrifice your burnt offerings in any place you like Two friends of mine have a long-standing debate. One is a proponent of a Hasidic practice called “hitbodedut.” This is where one, at any time and any place, opens up a conversation with God. Perhaps one is driving…
Deuteronomy 6:4 שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃ Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, The Lord is one. There are times when the Torah and science seem to be at odds, and times when they speak the same truth. For instance, we have to reconcile the six days of creation with thirteen billion years of existence, and the creation…
Deuteronomy 1:13 הָב֣וּ לָ֠כֶ֠ם אֲנָשִׁ֨ים חֲכָמִ֧ים וּנְבֹנִ֛ים וִידֻעִ֖ים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑ם וַאֲשִׂימֵ֖ם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶֽם׃ Pick from each of your tribes candidates who are wise, discerning, and experienced, and I will place them as your heads. This case is often pointed to as the first expression of egalitarianism in the Torah. In a society where land ownership transferred from father to son, the daughters…
Bamidbar 27:8 וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תְּדַבֵּ֣ר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ כִּֽי־יָמ֗וּת וּבֵן֙ אֵ֣ין ל֔וֹ וְהַֽעֲבַרְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לְבִתּֽוֹ׃ Speak to the Israelite people as follows: “When one dies without leaving a son, you shall transfer his property to his daughter.” This case is often pointed to as the first expression of egalitarianism in the Torah. In a society where land ownership transferred from father…
Below you will find a guide for lighting the yahrzeit candle. We hope this guide will help you make this moment meaningful. If you need a yahrzeit candle, please contact the office, and we will provide one for you. May the memory of your loved one always be for a blessing. Holding the memory of your loved one in your…
At Home Rituals Guide for Lighting the Yahrzeit Candle – click here How Can I Learn More About Judaism? Whether you are born Jewish, choosing Judaism, or just want to know more about Judaism, there is always more to learn. Here are some of our favorite resources for learning more about Judaism! American Jewish University’s Intro to Judaism Class This…
Parshat Emor: What We Don’t DoLeviticus 23:21 וּקְרָאתֶ֞ם בְּעֶ֣צֶם ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם בְּכׇל־מוֹשְׁבֹ֥תֵיכֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ On that same day you shall hold a celebration; it shall be a sacred occasion for you; you shall not work at your occupations. This is a law for all time in all your settlements, throughout the ages.…