This week’s parsha (Torah portion) is very unusual. It starts by saying, “And you will command the children of Israel…” Why does it say this instead of the usual, “And god spoke to Moshe saying…?” Before I look at that, let’s get an overview of what our parsha contains. It starts with haShem (god) telling Moshe (Moses) to command the children of Israel to bring the oil that Aharon and his sons will use to light the menorah every day. … Continue reading
At last we are getting to the weekly Torah portion (parsha) called Shmini. I say, “At last,” because our parsha has been preempted, for the last two shabbats, by the holy days involved with our becoming a people: Pesach (Passover). Shmini is an interesting parsha, recounting the first sacrifices made by the newly anointed priests in the newly created mishcan (tabernacle). At the climax, after haShem (god/dess) comes down on the people and eats the sacrifices, two of Aharon’s … Continue reading
This week, we start the 3rd book of the Torah: Vayikra (Leviticus). This week’s parsha (Torah portion) gets into the blood and guts of sacrifices. It is not one of the prettier parshas, but it is an important one nevertheless because it tells us how we can redeem ourselves when we sin, not just as a person, but also as a community or a community leader, including the high priest and the king. One of the things I like about … Continue reading
Hello everyone, Once again it is time for our visit with the week’s parsha (Torah portion). This week’s parsha 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.” Someone, once pointed out to me that this is a unique … Continue reading