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The yearly cycle of reading the Torah, which concludes and then begins again on Simchat Torah, is a never-ending mobius strip of ever increasing self knowledge and exploration. The Torah’s concluding words, “before the eyes of all Israel,” point to an incident which occurred midway through the Torah narrative, one in which Moshe’s laser-sharp response to a gathering spiritual crisis changed everything in life since then, enabling us to begin the adventure of Torah anew each year, with new eyes and pure hearts.
B’reishith (Genesis 1:1-6:8)
Parashat B’reishith is read on Shabbat:
Tishrei 27, 5776/October 10, 2015
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Yom Kippur, the awesome day of atonement is the Holy of Holies in the dimension of time and soul, the one day of the year in which we can enter our innermost holy sanctum of self, and reemerge, not only unscathed, but cleansed and renewed. Our future and our past is ours to write and rewrite, if we but dare to see ourselves as the blessed creatures G-d intended us.
May G-d inscribe us all in the Book of Life and bless us all with a good and sweet new year!
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It is Moshe’s last day on earth, and as he prepares to part from his beloved people, he also relays to Israel the final two commandments of Torah: the once-every-seven-years Hakhel gathering of all Israel for the reading of the entire Torah by the king of Israel in the Holy Temple, and the writing of a complete sefer Torah by each and every member of the nation of Israel. These two seemingly unrelated commandments together are part of an important message concerning the nature and potential of Shabbat Shuva (the Sabbath of Repentance) that occurs every year during the ‘Ten Days of Repentance’ between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.
Vayelech (Deuteronomy 31:1-31:30)
Parashat Vayelech is read on Shabbat:
Tishrei 6, 5776/September 19, 2015
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We are all standing here today before G-d, about to enter the land of Israel and about to bring in the new year by declaring G-d’s sovereignty over all of creation. The messages of parashat Nitzavim – entering a covenant with G-d, taking responsibility for ourselves and for one another, and acknowledging that the perfection of creation is in man’s ability to do teshuvah – to return to G-d – are the very same messages of Rosh HaShana, the awesome day on which all mankind stands before G-d and acknowledges that He is King and we are His beloved servants.
Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20)
Parashat Nitzavim is read on Shabbat:
Elul 28, 5775/September 12, 2015
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The nation of Israel’s purpose for entering and inheriting the land of Israel is literally written on stone and made into an altar to G-d, designed to broadcast to the world that there is One G-d and that He is the Master of all creation.
Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8)
Parashat Ki Tavo is read on Shabbat:
Elul 21, 5775/September 5, 2015
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Just as G-d’s presence fills the world but G-d is not the world, so too, G-d’s mercy fills creation but G-d can’t be defined by His attribute of mercy. Some commandments, such as shiluach haken – the chasing away of the mother bird before taking her eggs or chicks – are expressions of G-d’s mercy. Other commandments, such as the commandment to utterly destroy Amalek, come to show us that mercy alone cannot sustain the world, and that the revelation of G-d’s mercy alone cannot define our commitment to perform His commandments.
Ki Teitzei (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19)
Parashat Ki Teitzei is read on Shabbat:
Elul 14, 5775/August 29, 2015
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G-d promised the land of Israel to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, and He intends to keep His promise. All that He requires is that Israel shows courage in the face of implacable enemies far more numerous and seemingly far more powerful than she.
To help encourage and fortify Israel, G-d commands that a kohen (priest) from the Holy Temple, the abode of G-d’s indwelling (Shechinah), will prepare Israel for battle only after rallying the nation, letting them know that G-d is leading them in battle, and weeding out individuals whose inability to focus on the holy task at hand might weaken the resolve of the others.
Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9)
Parashat Shoftim is read on Shabbat:
Elul 7, 5775/August 22, 2015
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