Tag Archives: Leviticus

Emor: Laying our communal hands

Posted on April 24, 2013 by

Now here’s an odd story in this week’s parasha, Emor,  not that there aren’t a few odd stories in our Torah.  One day, “There came out among the Israelites one whose mother was Israelite and whose father was Egyptian.  And … Continue reading →

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This week’s parasha is called Boston.

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

Acharei Mot/Kedoshim. You will be holy because I am holy.  (Lev. 19:2) To be holy. To be whole.  Or to be filled with holes – filled with more empty spaces than not.  To be not-whole, not holy. This week there … Continue reading →

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Tazria/Metzora: Staying on the life-side of the line

Posted on April 11, 2013 by

This week there is a double portion of Torah.  That is, we read two portions for the same Shabbat.  It happens other times in the year, so we can end up on Simchat Torah in the fall having gotten to … Continue reading →

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Nadav and Avihu: Words may fail, but actions cannot

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

Well, it seems that I’ve gotten myself a week off on Torah portions.  Must have been Pesach that did it to me.  My apologies to those who noticed, and graciously didn’t fill my inbox with reminders.  To those who didn’t … Continue reading →

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Shemini Passover: The holiness of discernment

Posted on March 27, 2013 by

Well, here we are in the middle of Passover, yet as always, there is another weekly Torah portion.  This time, it’s Shemini, and in my beautiful precious JPS Mikraot G’dolot, (it’s a big book with the bi-lingual Torah text and … Continue reading →

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Vayikrah: the separateness of leadership

Posted on March 13, 2013 by

We begin the book of Vayikra this week, the book of Leviticus, with the portion of the same name, Vayikra…called, that is, God called to Moses.  People tend to cringe when you tell them you’re writing about Leviticus because the … Continue reading →

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Behar: Jubilee!

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

Thou shalt re-boot your economy every fifty years. Ok, it doesn’t really say that at the end of Leviticus, but that’s sort of what’s going on.  In Behar,  we encounter the Jubilee year.  “You shall count off seven weeks of … Continue reading →

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Tazria/Metzora – Walking the Line

Posted on April 25, 2012 by

Jewish ritual purity….sin….Facebook One of these things is not like the other…..and  no, it’s not Facebook.  My friend Miriam Brousseau , Social Media Queen and singer in Stereo Sinai, posted something the other day that got me thinking, as she … Continue reading →

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Shemini: Foolish decisions

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

My son got his driver’s permit this week.  Naturally, he’s very excited and nervous; so am I.  I’m also thinking about another couple of sons, Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aaron the High Priest.   This week’s parasha is Shemini, … Continue reading →

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Tzav: Inside their heads – Moses and Aaron

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

A Midrash.  Aaron is about to be ordained as High Priest, and there will be a very public, very ornate ceremony for him.  These two brothers – what are they thinking at this moment? Moses:  I should be proud of … Continue reading →

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