by Bet Alef Administrator | May 12, 2023 | Torah Reflections
B’har – B’chukotai Leviticus 25:1 – 27:34 On July 8, 1776, the Liberty Bell was rung in Philadelphia to mark the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants...
by Bet Alef Administrator | May 4, 2023 | Torah Reflections
Emor Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23 Sometimes the Holiness Code in the Book of Leviticus seems so foreign to our modern understanding of spirituality that it’s a real challenge to comprehend the underlying principles. Such is the case with the opening verses of Parashat...
by Bet Alef Administrator | Apr 21, 2023 | Torah Reflections
Tazria-Metzora Leviticus 12:1 – 15:33 This week’s a dual Torah portion contains a number of passages that definitely challenge our modern sensibilities. Many verses are devoted to tzara’at, a skin affliction that most translators define as leprosy,...
by Bet Alef Administrator | Apr 13, 2023 | Torah Reflections
Sh’mini Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47 Growing up, I always had difficulty with the concept of doing “God’s will.” The rabbis of my youth spoke of observing the mitzvot—the divinely prescribed do’s and don’t’s in the Torah, Talmud, and Halachah—but I questioned...
by Bet Alef Administrator | Apr 4, 2023 | Torah Reflections
Passover Reflections Although we just closed the Book of Exodus, with Passover starting tonight, its stories linger still in our consciousness. This is the time of the year, personally, when I delight in re-opening the Passover Haggadah and in looking inside for more...
by Bet Alef Administrator | Mar 30, 2023 | Torah Reflections
Tzav Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36 The same opening verses of Parashat Tsav that lend themselves to reflections about kindling new light in our hearts have received yet another interpretation in the Kabbalistic tradition. “This is the ritual of the burnt offering”...
