Parsha HaAzinu: In the Mirror of Torah

We are about to enter Rosh haShanah.  Before we get too caught up in it, I want to draw attention to our small, but hugely important parsha (weekly Torah portion).  It is called HaAzinu, whose root is the word, “Ear,” and means to give ear or cause to listen.  It also happens to be the first word of our pasha, and also the first word to the song that haShem (god) told Moshe (Moses) to teach the people.  If you … Continue reading

Parsha Emor: A Torah on Speaking

Tonight is a peaceful night after a beautiful day here in Eugene.  This shabbat (Saturday)  we read a parsha (weekly Torah portion) called Emor which means, “Tell.”  Why?  Because the parsha begins with haShem (god) telling Moshe (Moses) to TELL to the priests, the sons of Aharon a whole lot of things such as not to become tamae (mixed) by the soul of a member of the nation.  The implication here is that the soul means when a person dies … Continue reading

Parsha D’varim: YOU and Torah

Hello everybody, This week we start the final chapter in the drama that we call the Torah.  The book is called D’varim (Deuteronomy) which means “words” in Hebrew, for these are Moshe’s (Moses) final words to the family of Yisrael before they go and take the land haShem (god) has promised them.  This week’s parsha (weekly Torah portion), btw, is also called D’varim. 🙂 So, what does Moshe tell the people?  Before I start, remember that he is talking, not … Continue reading

Parsha Bamidbar: Welcome to the Speaking Wilderness

[Editor’s note:  I originally wrote this in 2004, for an email list regarding the weekly Torah portion.  I deliberately put it out after shabbat because, the energy of the parsha does not end with shabbat – it only starts to wane with the ending of shabbat.  Think of the shabbat as the full moon for the parsha.  It builds starting Wednesday until shabbat  where it is at maximum strength.  Then, after shabbat, the energy of the parsha wanes as the … Continue reading