Recent Weekly Torah
Unity Through our Differences
Years ago I enjoyed a wonderful radio program called "The United States of Los Angeles." This program featured unique neighborhoods and personalities from throughout the greater LA area. With hundreds of languages and dialects being spoken throughout Los Angeles, this radio show gave a fantastic perspective on the remarkable diversity of peoples and cultures that defines Los Angeles and, more broadly, the United States. This show gave me - at that time a newcomer to LA - a sense of the vibrant communities that make up this megalopolis.
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They Say Eve Tempted Adam With...?
It's in every depiction of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, from the silliest cartoon to the most treasured works of art in the greatest museums. Imagine any variant you like in your mind, and there it is, dangling from the tree. An apple. We all "know" that the forbidden fruit was an apple, don't we? But how do we know that? I'll give you a hint how we don't know it: from the actual text of Genesis.
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Sanctifying God's Name
"I will make My holy name known among My people Israel, and never again will I let My holy name be profaned. And the nations shall know that I the Lord am holy in Israel." (Ezekiel 39:7)
In this verse from today's haftarah, God is announcing that His great war against Gog, symbol of all God's enemies, will make it clear to the nations that God rules the world. This is parallel to the theme we read in the Torah concerning the Exodus, where God brings on the plagues to convince both the Israelites and the Egyptians of His power (Exodus 7:5, 17; 14:4).
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Saw You at Sinai
Note: the following drasha is an approximation of an impromptu d'var Torah I gave at Emanuel Congregation in Sydney, Australia, where my husband and I were the grateful recipients of this community's tremendous and warm embrace of the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim (welcoming of guests) several weeks ago.
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Judge for Yourself
As I read this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, one word keeps resonating: Judges. Sure, it is the first word of the parashah: “Shoftim v’shotrim titein leach – You shall appoint judges and officials in all your gates that God has given you for your tribes, and they should govern the nation with righteous judgement.” In all honesty, judges and the judicial system have been on my mind all week, ever since hearing the news of the swearing in ceremony for Elana Kagen, the newest Supreme Court Appointee.
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