D’vrei Torah

            Easily the most famous passage in this week’s portion, Naso, is the so-called Priestly blessing. (Numbers 6:22-27)  This three-fold blessing makes its appearance at many services, festivals, life-cycle events and more. It is the [Read more…]

            We welcome the fourth book of Torah this Shabbat, B’midbar-Numbers. We are in the wilderness and about to move forward to the eventual goal of our Torah story. But first, Moses needs to find [Read more…]

            We come this Shabbat to the concluding portions, a double portion of Behar-B’chukotai. This is apportion filled with laws and regulations on such things as interest, slavery, the Sabbatical year, and chapters on blessings [Read more…]

            This is another challenging portion. We find ourselves in the sea of commands regarding the priesthood. We also will find in this portion another repetition of the sacred calendar (23) and the reference to [Read more…]

            Acharei-Mot/K’doshim this week’s double portion has enough to keep Torah study classes going for weeks. From the drama surrounding the aftermath of Nadab and Avihu’s death, to the scapegoat ritual, to the elucidation of [Read more…]

            This week we arrive at the double portion Tazria-M’tzorah. This is the challenge for e very Bar or Bat Mitzvah who, by the luck of birth or assignment, draws this portion. No sweeping drama [Read more…]

            There is no shortage of issues to challenge us in Portion Sh’mini. We return to the issue of sacrifices and the role of Aaron. But quickly we read of one of the most interesting, [Read more…]