by Sarah Gazitt | Sep 15, 2024 | Torah Reflections
Ki Teitzei Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19 Each year, when I meet Ki Teitzei I realize again why so many people are moved to abandon any kind of religious pursuit. Though we find many uplifting verses about ethical living in society 2,500 years ago, some of what we...
by Sarah Gazitt | Aug 30, 2024 | Torah Reflections
R’eih Deuteronomy 11:26 – 16:17 How do I invite God into my life? How do I fill my life with the Divine Presence moment to moment? These are the questions many of us on the spiritual path ask ourselves. And more often than not, the answer comes back...
by Sarah Gazitt | Aug 23, 2024 | Torah Reflections
Eikev Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25 In the middle of this Torah portion, Moses once again admonishes our people for our intractable stubbornness: “Know, then, that it is not for any virtue of yours that the Eternal your God is giving you this good land to...
by Bet Alef Administrator | Jul 19, 2024 | Torah Reflections
Balak Numbers 22:2 – 25:9 The story of Balaam and his donkey is one of the most peculiar and intriguing stories in all of Torah. For one thing, the narrative throughout Torah is normally pithy and succinct, with no unnecessary details. The main story line ever...
by Bet Alef Administrator | Jul 5, 2024 | Torah Reflections
Chukat Numbers 19:1 – 22:1 Thirty-eight years have passed since our last Torah portion, and the Israelites who had known the slavery of Egypt have all died. The new generation’s only memory of captivity in Egypt is the tales their parents left behind....
by Bet Alef Administrator | Jun 21, 2024 | Torah Reflections
B’haalot’cha Numbers 8:1 – 12:16 Arguably the most important event in the entire Jewish Bible is the moment of Matan Torah, when we were gifted with the Torah during the Revelation at Sinai. There, atop the trembling mountain wreathed in smoke, God...
