Judaism

"Jewish Women and Jewish Destiny"
(Revised and updated from Vayakhel 5760-2000)

We are told in parashat Vayakhel that the Jewish women responded immediately to the appeals that were made by Moses for gold for building the Tabernacle, swiftly removing their precious jewelry and rushing them to the Tabernacle. This was only one of the many heroic actions that the women of Israel performed. The key role that the women of Israel played in the redemption of the people of Israel is confirmed by the remarkable rabbinic statement asserting that “only in the merit of the righteous women, were our ancestors redeemed from Egypt.” It is quite likely that this is true, not only of the generation of Egypt, but for all subsequent generations as well.

“The ‘Vengeful’ G-d”
(Revised and updated from Kee Tisah 5760-2000)

The last of the so-called “13 Attributes of G-d’s Mercy” is that G-d does not entirely cleanse sinners, and that He may be vengeful. If we are expected to imitate G-d, then perhaps we too should be vengeful?

“Clothes: A Reflection of the Divine Image”
(Revised and updated from Tetzaveh 5760-2000)

Clothes play an important role in Judaism and in Jewish tradition. After all, the Al-mighty was the “First Designer” of clothes for Adam and Eve. The clothes that the priests wore, not only invested them with sanctity, but also represented the values that the priests were trying to communicate to the people.

“The Mishkan: Underscoring the Centrality of the Home in Jewish Life”

The Mishkan–the Tabernacle–is very much like a home, and has all the furnishings that are found in a home. The fact that our synagogue is called a Beit Kinesset, a house of coming together, underscores the importance of the home. Unless our homes serve as dwelling places for G-d, there will be little chance that our religion will be effectively communicated in our synagogues or in our temples.

“From Seemingly Obscure Laws, the Torah Teaches the Ultimate Value of the Sanctity of Human Life”
(Revised and updated from Mishpatim 5760-2000)

According to Jewish tradition, all song emanates from the purity and devotion of the song that the People of Israel sang over three thousand years ago at the crossing of the Red Sea.