Deuternomy 30:3 וְשָׁ֨ב יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־שְׁבוּתְךָ֖ וְרִחֲמֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁ֗ב וְקִבֶּצְךָ֙ מִכל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֱפִֽיצְךָ֛ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה׃ Then the Lord your God will restore your captivity and take you back in love. God will bring you together again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. With the High Holy Days approaching, the word “Teshuvah” is on our…
Deuternomy 26:6 וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה׃ The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. After everything the Israelites experienced at the hands of the Egyptians, one would think that there would be little room for forgiveness. From the harsh labor to the terrible decree regarding baby boys thrown into…
Deuternomy 25:17 זָכ֕וֹר אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ עֲמָלֵ֑ק בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt After leaving Egypt, the Israelites were in a vulnerable position. Tired and anxious, they were in a new place, and pressed to make haste. Even though they were heading toward a better future, change is never easy,…
Deuternomy 16:1 שָׁמוֹר֙ אֶת־חֹ֣דֶשׁ הָאָבִ֔יב וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ פֶּ֔סַח לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּ֞י בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽאָבִ֗יב הוֹצִ֨יאֲךָ֜ יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם לָֽיְלָה׃ Observe the month of Aviv and offer a passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, for it was in the month of Aviv, at night, that the Lord your God freed you from Egypt. It’s amazing how one verse, one word even can…
Deuternomy 8:10 וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃ You shall eat, you and shall be satiated, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land given to you. If there’s anything particularly characteristic of Judaism, it’s blessings. Upon waking up, we have a series of blessings thanking God for the new day. Three times…
Deuternomy 6:5 וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. What makes you, you? Not an easy question to answer. What brings you joy? What do you do really well? ֿNot only is it a good thing to occasionally reflect…
Numbers 32:6 ֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן בַּמִּדְבָּ֡ר בָּֽעֲרָבָה֩ מ֨וֹל ס֜וּף בֵּֽין־פָּארָ֧ן וּבֵֽין־תֹּ֛פֶל וְלָבָ֥ן וַחֲצֵרֹ֖ת וְדִ֥י זָהָֽב׃ These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan.—Through the wilderness, in the Arabah near Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. Words are profoundly sacred. The power of words is…
Numbers 32:6 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִבְנֵי־גָ֖ד וְלִבְנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֑ן הַאַֽחֵיכֶ֗ם יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאַתֶּ֖ם תֵּ֥שְׁבוּ פֹֽה׃ Moses replied to the Gadites and the Reubenites,“Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here?” And so you have the daily struggle of Jews living in the diaspora since October 7th. Really, since May 14, 1948 when the modern state of Israel was founded,…
Numbers 24:5 מַה־טֹּ֥בוּ אֹהָלֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֑ב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel! One of the few compliments given to the Israelites as they wander the wilderness comes from the unusual character of the prophet Bilam. This prophet, not Jewish but dedicated to God, was hired by Balak to curse the Israelites. Upon seeing them…
Numbers 21:10 וַיִּסְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּאֹבֹֽת׃ The Israelites marched on and encamped at Oboth. When I drove from Los Angeles to Chattanooga three years ago I stopped at a few noteworthy places. Phoenix and New Orleans for example – these are famous cities, and my driving companion and I enjoyed our stops there tremendously. We also stayed in little…