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.
The Power of Spiritual Transmission
D'varim Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22 “Eleh ha-D’arim—These are the words that Moses spoke to all of Israel….” (Deut.1:1) With these words we begin the fifth and final book of the Torah, in which Moses both retells and explains the foundational myth of the Hebrew people....
The Mystical Layers of Forty-Eight
Matot-Mas'ei Numbers 30:2 - 36:13 Parashat Masei is the closing section of the Book of Numbers, which many scholars believe was originally the last Book of Moses, i.e., the last book of the Torah. With the death of Moses, our history continued in the Book of...
We Are All Zelophehad Daughters
Pinchas Numbers 25:10 - 30:1 Parashat Pinchas describes yet another census of the Israelites, and this time there’s a fascinating twist. Five spunky women have the courage to challenge the status quo by insisting that their family name be included in the census. The...
Happiness Beyond Thought
Chukat - Balak Numbers 19:1 - 25:9 As Parashat Balak opens, the Israelites are encamped at the border of Moab. Fearing that the “horde” will overcome his kingdom, as they have many others, King Balak looks for a trump card to shift the odds in his favor. Enter Balaam,...
When Korach Takes Over
Korach Numbers 16:1 - 18:32 At the end of last week’s parashah, Sh’lach L’cha, the Israelites were at the edge of the Promised Land. Twelve tribal leaders went to scope out the land and when they returned they advised, ten against two, that the tribes should remain in...
The Key to The Promised Land
Sh'lach L'cha Numbers 13:1 - 15:41 For forty days and forty nights the scouts sent by Moses gathered information and sampled the local fruits in the Promised Land. Upon their return, Caleb and Joshua encouraged the people to enter and conquer the land, but the other...
God, The Eye of All Things
B'haalot'cha Numbers 8:1 - 12:16 It seems like every time we turn the page in the biblical story of our people, they are complaining about their situation in the wilderness. This time it’s the monotony of the same food, day in and day out, that has them fantasizing...
The True Purpose of Blessing
Nasso Numbers 4:21 - 7:89 In the middle of Parashat Naso we happen upon one of the central blessings of our tradition: The Eternal spoke to Moses: Speak to Aaron and to his sons: Thus shall you bless the children of Israel. Say to them: The Eternal One blesses and...
E Pluribus Unum
B'midbar Numbers 1:1 - 4:20 Having meditated throughout the Book of Leviticus on the mitzvot we must perform to ensure that the Holy One dwells among us, we now resume the story of our ancestors in the ancient wilderness, starting where we left off at the end of the...
Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land
B'har - B'chukotai Leviticus 25:1 - 27:34 On July 8, 1776, the Liberty Bell was rung in Philadelphia to mark the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof,” says the inscription...
Knowing God vs. Playing God
Emor Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23 Sometimes the Holiness Code in the Book of Leviticus seems so foreign to our modern understanding of spirituality that it’s a real challenge to comprehend the underlying principles. Such is the case with the opening verses of Parashat...
We Are Energy Bodies
Tazria-Metzora Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33 This week's a dual Torah portion contains a number of passages that definitely challenge our modern sensibilities. Many verses are devoted to tzara’at, a skin affliction that most translators define as leprosy, although no one...