Make it Happen

Categories: Parsha, Vayakhel

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha, Vayakhel, contains the actual production of the Tabernacle. Yes, several weeks ago (Teruma) contained the exact instructions of how it should be done and this week contains the exact details of the Jewish people, directed by Moses, fulfilling those instructions. Why? The Torah does not include anything extra and can… Read More

Crushed

Categories: Ki Tisa, Parsha

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha is a rough one. It should have been simply a purely positive and momentous event on the Jewish calendar – the giving of the Torah – with its culmination in Moses’s returning to them with the entire backstory if you will. Instead, what took place was a grave error and… Read More

A Glaring Omission

Categories: Parsha, Tetzaveh

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY You know how some things are famous for what they aren’t? Like an apology that isn’t really an apology – “I’m sorry for how that made you feel.”Or a speech that doesn’t mention by name the one thing that people were listening for? So this week’s Parsha -Tetzaveh – is one of those… Read More

Give and Take

Categories: Parsha, Terumah

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha – Terumah – contains a lesson truly crucial to us as an organization. The Parsha begins, “v’yikchu li Terumah,” which literally translates to mean, “And they shall take to Me (G-d) contributions.” I translate literally because this word is confusing. Take? Isn’t “give” the more accurate term? There must be… Read More

Practically Perfect

Categories: Mishpatim, Parsha

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY Every Parsha has its theme. This week’s Parsha, Mishpatim, has loads of commandments—53 in total—and is therefore called “Mishpatim,” which literally means “judgments.” This word typically refers to specific commandments, as Mitzvot are broken up into three categories. “Edut” are testimonials, those we wouldn’t necessarily have considered in establishing a society, but which… Read More

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Are You Corruptible?

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week we begin to wind down the final portions of the original Four Books of the Torah (the Fifth takes on a different tone as it reiterates much of the previous four and is written in first person by Moses). It includes several episodes – primarily starring Pinchas, the Parsha’s namesake –… Read More

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Not for Prophet

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