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…
Exodus 22:22 אִם־עַנֵּ֥ה תְעַנֶּ֖ה אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י אִם־צָעֹ֤ק יִצְעַק֙ אֵלַ֔י שָׁמֹ֥עַ אֶשְׁמַ֖ע צַעֲקָתֽוֹ׃ If you at all afflict them, and they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry. This week the hearts of the Jewish community worldwide were broken. The news of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, the ongoing trauma regarding the whereabouts of their mother, Shiri, and the pain…
Exodus 18:18 נָבֹ֣ל תִּבֹּ֔ל גַּם־אַתָּ֕ה גַּם־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֤ד מִמְּךָ֙ הַדָּבָ֔ר לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל עֲשֹׂ֖הוּ לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃ You will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Before the Torah is given at Mount Sinai, Yitro, Moses’ father in law, implored Moses to empower those Israelites who show a…
Exodus 14:22 וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חוֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃ and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. At the climax of the most awesome of miracles to befall the children of Israel, the splitting of the sea of reeds, our Rabbis…
Exodus 12:2 הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you. What will it take to transform the Israelites from slaves to free people? After hundreds of years of slavery, they have forgotten what it…
Exodus 3:10 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים מִ֣י אָנֹ֔כִי כִּ֥י אֵלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְכִ֥י אוֹצִ֛יא אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaohand free the Israelites from Egypt?” The task of freeing the Israelites seemed far too great for one person. Naturally, Moses was shocked at the idea that not only could this task…
Genesis 48:15 וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֡ים אֲשֶׁר֩ הִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ אֲבֹתַ֤י לְפָנָיו֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֔ק הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ הָרֹעֶ֣ה אֹתִ֔י מֵעוֹדִ֖י עַד־הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ And he blessed Joseph, saying, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd from my birth to this day…” One of my favorite lines fron any book comes from Catch 22. Regarding the…
Genesis 41:14 וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח פַּרְעֹה֙ וַיִּקְרָ֣א אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיְרִיצֻ֖הוּ מִן־הַבּ֑וֹר וַיְגַלַּח֙ וַיְחַלֵּ֣ף שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹֽה׃ Thereupon Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was rushed from the dungeon. He had his hair cut and changed his clothes, and he appeared before Pharaoh. After two long years of wrongful imprisonment, Joseph must have been surprised by the speed at which his bondage ended. With…
Genesis 37:27 לְכ֞וּ וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים וְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ אַל־תְּהִי־ב֔וֹ כִּֽי־אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ אֶחָֽיו׃ Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. Joseph’s brothers harbored a deep hatred toward him. Joseph belittled his brothers, he would bring back damning reports of…
Genesis 33:18 וַיָּבֹא֩ יַעֲקֹ֨ב שָׁלֵ֜ם עִ֣יר שְׁכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בְּבֹא֖וֹ מִפַּדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם וַיִּ֖חַן אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י הָעִֽיר׃ Jacob arrived whole in the city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan—having come thus from Paddan-aram—and he encamped before the city. Jacob’s return to the land of Canaan was not an easy one. He feared for his life when he heard…