Special edition of the Weekly Versewhile Rabbi Rotenberg is at Camp Ramah Darom Pics from tefillah this morning!  When one first begins learning the laws of Shabbat, one notices something curious. The instructions for observing Shabbat do not begin with Friday night services or candle lighting. Instead, they begin with a practice for the other six days of the week. Each…

Numbers 4:25 וְנָ֨שְׂא֜וּ אֶת־יְרִיעֹ֤ת הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ וְאֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד מִכְסֵ֕הוּ וּמִכְסֵ֛ה הַתַּ֥חַשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָלָ֖יו מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְאֶ֨ת־מָסַ֔ךְ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ They shall carry the cloths of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting with its covering, the covering of dolphin skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting  Our parsha begins with a description of…

Numbers 3:8 וְשָׁמְר֗וּ אֶֽת־כׇּל־כְּלֵי֙ אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וְאֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לַעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־עֲבֹדַ֥ת הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ They shall guard all of the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, the keepsake of the children of Israel, to do the work of the Tabernacle. This verse, referring to the unique responsibility of the Levites, seems unfair. The Tabernacle is owned by all the Israelites – every…

Leviticus 23:15 וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמׇּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃ And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering, the day after the sabbath, you shall count off seven complete weeks. Our Rabbis teach that one of the most important skills we can learn is to say these three words: “I don’t…

Leviticus 13:19 וְהָיָ֞ה בִּמְק֤וֹם הַשְּׁחִין֙ שְׂאֵ֣ת לְבָנָ֔ה א֥וֹ בַהֶ֖רֶת לְבָנָ֣ה אֲדַמְדָּ֑מֶת וְנִרְאָ֖ה אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן: When a white swelling or a white discoloration streaked with red develops where the inflammation was, that person shall report to the priest. This Torah portion is typically accompanied by more cringes than any other, and I understand why. One can only read about the fine details…

בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם In each and every generation a person must view themselves as though they left Egypt, In a few days we will relive the exodus through the magic of the seder. Through the foods eaten in every generation, the story telling, the gratitude expressed for our freedom, we strive…

Leviticus 5:21 נֶ֚פֶשׁ כִּ֣י תֶחֱטָ֔א וּמָעֲלָ֥ה מַ֖עַל בַּיהֹוָ֑ה וְכִחֵ֨שׁ בַּעֲמִית֜וֹ בְּפִקָּד֗וֹן אֽוֹ־בִתְשׂ֤וּמֶת יָד֙ א֣וֹ בְגָזֵ֔ל א֖וֹ עָשַׁ֥ק אֶת־עֲמִיתֽוֹ׃ When one sins and commits a trespass against God by dealing deceitfully in the matter of a deposit or a pledge, or through robbery, or by defrauding another… In Jewish tradition, commandments fall into two basic categories: the “do’s” and the “don’ts.” Light Shabbat…

Exodus 37:5 וַיָּבֵ֤א אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ בַּטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֖ל צַלְעֹ֣ת הָאָרֹ֑ן לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־הָאָרֹֽן׃ He inserted the poles into the rings on the side walls of the ark for carrying the ark. Every part of the Ark of the Covenant had its purpose. Inside the hollow space rested the tablets that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. On top, the cherubim created a sense…

Exodus 29:5 וּבְבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֜ה לִפְנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אִתּ֔וֹ יָסִ֥יר אֶת־הַמַּסְוֶ֖ה עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ וְיָצָ֗א וְדִבֶּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְצֻוֶּֽה׃ Whenever Moses went in before God to converse, he would remove the mask until his departure; then he would leave and tell the Israelites what he had been commanded. After coming down from Mount Sinai the second time, something changed for Moses.…

Exodus 29:5 וְלָקַחְתָּ֣ אֶת־הַבְּגָדִ֗ים וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֤ אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֔נֶת וְאֵת֙ מְעִ֣יל הָאֵפֹ֔ד וְאֶת־הָאֵפֹ֖ד וְאֶת־הַחֹ֑שֶׁן וְאָפַדְתָּ֣ ל֔וֹ בְּחֵ֖שֶׁב הָאֵפֹֽד׃ Then take the vestments, and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the decorated band of the ephod. Both on Shabbat and on Purim we’ll read about  someone clothing another in royal…