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 31 – July 5, 2013
Mattot-Masei Numbers 30:2 - 36:13 First, Break All Your Vows Yom Kippur is fast approaching. Rabbis don't need to look at the calendar to figure this out. We know. This is Mattot-Masei, the weekly Torah portion that is ten weeks...
Torah Reflections June 21 – 29, 2013
Pinchas Numbers 25:10 - 30:1 We Are All Zelophechad's Children Disclaimer: I originally published these Torah Reflections a year ago. However, as we applaud this week's decision by the Supreme Court regarding the unconstitutionality of the DOMA, I...
Torah Reflections June 16 – 22, 2013
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....
Torah Reflections June 9 – 15, 2013
Chukkat 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 of Israelites who had known the slavery of...
Torah Reflections June 2 – 8, 2013
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, they advised against entering into the...
Torah Reflections – May 26 – June 1, 2013
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...
Torah Reflections – May 12 – 18, 2013
Naso Numbers 4:21 - 7:89 In The Shadow of Jealousy One of the most disturbingly misogynistic stories in Torah--and, admittedly, there are many--confronts us in this week's portion. It describes a humiliating ritual a woman is forced to endure if suspected of adultery...
Torah Reflections – April 28 – May 4, 2013
B'har - B'chukotai Leviticus 25:1 - 27:34 The Evolving God of Our Understanding The last Torah portion in the Book of Leviticus, B'chukotai, begins with: "If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments..." [Lev. 26:3] and continues with...
Torah Reflections April 21 – 27, 2013
Emor Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23 We Are What we Celebrate In our weekly Torah reading we find the list of holidays to be celebrated by the Israelites on a yearly basis. This annual cycle of celebrations sets a beautiful frame for a life punctuated by spiritual encounters....
Torah Reflections – April 7 – 13, 2013
Tazria - Metzora Leviticus 12:1- 15:33 The Energy Body We Are This week's Torah portion is, admittedly, a challenge to our modern sensibilities. This portion talks about tzara'at, a skin affliction most translators define as leprosy; although no one...
Passover Reflections – March 17 – 24, 2013
A Connection Through Time The week is coming to a close, and Monday night will be the first night of Passover. For me, this weekend will be about cleaning our house until there is no more chametz left anywhere. Chametz is the Hebrew...
Passover Reflections – March 10 – 16, 2013
Mah Nish'tanah? What Has Changed? Although we closed the Book of Exodus last week, with Passover around the corner, 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...