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: November 27 – December 3, 2011
Parashah (portion) Vayeitzei – Vision Quest Genesis 28:10 - 32:3 It is undeniable that some stones in Jerusalem radiate a certain energy. We, as Jews, come to pray at the Western Wall of the ancient Holy Temple built on Mount Moriah. We touch the stones of the Wall...
Torah Reflections: November 13 – November 19, 2011
Parashah (portion) Chayei Sarah - The Legacy of Isaac and Ishmael Genesis 23:1 - 25:18 Foreword: Since I will be in Israel for the next couple of weeks and won't be able to write my weekly Torah Reflections, I thought you would have enough time to read a slightly...
Torah Reflections: October 30 – November 5, 2011
Parashah (portion) Lech Lecha - What We Are Called Upon to Do Genesis 12:1 - 17:27 Ramban, Rabbi Moses Nachmanides (13th century Spain,) comments at length on a verse in the Torah which does not seem to hold much importance in the early unfolding of Abraham's...
Torah Reflections: October 16 – 22, 2011
Parashah (portion) Bereshit - The Kabbalah of Creation Genesis 1:1 - 6:8 I love the esoteric interpretation by Nachmanides--Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, born in Spain (1194-1270)--on the first verse of Genesis: In a beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [Gen....
Torah Reflections: September 11 – 17, 2011
Parashah (portion) Ki Tavo - Let Your Heart Crack Open Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8 This week's Torah portion begins: When you enter the land that the Eternal your God is giving your as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, you shall take some of every fruit of...
Torah Reflections: September 4 – 10, 2011
Parashah (portion) Ki Teitzei - To Walk Humbly with God Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:19 This week's Torah portion is the last in Deuteronomy to present us with a collection of laws. With this kind of portion, we find ourselves struggling with some aspects of the text and...
Torah Reflections: August 28 – September 3, 2011
Parashah (portion) Shoftim - Humility is Not Humiliation Deuteronomy 16:18 - 21:9 Today is the first day of Elul, the month leading up to Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year. It is traditionally a time dedicated to introspection, to reviewing the year that was, and to...
Torah Reflections: August 21 – 27, 2011
Parashah (portion) Re'eh - Letting Go of All Truths 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...
Torah Reflections: August 14 – 20, 2011
Parashah (portion) Eikev - Truth and Love Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25 Here are a few verses in this week's Torah portion that, to me, symbolize the essential challenge of the spiritual path and perhaps, moreover, the challenge of our western civilization: Be mindful lest...
Torah Reflections: August 7 – 13, 2011
Parashah (portion) VaEtchanan - Was Moses Lying? Deuteronomy 3:1 - 7:11 A few weeks ago at Shabbat services I spoke about the story of the "Waters of Meribah" wherein God sentenced Moses and Aaron to die in the wilderness for having disobeyed His specific command. God...
Torah Reflections: July 3 – 9, 2011
Parashah (portion) Balak - The Love We Are Numbers 22:2 - 25:9 One of the most popular writings of the Hebrew Bible is Pirkei Avot, the "Ethics of the Fathers." Chapter 2 begins: "The world stands on three things, Torah, Service (Avodah) and upon acts of...
Torah Reflections: June 19 – 25, 2011
Parashah (portion) Korach - Do You Believe in Free Will? Numbers 16:1 - 18:32 In this week's Torah portion, Moses and his brother Aaron are confronted with a revolt led by Korach, a leader of the tribe of Levi. Korach and his followers challenge Moses' authority,...