by RabbiOlivier | Oct 31, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Vayeira Genesis 18:1 – 22:24 A Place of Great Evil In this week’s Torah portion we encounter a place of great evil: Sodom and Gomorrah. And God, in our story, has resolved to destroy both cities. It seems that, together with the Babel episode just a few chapters...
by RabbiOlivier | Oct 17, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Noah Genesis 6:9 – 11:32 Noah: A Righteous Man in His Generation? There is a thought-provoking Midrash about Noah from this week’s Torah portion that details a debate between two rabbis as to why the biblical author begins with introducing Noah as “a righteous...
by RabbiOlivier | Sep 17, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:8 Let Your Heart Crack Open This week’s Torah portion begins: When you enter the land that the Eternal your God is giving your as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, you shall take some of every fruit of the...
by RabbiOlivier | Aug 21, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Shof’tim Deuteronomy 16:18 – 21:9 The Healing Power of Self-Awareness This week marks the beginning of the month of Elul, the last month of the Jewish year. Less than 29 days separate us from Rosh HaShanah, New Year’s Day. Elul is a month of...
by RabbiOlivier | Aug 21, 2015 | Torah Reflections
Re’eh Deuteronomy 11:26 – 16:17 Blessings — OK, Bring Them On; But Why Curses? This week’s Torah portion is close to my heart. It was the Torah portion of the week of my wedding, sixteen years ago, and is called Re’eh,...
