VaYakhel 5782 Exodus 35:1 – 38:20 Rabbi Jack Luxemburg   The first word of this Torah portion gives the portion its name, Vayak’heil. It begins the opening verse:                 וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה, אֶת-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל–וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם:  אֵלֶּה, הַדְּבָרִים, אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה יְהוָה, לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם  And Moses gathered (vayak’heil) all the legions of Israel and said to them, “These […]

Ki Tissa 5782 Exodus 30:11 – 34:35 Rabbi Gary Pokras    Ki Tissa is an odd portion, reminiscent of the children’s song “one of these things is not like the other ones.” The two portions before Ki Tissa and the two portions after are all focused on the design and construction of the mishkan, where […]

Tetzaveh 5782 Exodus 27:20 – 30:10 Rabbi Jack Luxemburg    Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz) once said, “People ask how can a Jewish kid from the Bronx do preppy clothes?  Does it have to do with class and money?  It has to do with dreams.”  In this week’s Torah Portion, Tetzaveh, it is as if […]

Terumah 5782 Exodus 25:1 – 27:19      Rabbi Gary Pokras  Parashat Terumah describes the very first capital campaign in the history of our people, and as such, has probably been used to launch more synagogue and Jewish community campaigns, than, well, anything.   At the beginning of the portion, God commands Moses: “Speak to the Israelites, and […]

Mishpatim 5782 Exodus 21:1 – 24:18 Rabbi Gary Pokras   Human beings are not rational creatures. We say we are rational, and we like to think we are rational, but we have the capacity, and at times the inclination, to be deeply irrational. Today, it feels like we are surrounded by irrationality. For all we […]