Parshat Vayikra: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and HoovesLeviticus 2:13 וְהִפְשִׁ֖יט אֶת־הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִתַּ֥ח אֹתָ֖הּ לִנְתָחֶֽיהָ׃ The burnt offering shall be flayed and cut up into sections. When a sacrifice is made it is not burned whole, but rather cut into pieces. As evidenced by the careful ordering of the limbs and entrails for each offering, this is more than a practical measure.…

Parshat Vayakhel: BuildExodus 36:6 וַיְצַ֣ו מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיַּעֲבִ֨ירוּ ק֥וֹל בַּֽמַּחֲנֶה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַל־יַעֲשׂוּ־ע֛וֹד מְלָאכָ֖ה לִתְרוּמַ֣ת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הָעָ֖ם מֵהָבִֽיא׃ Moses had this proclamation made throughout the camp: “Let no one make further gifts for the sanctuary!” So the people stopped bringing. When Moses asked for contributions to build the Mishkan, the portable center for worshiping God in the wilderness, he…

Parshat Tetzaveh: Pure, Beaten Olive OilExodus 27:20וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה ׀ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד׃ Instruct the Israelites to bring you pure oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling an eternal lamp. While the verse speaks about lighting the golden candelabra in the tabernacle, we read in proverbs that “The lamp of God is the human…

Parshat Ki Tisa: SearchingExodus 33:7 וּמֹשֶׁה֩ יִקַּ֨ח אֶת־הָאֹ֜הֶל וְנָֽטָה־ל֣וֹ ׀ מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֗ה הַרְחֵק֙ מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְקָ֥רָא ל֖וֹ אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְהָיָה֙ כׇּל־מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה יֵצֵא֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֖ר מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ Moses would take the Tent and pitch it outside the camp, at some distance from the camp. It was called the Tent of Meeting, and whoever sought God would go out to the Tent…

Parshat Terumah: BuildingsExodus 25:40 וּרְאֵ֖ה וַעֲשֵׂ֑ה בְּתַ֨בְנִיתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה מׇרְאֶ֖ה בָּהָֽר׃  See and make according to the form that you are shown on the mountain. In my few months at B’nai Zion, I have heard a variety of ideas as to our future building. With that in mind, I read this verse with envy of the simplicity of the Israelites task in the…

Parshat Mishpatim: StrangersExodus 22:20 וְגֵ֥ר לֹא־תוֹנֶ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.  For me, the most challenging part of the story out of Colleyville was that the hostage situation began with an act of loving-kindness. A stranger knocked at the door of…

Parshat Yitro: Closer Than We ThinkExodus 19:9 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י בָּ֣א אֵלֶ֘יךָ֮ בְּעַ֣ב הֶֽעָנָן֒ בַּעֲב֞וּר יִשְׁמַ֤ע הָעָם֙ בְּדַבְּרִ֣י עִמָּ֔ךְ וְגַם־בְּךָ֖ יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַיַּגֵּ֥ד מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה׃ And the LORD said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and so trust you…

Parshat Beshalach: Seeking and Finding Exodus 16:27 וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י יָצְא֥וּ מִן־הָעָ֖ם לִלְקֹ֑ט וְלֹ֖א מָצָֽאוּ׃ Some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found nothing. Whether we realize it or not, our days are filled with seeking and finding. There are four ways these two elements express themselves: Seeking and finding  Seeking and not finding…

Parshat Bo: The Ninth Plague Exodus 10:23 לֹֽא־רָא֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אָחִ֗יו וְלֹא־קָ֛מוּ אִ֥ישׁ מִתַּחְתָּ֖יו שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וּֽלְכׇל־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָ֥יָהא֖וֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָֽם׃ A person could not see their brother, and for three days no one got up from where they were; but all the Israelites enjoyed light in their dwellings. How is it that the plague of darkness came to hold the distinguished…

Parshat Vayechi: Love and Memory Loss Genesis 45:6 וַיַּ֥רְא יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אֵֽלֶּה׃ Noticing Joseph’s sons, Israel asked, “Who are these? I know I am not alone in experiencing an elderly friend or relative lose their memory. My grandma, of blessed memory, for the most part knew who I was until she passed; but, there were phone calls or visits where she…