Shabbat Chol Hamo'ed Succot

The proximity of Succot to Yom Kippur in the Jewish calendar encourages us to find a theological link between the two holy days. Yom Kippur, our Day of Atonement, brings even the most disaffected Jews to repent (or at least brings them to synagogue).

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Yom kippur

The book of Jonah is perhaps the focal point of the afternoon of Yom Kippur. The story is one we are all familiar with. The prophet Jonah is instructed by God to warn the people of Nineveh to turn back from their evil ways but his calls to them went unheeded and he attempts to flee from his divine mission.

He finds himself on a boat that is caught up in a fierce storm, raging unabated.

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Nitzavim-vayelech

Artscroll, Hertz, JPS, Koren or Soncino - every shul-goer has his or her preferred edition of the Five Books of Moses. The typeface variations, selection of commentaries, quality of the paper and accuracy of the English translation are just some of the issues a discerning reader considers. However, there is one constant - the Hebrew text remains the same.

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Ki tavo

For many people Judaism resembles TV in the 1950s. Judaism is black and white, dull, uninspiring, its rituals are old and we never quite reach spiritual satisfaction through them. Let me take you back to ancient Israel to the most colourful ritual that would have been in full swing this time of the year.

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Ki Tetzei

Hidden within the 72 mitzvot that Maimonides counts in Parashat Ki Tetzei is a commandment which highlights the two different styles of lawgiving. The Torah is made up of aggadah, the homiletic part of our literature, and halachah, the legalistic.

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Shoftim

In this innocuous verse the Torah enshrines a fundamental law of honesty and integrity that has had a profound influence in business ethics and our outlook vis à vis the financial world.

The verse, taken at face value, prohibits a person moving the boundaries of his land, thereby usurping illegally the land of his neighbour.

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Re'eh

As the Israelites prepare to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, Moses seizes one final opportunity to set them on the right path, warning them both how they must behave and what they must avoid.

This Shabbat we also recite the blessing for Rosh Chodesh Ellul, the month which precedes the High Holy Days. Moses's warnings resonate across the millennia to impact upon us at this season.

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Ekev

"Be a mensch and let us bensch" - it's summer camp time and many youth movements will be bensching (saying Grace after Meals).

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Va'etchanan

If the verses above are familiar, you have done well. They are read every year in the passage on the Four Sons at Seder. If thoughts of Pesach panic you, stay calm and keep reading. Judaism's grandeur is reflected in its ability to deal and actively encourage questions.

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