Posts Tagged ‘Deuteronomy’
Weekly Torah Portion – A Place For Everyone
Parshat Haazinu: Deuteronomy 32:1-52; II Samuel 22:1-51. Sometimes we catch ourselves repeatedly saying something to our kids and not being listened to: “Turn off the light;” “Don’t stay up late;” “Do your homework.” Other times we go so far as to list outcomes and consequences to different actions but still it feels like we are…
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Weekly Torah Portion – We Are All In This Together
Parshat Nitzavim: Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20; Isaiah 61:10-68:9. Parshat Nitzavim is one of my favorite Torah readings of the entire year: 1) because it contains so much meaningful information that demands reflection in a compact space and 2) because its emphasis on “return,” with its repeated use of the root “shuv,” is the perfect introduction to the…
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Weekly Torah Portion – The Blessings In Life
Parshat KiTavo: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8; Isaiah 60-1-22. A friend of mine recently moved to Flatbush. He’s doing comedy in the city, but Manhattan apartment prices have pushed him deep into Brooklyn, so now he’s surrounded by yeshivahs and delis rather than upscale boutiques and … well, I guess still delis. He grew up in a secular…
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Weekly Torah Portion – Preserving Dignity
Parshat Ki Tetze: Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19; Isaiah 54:1-10 Human dignity has always been a central concern of the Torah and the Jewish tradition. The Torah portion this week gives us several examples of protections that were provided for people who were at a disadvantage in ancient societies such as the poor, the resident alien, widows, orphans…
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Justice Seeker
Valerie Newman’s passion for getting innocent people out of prison leads to new role. Anyone who steps inside Valerie Newman’s Detroit office at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice is greeted by a colorful, framed poster emblazoned with these words from the Torah: “Justice, justice shalt thou pursue.” Newman calls the biblical quote from Deuteronomy…
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Weekly Torah Portion – The Body Is Sacred
Parshat Shoftim: Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9; Isaiah 51:12-52:12 This week’s Torah portion introduces the prohibition against mutilating or harming one’s body as a sign of mourning. Our rabbis explain that we may not mutilate our bodies because they are, in fact, not ours. They are God’s body and God’s soul, which He placed within specially designed physical…
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Weekly Torah Portion – The Proof Of Prophecy
Parshat Re’eh: Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17; Isaiah 66:11-24. (Shabbat Rosh Chodesh) The litmus test for true prophecy described in this week’s Torah portion (Deuteronomy 13:2-6) reveals much about the prophet’s role in ancient Israel. In a nutshell, an individual claiming to be a prophet, even if this individual provides seemingly miraculous signs and wonders in support of…
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Weekly Torah Portion – The Celebration of Life
Parshat Ekev: Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25; Isaiah 49:14-51:3. Jews have been pioneers in medicine for more than a thousand years. From Maimonides to Clara Stone to Jonas Salk, Jewish doctors have been in the forefront of new treatments and therapies. The central book of Judaism, the Torah, though, does not offer specific medical techniques or prescriptions. In…
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Weekly Torah Portion – The Original Prayer Book
Parshat V’etchanan: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11; Isaiah 40:1-26. In this week’s Torah portion, we find Moses’ personal prayer, petitioning God for entry into the Land of Israel. Moses prayed to God countless times — but which prayer book did he use? In a synagogue today, you can find all sorts of prayers in the siddur. There are…
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Weekly Torah Portion – From Sorrow To Joy
Parshat D’varim: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22; Isaiah 1:1-27. This Shabbat coincides with the 9th of Av on the Hebrew calendar. Known in Hebrew as Tishah b’Av, it is the day on which we annually mark the destruction of both holy temples in Jerusalem by fasting and mourning. This year, however, since it coincides with Shabbat, not only…
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