By Rav Rachel Adelman, Hebrew College Faculty Haftarat Ki Tetzei Isaiah 54:1-10 The recent events in Israel-Palestine have thrust me back to the day after October 7th—and liturgically back to Tisha be-‘Av, the most mournful day of the Jewish year. I dedicate this teaching to the memory of the six hostages killed in Gaza last week: Ori Danino z”l (age 25) Carmel Gat z”l (age 40) Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l (age 23) Alex Lobanov z”l (age 32) Almog Sarusi z”l (age... Read more
By Naomi Gurt Lind Parashat Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9) When I signed up to write a 70 Faces essay for Parashat Shoftim, I thought maybe I’d do something with the theme of justice. After all, the parashah has this famous phrase: צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יי Justice, justice you shall pursue, in order to live and to inherit the land, which Adonai your God has given to you. (Deuteronomy 16:20) Or perhaps I could do something about seeking guidance when... Read more
By Julia Spiegel, Hebrew College Rabbinical Student Parashat Re’eh Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 Two weeks ago, I bought lychees and cucumbers from my local makolet (grocer) in Jerusalem. It was Erev Shabbat, and the feeling was tense. “Ma yihye?” The man behind the counter asked. “What’s going to happen?” He spoke the question we were all asking; the question I felt hanging in the air in my quieter-than-usual walks in the days prior. I wished I had an answer. Instead I said,... Read more
By Deborah Anstandig, Hebrew College Rabbinical Student Parashat Eikev Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25 It rained nearly every day at camp in the Poconos Mountains last month. Sometimes a drizzle, sometimes a storm—and every time it rained, I marveled. Having spent nine months in Israel this past year, rain ended by February. I was yearning for a rainstorm to break the humidity in Tel Aviv this past June. But it never fell. I’ve had a fascination with rain since I first learned the... Read more
By Rabbi Avi Killip ’14 Parashat Vaetchanan Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11 Standing in line at the CVS pharmacy I pick up a diary from the spinning rack. The spiral-bound notebook calls itself The Prayer Map for Women: A Creative Journal. Each page presents a spread of fill-in-the-blank boxes with lines headed by prompts: “Dear Heavenly Father…” it opens,“Thank you for..” “Here’s what’s happening in my life…” “I need…” “People I am praying for today…” The prayer’s conclusion is written for you: “Amen.... Read more
By Rabbi Tyler Dratch Parashat Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22) In her insightful book The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, author Priya Parker discusses an ongoing debate she and her husband have when they invite people to their house for dinner. When should the party end? Parker is of the opinion that dinner parties should linger, with guests making themselves comfortable, settling in, and leaving when they are ready. Her husband believes that these gatherings should have a set... Read more
By Rabbi Daniel Klein ’10 Parashat Maatot-Mas’ei Numbers 30:2-36:13 As we conclude the Book of Numbers this week, the wanderings and journeys of the people of Israel have come to an end in the Torah. They have arrived at the steppes of Moab, the threshold of the Promised Land, and will remain there throughout the Book of Deuteronomy until they enter the land as chronicled in the Book of Joshua. The Torah turns now to the final stages of preparation... Read more
By Rabbi Steven Lewis, HC ’11 Parashat Pinchas Numbers 25:10-30:1 “Is this a law of history or simply what must change?” – Adrianne Rich, Sources After the bodies are removed (24,000 plague-stricken sinners and the two who died to prevent more), after the spear is cleansed or discarded, Pinchas receives divine commendation for his zealous killings; two covenants: a בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם (covenant of peace) and בְּרִית כְּהֻנַּת עוֹלָם (covenant of perpetual priesthood). Pinchas’s action stops the plague created by God’s... Read more
By Jayce Koester, Hebrew College Rabbinical Student Parashat Balak Numbers 22:2-25:9 In this week’s Torah portion, Bil’am—a non-Israelite diviner—gets caught up in a mess that ordinarily would be none of his business. Balak, the king of Moab, summons Bil’am to assuage his fears of being overrun, and commands him to curse the Israelites. Bil’am is quickly informed by G!d that no curses are on the agenda and Bil’am, to his credit, seems to take that in stride and does not... Read more
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Harvesting Simcha
Parashat Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8 Parashat Ki Tavo outlines more of Moses’ instructions to the people on how to build a just and lasting society in the Promised Land. It begins with a commandment to take all the first fruits the people will harvest in The Land, put them in a basket, and take them to the priests as offerings. When they make the offering, they are directed to recite a passage (which we still recite thousands of years later... Read more