Torah Reflections
Each week, Rabbi Olivier prepares a written reflection on the weekly Torah portion. These provide yet another way to discover the texts sacred to Judaism and to prepare for Shabbat each week.
Torah Reflections – June 28 – July 4, 2015
Balak Numbers 22:2 - 25:9 Happiness Beyond Thought This week's Torah portion tells the story of Balak and Balaam. Balak is king of Moab. As the parashah opens, his kingdom is threatened to be invaded by the Israelite armies encamped at his borders. He and his...
Torah Reflections – June 21 – 27, 2015
Chukat Numbers 19:1 - 22:1 The Dissolving Power of The Light of Truth Since we left last week's Torah portion and opened our books again to study this week's, thirty-eight years have passed. The generation...
Torah Reflections – June 14 – 20, 2015
Korach Numbers 16:1 - 18:32 When Korach Takes Over We left the Israelites at the edge of the Promised Land last week. Twelve tribal leaders, who had gone to scope out the Land, had come back. Ten against two,...
Torah Reflections – June 7 – 13, 2015
Sh'lach L'cha Numbers 13:1 - 15:41 Why The Spies Were Wrong This week, in Torah, we meet again the story of the twelve elders, leaders of the Hebrew tribes, whom Moses sends to spy upon the Land of Canaan ahead of the Israelites' invasion. Returning after forty...
Torah Reflections – May 3 – 9, 2015
Emor Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23 Knowing God vs. Playing God The beginning verses in this week's Torah portion are rather challenging to our current understanding of spirituality. They define an impossibly strict code of...
Torah Reflections – April 26 – May 2, 2015
Acharei Mot - Kedoshim Leviticus 16:1 - 20:27 Drawing Closer Through Generosity There is an interesting passage in this week's Torah portion that caught my eye this time around. God, through Moses, asks the Israelites...
Torah Reflections – April 19 – 25, 2015
Tazria - Metzora Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33 We Are Energy Bodies This week's Torah portion is, admittedly, a challenge to our modern sensibilities. This portion talks about tzara'at, a skin affliction most...
Torah Reflections – April 12 – 18, 2015
Sh'mini Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47 Merging With The Light As our weekly reading resumes, following the end of Passover, we are met by one of the most mesmerizing stories in Torah: the fiery death of Aharon's sons Nadav and Avihu. Most rabbis explain their...
Passover Reflections – March 22 – 28, 2015
Tzav Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36 Mah Nish'tanah? What Has Changed? Although we closed the Book of Exodus two weeks ago, with Passover around the corner, its stories linger still in our consciousness. This is the time of the year, personally, when I delight in...
Torah Reflections – March 8 – 14, 2015
Vayak'hel - Pekudei Exodus 38:21 - 40:38 Practices on The Way to Sinai This week's Torah portion brings the book of Exodus to a close. On the surface, these past weeks told the story of our Exodus from Egypt (Mitzrayim) and...
Torah Reflections – February 22-28, 2015
T'tzaveh Exodus 27:20 - 30:10 You Are The Eternal One This week's Torah portion speaks of the ordination of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. Ornate garments are designed by the artists among the people for the ceremony, sewn...
Torah Reflections – February 15-21, 2015
T'rumah Exodus 25:1 - 27:19 Creating an Inner Sanctuary This week's Torah portion opens with the famous verse: "V'asu Li mik'dash, v'Shachan'ti b'tocham," usually translated: "And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may...