Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence
Shemini Atzeret — the festival that’s a paradox
Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence on the ‘Charlie Brown’ day which gives us a chance to think about change
Ki Tavo
“And you shall write upon the stones all the words of this Torah ba’er heiteiv (very clearly)” Deuteronomy 27:8
Va'etchanan
"Then Moses separated three cities beyond the Jordan" Deuteronomy 4:41
Chukkat
“Moses raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, when an abundance of water gushed forth, and the congregation and their livestock drank” Numbers 20:11
Bemidbar
“You shall count them according to their legions” Numbers 1:3
Acharei Mot
“With this shall Aaron enter the holy place” Leviticus 16:3
Leave meant leave - but it took several steps to complete the Exodus
The four cups of wine represent different stages in the journey out of Egypt
Shemini
“I am Hashem who elevates you from the land of Egypt to be your Hashem. You shall be holy because I am holy” Leviticus 11:45
Ki Tissa
“Now the Lord said to Moses, ‘Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered’” Exodus 34:1
Beshallach
“And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarrelled and because they tested the Lord saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” Exodus 17:7
Vayiggash
“How can I go to my father and the child not be with me?” Genesis 44:34
Toldot
“Isaac loved Esau because the hunt was in his mouth and Rebecca loved Jacob” Genesis 25:28
Parashat Hashavuah: Bereshit
“And the Lord set a sign for Cain” Genesis 4:15
The universalist theme at the heart of our festivals
The High Holy Days ask us to look beyond ourselves
Ruth, the outsider who became a role model of redemption
The awkward questions to ask on Yom Kippur
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