I’ve Got Nothing

Categories: Parsha, Pekudei

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY So, this week I’m in a bit of a conundrum. There is lots going on from a Jewish perspective (we conclude the Book of Exodus, we are almost exactly between Purim and Pesach) but the Parsha – Pekudei – is pretty repetitious. Moses is commanded by G-d to build the Tabernacle a few… Read More

How it Started Vs. How it’s Going

Categories: Parsha, Vayakhel

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha (Vayakhel) tells of the artisans, the expert craftsmen who produced the Mishkan, the Tabernacle where the Jewish people served G-d in the desert. What is most interesting to note is how little this differs from the previous portions where G-d commands it to Moses and Moses conveys to the Jewish… Read More

Humble Pie

Categories: Ki Tisa, Parsha

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha, Ki Sissa, should really be pronounced Ki Seesaw for all of its ups and downs. Let’s give a little background. The Jewish people overcame a superpower in fleeing slavery in Egypt. Moses leads them through a miraculously split sea and, after winning a war along the way, they arrive at… Read More

Crush It!

Categories: Parsha, Tetzaveh

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha (Tetzave) has a unique feature: Moses’s name is not mentioned. It does refer to him, just not by name. Along these same lines, there are many underlying lessons in the Parsha, generally and specifically, that aren’t initially apparent. In one of those lessons, we are told of how the Menorah… Read More

To Give Is to Receive

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 appropriate term? There must be… Read More

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A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY This week has been quite a whirlwind. The lead-up to Friends All Around is always a bit chaotic and this year is no exception! It means long nights and detailed plans (and alternative detailed plans!) culminating in a beautiful community affair (G-d willing!) this Sunday. In addition, today we observe “Lag Ba’omer,” an auspicious… Read More

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Weekly Roundup: May 16, 2025

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Love You

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY This week we have a double Parsha (Achareimot-Kedoshim) so there is no shortage of material. They include many laws and stories so it’s not too hard to find one that resonates and can connect to this moment. This week includes what Rabbi Akiva calls “the great principle of the Torah,” the commandment to… Read More

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