This week we read how ten spies—“explorers,” some translate—returned from the Promised Land in fear, while two—Joshua and Caleb—saw...

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Make two silver trumpets, hammered out of beaten metal. They shall serve you to summon the congregation...

Naso is the longest parashah in the Torah. Its thematic richness is striking. At first glance, it appears to be a scattered mosaic of...

“Bemidbar,” in the desert, is the Hebrew name of the fourth book of the Torah, which we begin reading today, just a day before the...

This week, we read a double Torah portion: Behar – Bechukotai. The text confronts us with laws that, at first glance, seem outdated or...

Today, let’s begin at the end. וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽת־מֹעֲדֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֑ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל “Moses spoke of the appointed times of...

If there’s a concept often misunderstood, both in the reading of the Torah and even among those who consider themselves traditional...

This past April was perhaps the most intense month I can remember in recent years. I feel the need to share this reflection with you,...

This week we read Parshat Shemini, a portion that, as its name suggests, speaks of the “eighth day” — that inaugural day when the people...

This Friday, at nightfall, we begin the seventh day of Pesach.  According to our tradition, it was on this day that the sea split, and...

This Shabbat we are about to begin is another special one. Not only do we read Parshat Tzav, but since it is the Shabbat before Pesach,...

Vayikra — “And He called.”   It’s not just the beginning of a new book of the Torah — it’s also a personal invitation. Not a command, not...

A reminder that the offices of Temple Beth El will be housed at Sitrin for the months of April, May and June. Shabbat services and...

It has been over 500 days of learning that the world is not as safe as it once seemed, that many of those who appeared to be close to us...

The crisis of trust in leadership during times of distress is a recurring theme in Jewish history. Today, as trust erodes and the sense...

This week's parashah is Parashat Vayakhel: And He Gathered. Moses calls upon the entire people to come together, to be united. The last...

Today was Ta’anit Esther, the fast that precedes Purim. It is a good time to reflect on the meaning of Megillat Esther, its place in the...

In Parshat Tetzavé, the children of Israel are commanded to bring pure olive oil to keep the Ner Tamid, the eternal lamp in the Mishkan,...

This week, I want to begin by sharing a Midrash regarding Parshat Terumah. The Midrash, as you know, is a rabbinic explanation, typically...

To Sit in Shiva As a Nation, As a People This was the title of an email I sent out yesterday. And today, I want to share some of its...