by Sarah Gazitt | Apr 11, 2025 | Torah Reflections
VaYikra Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26 “VaYikra el Mosheh vaYedaber YHVH elav me-ohel moed. —He called to Moses. The Eternal One spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting.” (Lev. 1:1) Thus begins the Book of Leviticus. In all of Torah, there are only three instances when...
by Sarah Gazitt | Apr 11, 2025 | Torah Reflections
Tzav Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36 The opening verses of Parashat Tsav that usually lend themselves to rabbinic reflections about kindling new light in our hearts, have received a very different interpretation in the Kabbalistic tradition. “This is the ritual of the...
by Sarah Gazitt | Mar 28, 2025 | Torah Reflections
Pekudei Exodus 38:21 – 40:38 In the final verses of Exodus, the Israelites build all the many pieces of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, which Moses will assemble at a later time. The S’fat Emet, i.e. the Alter Rebbe of Ger, comments that many of these verses echo,...
by Sarah Gazitt | Mar 15, 2025 | General
T’tzaveh Exodus 27:20 – 30:10 The ordination of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood is one of the high points of this Torah portion. In preparation, community artisans designed ornate garments, which were sewn together and decorated with gold, precious...
by Sarah Gazitt | Jan 31, 2025 | Torah Reflections
Bo Exodus 10:1 – 13:16 Parashat Bo opens with the last four plagues to befall Egypt as part of the Divine liberation plan. Plague after plague, Pharaoh first reluctantly acquiesces to Moses’ latest plea to let his people go and then changes his mind when God...
