by katie@betalef.org | Jun 13, 2019 | Torah Reflections
The True Purpose of Blessing: Nasso Nasso: Numbers 4:21-7:89 In our Torah reading this week we happen upon one of the central blessings of our tradition; the Priestly Blessing. And the Eternal spoke to Moses, saying; Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying; Thus you...
by katie@betalef.org | Jun 5, 2019 | Torah Reflections
We Lose Our Self to Find Our Self B’midbar: Number 1:1-4:20 The midrash relating to the opening of this week’s Torah portion, “B’midbar,” meaning: “In the wilderness;” asks its reader: “Why was the Torah given in the...
by katie@betalef.org | May 30, 2019 | Torah Reflections
The Jewish Path of Mindfulness B’chukotai: Leviticus 26:3 – 27:34 If your path is imbued with My instructions and your actions remain connected to and flow from your inner Divine source (Mitzvot,) then I will gift your rains in their time and the land will yield...
by RabbiOlivier | May 18, 2019 | Torah Reflections
Knowing God vs Playing God Emor: Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23 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 holiness for the priestly caste. In reading...
by RabbiOlivier | May 10, 2019 | Torah Reflections
The Pursuit of Holiness Kedoshim: Leviticus 19:1 – 20:27 The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the entire Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy. [Lev. 19:1-2] Most rabbinic and scholarly...
by RabbiOlivier | Apr 19, 2019 | Torah Reflections
Mandatory Generosity at Our Seder Tonight, at our first Passover Seder, we will begin telling the story of our exodus from Egypt raising the matzah and saying in one voice: Ha lachma anya… This is the bread of affliction, the bread of simplicity, which our ancestors...
