Ki Tissa Ex. 30:11 – 34:35  By Rabbi Baht Weiss  This week’s Torah portion contains the well-known story of the Golden Calf. Moses goes up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and the people wait at the foot of the mountain unsure of what is happening.  They have just been freed from slavery, […]

Tetzaveh Ex. 27:20 – 30:10  Rabbi Gary Pokras  “… a perpetual burnt offering for your generations at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, where I shall meet with you there and speak to you.” (Ex. 29:42)  In Parashat Tetzaveh we are introduced to the establishment of daily sacrifices. The Hebrew word […]

Terumah Ex. 25:1 – 27:19  Rabbi Baht Weiss  There’s a verse we read this week in Parshat Terumah that says,                      “Ve’asu li mikdash veshachanti  betocham,”            “Build for Me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” (Exod. 25:8)                  This reminds me of the line “If you build it, they will come,” from the movie […]

Mishpatim Ex. 21:1 – 24:18  Rabbi Gary Pokras   “You shall neither deceive a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Ex. 22:20)  Two weeks ago, in our exploration of parashat BeShallach, we highlighted the central importance of our origin as slaves in Egypt. Our history of oppression helps us […]

Yitro Ex. 18:1 – 20:23  Rabbi Baht Weiss   Parshat Yitro is named after Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro in Hebrew, Jethro in English.  The beginning of the Torah portion tells us that Yitro is a Midian priest, not a Jew.  It acknowledges that Moses’ wife Tziporah is of non-Jewish descent.  Moses and Tziporah’s two children are Gershom, […]

BeShallach (Shabbat Shira) Ex. 13:17 – 17:16  Rabbi Gary Pokras  My father has a theory about Judaism; he says that it is impossible to observe a Jewish holy day without food. As a kid I said, “Oh yeah? What about Yom Kippur?” He smiled and answered my question with a few of his own: “What […]