by RabbiOlivier | May 27, 2016 | General
B’har Leviticus 25:1 – 26:2 Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land On July 8, 1776 the Liberty Bell was rung in Philadelphia to mark the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. On the side of the legendary cracked bell the famous...
by RabbiOlivier | May 6, 2016 | General
Acharei Mot Leviticus 16:1 – 18:30 Drawing Closer to God There is an interesting passage in this week’s Torah portion that caught my eye this time around. God, through Moses, asks the Israelites to only bring sacrifices at the entrance of the Tent of...
by RabbiOlivier | Apr 16, 2016 | General
Metzora Leviticus 14:1 – 15:33 The Liberating Power of Generosity This week marks the beginning of our Passover preparation. This spring cleaning is both an outer process of emptying our homes of the forbidden chametz (product made of leavened wheat, barley,...
by RabbiOlivier | Apr 9, 2016 | Torah Reflections
Tazria Leviticus 12:1 – 13:59 Sin is a Divine Gift Our weekly Torah reading begins laying out spiritual practices connected to human birth: “Ishah ki tazria… – When a woman conceives…” [Lev. 12:2] In his commentary on these three words, Rashi (11th...
by RabbiOlivier | Mar 25, 2016 | Torah Reflections
Tsav Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36 The Light of Our Heart In my approach to Torah, I see the text as myth, not reality. I presuppose that, as such, the stories it conveys speak of universal archetypes relating to the human spiritual journey, and seek to unpack the...
