Tetzaveh Exodus 27:20 – 30:10  By Jen Smith  Imagine opening a book where the main character – our hero, our guiding force – suddenly vanishes from the page. Not a single mention. Not even a whisper of his name. That’s exactly what happens in Parashat Tetzaveh – the only Torah portion, from the moment Moses […]

Mishpatim Exodus 21:1–24:18   By Guest Torah Blogger, Jen Smith Parashat Mishpatim begins: “And these are the laws that you shall set before them.” (Exodus 21:1)  After the big show at Sinai, where God’s voice thundered in revelation, you might expect the Torah to remain in the supernatural realm of miracles and divine mystery. Instead, it […]

Beshalach Exodus 13:17–17:16  By Guest Torah Blogger, Jen Smith Beshalach is one of the most mystical and existentially charged portions in the Torah. It is a narrative of liminality – of thresholds crossed, waters split, and consciousness transformed. The Israelites leave Egypt, but their redemption is incomplete. They are free of Pharaoh, but they are […]

Bo Exodus 10:1–13:16  By Jen Smith  Parashat Bo is one of the most dramatic portions in the Torah. It is here that the final plagues strike Egypt, Pharaoh’s resistance is broken, and the children of Israel take their first steps toward freedom. But if we look beyond the historical narrative, we find a mystical and […]