Moses
Weekly Torah Portion: A Generous Heart
This week’s Torah portion opens with Moses’ instruction to the Children of Israel to donate items for the construction of the Tabernacle and its various vessels.  It echoes the very similar commandment that God gave to Moses in Chapter...
Weekly Torah Portion: A Man, not a Superhero
This week’s portion begins with the commandment to conduct a census among the Children of Israel through the donation of a half shekel.  Other commandments follow, but the focus of the portion is the story of the Golden Calf.  It has...
Weekly Torah Portion: An Ally to the Children of Israel
This week's portion begins with Jethro's historic visit to the Children of Israel in the desert. The story begins in Exodus Chapter 18: "Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for...
Weekly Torah Portion: God and Israel at War
This week’s Torah portion begins with the Exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt and ends with the war against Amalek.  And war is a theme that runs through this week’s portion in a very interesting way.  The portion begins with an...
Weekly Torah Portion: The Wisdom of Miriam
The first portion of the Book of Exodus is one of transformation – the children of Israel, the family of Jacob, become the "Hebrews" and the Children of Israel, with a national focus. The family of Amram and Yocheved become the first...
The Portion of V’Zot Habracha
V’Zot Habracha is the final portion of the Torah. In it, Moses blesses each of the tribes, as is customary in the Bible for parents to bless their children before dying. When Moses is done, God instructs him to ascend the mountain where...
The Portion of Haazinu
The portion of Haazinu contains the song mentioned in last week’s portion, which God told Moses to teach the Children of Israel so they would always understand the consequences of their actions. It ends with Moses preparing to die before...
The Portion of Pinchas
Our portion picks up where last week’s left off, in the aftermath of a plague. Phineas is blessed by God for his actions and a new census of the people is taken. The brotherless daughters of Zelophehad appeal to Moses for a share in the...
The Portion of Chukat
This action-packed portion begins with the laws of the red heifer, an unusual ritual which causes the participant to become pure, but those involved in the preparation to become impure. From there, the narrative picks up again with the...
The Portion of Beha’alotecha
This busy portion contains a number of legal and technical details, as well as stories. We are told of the Levites’ appointment as assistants to the priestly service, and the celebration of Passover in the desert after the exodus. The...