Parsha v’Zot haBrachah (and Simchat Torah): The Birth-Blessing Torah

Hello and welcome to the end…or is it really the beginning? I’m not really sure. Last Shabbat was the Shabbat of Succot and we read a special parsha (Torah portion). Then on Thursday in Israel (or Friday if you are outside of Israel) we read the final parsha of the Torah and also the beginning of the first parsha. Then, this coming Shabbat we will read the first parsha in its entirety. The end result of all this is that … Continue reading

Parsha haAzinu: The Poem that is the Torah

We are about to enter into Rosh haShanah, and shabbat comes in on its coat-tails.  So, while we are getting ready for the Jewish new year, and while there is still time, I want to take a moment to look at this week’s parsha (the Torah portion read on shabbat).  It is called haAzinu. HaAzinu means, “Your ears,” and is the first word of this week’s parsha.  If you recall from the end of the previous parsha, Moshe (Moses) was … Continue reading