Weekly Torah Lesson Parasha: Kitisa – When you lift up the head Torah: Shemot 30:11 – 34:35 Shemot 30:11 And Avinu spoke to Moshe, saying, 12 When you take the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to Avinu, when you number them; that there be no plague among them, when you number them. 13 This they shall give, every one that passes among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a … [Read more...] about An Atonement
The Oil and the Light
Weekly Torah Lesson Parasha: Tetsaveh - He commanded Torah: Shemot 27:20 – 30:10 Shemot 27:20 "And you shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may be set up to burn continually. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aharon and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before Avinu. It shall be a statute for ever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of … [Read more...] about The Oil and the Light
Rosh Chodesh Adar
At sundown, Tuesday 2/25/2020, the month of Shevet comes to its end and Rosh Chodesh Adar begins. Rosh Chodesh is not a prescribed monthly Shabbat but it is commanded to be “observed”. In 1 Samuel 20, we see that particular Rosh Chodesh was being observed for two days . Some use this recorded biblical event as proof that the current calendar based method of determining the arrival of Rosh Chodesh today was in use earlier than the construction of the first Temple. This … [Read more...] about Rosh Chodesh Adar
The T’ruma
Weekly Torah Lesson Parasha: Teruma – Elevate / lift up Torah: Shemot 25:1 – 27:19 This week’s parsha introduces a new type of offerings. The Hebrew word t’ruma literally means to “lift up” which sometimes is mistakenly translated “Heave Offering”. A closer look at this type of offering shows us that T’ruma is used to describe an “elevated offering”. An offering that has a raised status because of the offerees ability to bring as much as he or she wants to. *** “And they … [Read more...] about The T’ruma
The Poor Among You
Weekly Torah Lesson Parasha: Mishpatim "Judgements" Torah: Shemot 21:1 - 24:18 ** This week’s Torah portion, a continuation of the receiving of the ten words in last week’s parasha, mentions the poor several times. Let’s look at what Avinu is teaching us: *** “But the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie still; that the poor of your people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard, and with your olive … [Read more...] about The Poor Among You
that the people may believe you forever
Weekly Torah Lesson Parasha: Yitro - JethroTorah: Shemot 18:1 – 20:26 19:1 In Rosh Chodesh Sivan, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Mitzryim, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. *** “And he said, Certainly I will be with you; and this shall be a token (sign) to you, that I have sent you: … [Read more...] about that the people may believe you forever