by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 4, 2023 | Shabbat
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Psalm 29 (The Israel Bible, pp. 1503-1504) is special in a deep way. Even though it is only 11 verses, it contains the name of God 18 times. 18 is an auspicious number in Judaism. The gematria (numerical value) of 18 equals chai (×—×™), meaning...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 1, 2022 | Shabbat, Kedoshim, Holiness, Purity
Leviticus Chapter 19 begins with a deceptively simple commandment:Â You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your God, am holy. Leviticus 19:2 There has been much speculation about this verse. At first glance, the imperative seems impossible as it requires the nation of...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 25, 2022 | Shabbat, Yom Kippur, Acharei Mot, Holiness, Humility, Purity, Repentance, Temple
The Torah portion of Acharei Mot (Leviticus 16-18) describes the Temple service on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Bible mandates 15 specific sacrifices and many other rituals for Yom Kippur, or Yom HaKippurim, outlined in Leviticus chapter 16. The literal...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 3, 2022 | Shabbat
The Shabbat that precedes Pesach (Passover) is called ‘Shabbat HaGadol’ (the big/great Sabbath). There are several reasons for this. According to Jewish tradition, the first Shabbat HaGadol was the last Shabbat that the Jews were in Egypt. This fell on the tenth of...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 27, 2022 | Shabbat, Community, Vayakhel, God
The fourth of the Ten Commandments instructs the Children of Israel to observe Shabbat on the seventh day because God Himself created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Exodus 20:8-11). This mitzvah (Torah commandment) is repeated in many places...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 24, 2022 | Shabbat
The Shabbat which precedes Rosh Chodesh (new month), the beginning of a Hebrew month, is referred to as Shabbat Mevorchim, or the Shabbat when we bless. On this Shabbat a special prayer is recited after the Torah is read but before the Torah scroll is returned to the...
