Numbers 35:11 וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤ם לָכֶם֙ עָרִ֔ים עָרֵ֥י מִקְלָ֖ט תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לָכֶ֑ם וְנָ֥ס שָׁ֙מָּה֙ רֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃ You shall provide yourselves with places to serve you as cities of refuge to which a manslayer who has slain a person unintentionally may flee. Being human means making mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes are devastating. The Torah accounts for this reality. The accidental taking of…

Special edition of the Weekly Versewhile Rabbi Rotenberg is at Camp Ramah Darom And just like that, another session at Camp Ramah Darom comes to an end. It always amazes me just how impermanent the structure of this strong and vibrant community actually is. Not even a month ago this camp was nearly empty. Walking around, you didn’t hear the yelling…

Special edition of the Weekly Versewhile Rabbi Rotenberg is at Camp Ramah Darom A staple of the Ramah experience is the camp musical. There are a few things that make the musicals at Ramah special. First, the show is entirely in Hebrew. The kids in the show not only have to memorize their lines and practice their songs, but do so…

  Special edition of the Weekly Versewhile Rabbi Rotenberg is at Camp Ramah Darom Some things never change. As exciting as it is to reach Shabbat, Friday afternoon has its own special celebratory feel. It’s a moment everyone at Camp Ramah looks forward to. Friday lunch is different from every other lunch. Why? Because Friday is, of course, pizza day. Boxes…

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…