From a kabbalistic perspective, our purpose on earth is unique. Everything, the mystical tradition teaches us, has within it a divine spark, and it is our job to elevate it. We do this when we use the materials of the physical world for a blessing. When we say a blessing of thanks before eating, use our phones to call someone…

Leviticus 19:16 לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃ You shalt not act as a talebearer among your people; neither shalt you stand idly by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. Fairly well known is the Jewish prohibition about speaking ill of others. We call this Lashon Hara, meaning “the evil tongue.” Less known is…

Leviticus 13:13 וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְהִנֵּ֨ה כִסְּתָ֤ה הַצָּרַ֙עַת֙ אֶת־כׇּל־בְּשָׂר֔וֹ וְטִהַ֖ר אֶת־הַנָּ֑גַע כֻּלּ֛וֹ הָפַ֥ךְ לָבָ֖ן טָה֥וֹר הֽוּא׃ then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague; it is all turned white: he is clean. Skin afflictions are the last thing anyone wants to read about on a…

Leviticus 9:23 וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וַיֵּ֣צְא֔וּ וַֽיְבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיֵּרָ֥א כְבוֹד־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָֽם׃ And Moshe and Aharon went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people A curious thing happened upon the conclusion of Aaron’s first ever sacrifices – or rather, it was curious that it…

Exodus 14:29 וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָלְכ֥וּ בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הַיָּ֑ם וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃ The children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.  Like the first day of Passover, the Torah commands us to mark the seventh day as a…

From the Passover Haggadah מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת How is this night different from all other nights? As the anchor to all the other holidays in the Jewish calendar, Passover marks the very origin of Jewish peoplehood. At the seder we share the story of the exodus. We reconnect to the near countless generations of Jews who on…

Exodus 40:33 וַיָּ֣קֶם אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֗ר סָבִיב֙ לַמִּשְׁכָּ֣ן וְלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַיִּתֵּ֕ן אֶת־מָסַ֖ךְ שַׁ֣עַר הֶחָצֵ֑ר וַיְכַ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃ And he erected the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the court gate. Moshe finished the work. The construction of the Tabernacle marked a profound transition for the Israelites. Half of the book of Exodus is dedicated to…

Exodus Exodus 36:6 וַיְצַ֣ו מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיַּעֲבִ֨ירוּ ק֥וֹל בַּֽמַּחֲנֶה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַל־יַעֲשׂוּ־ע֛וֹד מְלָאכָ֖ה לִתְרוּמַ֣ת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הָעָ֖ם מֵהָבִֽיא׃ Moses thereupon had this proclamation made throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make further effort toward gifts for the sanctuary!” So the people stopped bringing. When the Israelites built the tabernacle, all the material was acquired through heartfelt donations. After…

Exodus 29:38 וְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ כְּבָשִׂ֧ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֛ה שְׁנַ֥יִם לַיּ֖וֹם תָּמִֽיד׃ Now this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two lambs within their first year every day, continually.  What is the most important verse in the Torah? A midrash records a debate amongst the Rabbis. Ben Zoma said, the shema: “Listen O Israel, the Lord is our God,…

Exodus 25:8 וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃ And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. The idea that we can build anything that can house the distinct presence of God should give us pause. The whole notion is mystifying. Divine presence concentrated and experienced through a physical structure is almost a paradox. God is beyond…