Parsha Key Tisa: Anger Management

This week’s parsha (weekly Torah portion) is called, “Key tisa,” which literally means, “That you will raise.”  The verse continues with, “The heads of the children of Yisrael to redeem them and give a man atonement of his soul to haShem (god) in redeeming them and there will not be in them a plague in their redemption.”  Basically we are talking here of the first census of the people, but I do find it interesting that the raising of the … Continue reading

So This is Purim

So this is Purim.   Say, didn’t John Lennon sing that?  Maybe it was something close. Today is Purim.  What is Purim?  The Hebrew word translates to lots (like a lottery), because the villain picked lots to determine when his decree against the Jews would take effect.  But that is just a small part of this holiday. Here is another way to look at Purim.  For me, Purim is the gift of a day to see god hiding in the world.  … Continue reading

Parsha T’tzaveh: Slow Torah

Once again it is time for our visit with the parsha (weekly Torah portion).  The parsha for this week is called T’tzveh which can mean you will command and/or you will join.  The parsha starts with haShem (god) talking to Moshe (Moses) and saying, “Atah t’tzveh,” or, “You will command/connect the children of Yisrael and they will take to you pure pressed olive oil for lighting the eternal candle.” One shabbat a few years back, someone pointed out that this … Continue reading

Parsha Trumah: The Infinite within the Finite

The name of the parsha (weekly Torah portion) we read this week is called Trumah.  I received a request (Hi mom) 🙂 to include the name of the weekly parsha, so there it is.  The parshas take their name from the first significant word found in them.  The word, “Trumah,” has as its root the word, “Rom,” which means to raise up, and is the word used to designate certain tithes that only the priests (cohanim in Hebrew) and their … Continue reading

Parsha Mishpatim: Torah Beyond the Words

This week we read a parsha (weekly Torah portion) called Mishpatim, which means sentences in Hebrew.  The word can be used just like the English word; for both a sentence like the one you are reading, or what a judge pronounces.  In the parsha it is used in the latter way, for the parsha Mishpatim is almost all about laws concerning how to live.  First, we read about how to treat a Hebrew slave.  We then read of laws regarding … Continue reading