Yom Kippur: Casting lots
A unique Temple ceremony for Yom Kippur was the casting of lots by the high priest as he designated one goat to the Lord and the other goat to Azazel. “From the assembly of...
Category: All Teachings
Ha’azeinu (Hear)
Ha’azeinu, one of the final Torah portions for the year, is always read just before Yom Kippur. It is very eschatological in nature and many of its themes point to the final redemption at...
Nitzavim (Standing)
Nitzavim begins with Moshe telling the heads of the tribes, the elders and officers, that is, all the men of Israel, that they are standing before God for the purpose of bringing all the...
Ki Tavo: When you Come
The nation was instructed to take the firstfruits of all their crops, when they came into the land, and set them in the place where God chose to have His name. These were the...
Service of the Heart: Liturgy
This is an in depth teaching on the Hebrew prayer service. It traces the expansion of prayer from the time of Moshe to present day and shows just how the words of our mouth...
Early Morning Blessings
This series looks at the early morning blessings in the Hebrew prayer book starting with “Mah Tovu” which means “How Goodly” and which recalls the tents of Jacob. The prayer speaks of entering into...
Ekev (because)
This week’s portion took me on a major “rabbi trail” that completely caught me by surprise. After a full day of research, which included taking copious amounts of notes, my entire file disappeared when...
V’et’chanan: I Pleaded
The following quote probably best expresses the power of the words of the Shema, “Hear O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is One” (Shema Israel Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad). “Throughout the entire...
Devarim: There aren’t words!
This week’s portion starts off the book of Deuteronomy with a review, by Moshe, of some of the camps and events that took place over the course of Israel’s forty-year history in the wilderness. ...
Masei: Journeys
“These are the journeys of the children of Israel who went forth from the land of Egypt according to their legions under the hand of Moshe and Aharon. Moshe wrote their goings forth according...