Tzav – 5779 Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36 Yes, the priests got to wear the coolest couture of the day, with entire chapters of Torah devoted to describing each magnificent garment after another. And yes, the priests were revered as spiritual leaders, and given the holiest of tasks to perform before God on behalf of all […]

VaYikra – 5779 Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26 [Originally published in 2016] Open the book VaYikra, and enter the world of sacrificial Judaism. This is the priestly book, the book of the korbonot – the offerings through which Israel drew closer to God. According to tradition, young Jewish students begin their studies here, in the middle […]

Pekudei – 5779 Exodus 38:21 – 40:38 We’ve heard it before. Twice. In excruciating detail. With Terumah and Teztaveh we received the design plans with full specs for both the mishkan (Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle) and the priestly vestments. Then in Veyak’heil we read about the actual construction, in detail. Now, finally, in Pekudei the finished […]

Vayak’heil – 5779 Exodus 35:1 – 38:21 After the Ten Plagues; After the Exodus from Egypt; After the parting of the sea, and the defeat of Pharaoh’s chariots; After the Revelation at Sinai; After the idolatry of the Golden Calf; After the massacre of 3000 Israelite ring-leaders; After the destruction of the first set of […]

Ki Tissa – 5779 Exodus 30:11 – 34:35 Moses was the greatest leader of Israel ever – past, present and future. The Torah says so, and also the sages. Yet, he did not work alone. The Exodus story highlights two Israelite leaders, each with their own very different leadership styles. Moses was the ‘political’ leader […]