What Sarah didn’t appreciate

Reading through the parsha this week, it stood out to me that the angels who visit Avraham and Sarah are never actually called angels. They are explicitly called Men both before they arrive and after they depart. This made me realize that it’s very possible that Sarah never knew that they were angels at all.… Continue reading What Sarah didn’t appreciate

And Aharon was Silent

President Barack Obama pauses after adjusting a wreath placed in the Hall of Remembrance during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, March 22, 2013. Standing behind the President, from left, are: Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau; Israeli President Shimon Peres; Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu; and Avner Shalev, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate.(Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

As I was driving home today, watching the sun set on Yom HaShoah, I was thinking about the siren earlier today, and what two minutes of silent contemplation can accomplish. In shul this past week, we read וידום אהרון which we usually translate as “And Aharon was silent.” Aharon’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Avihu,… Continue reading And Aharon was Silent

What’s your goal on Seder night?

What are we actually trying to do on Seder night? What is the goal of the Haggadah and the seder in general? You can say “to teach my kids about leaving Egypt”, but what about people who don’t have kids? Or their kids fall asleep? And even if you have kids, it should be transformational… Continue reading What’s your goal on Seder night?

You Matter

In Parshat Bamidbar, we see that Moshe counted each of the people in Bnei Yisrael “בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת” – by their names. Our rabbi in shul touched on the idea that in this counting each person needed to feel as if they personally mattered. This made me think about a new understanding of the mishna in… Continue reading You Matter

Who supports whom?

In parshat v’Zot HaBeracha, Moshe Rabbeinu blesses each of the Shevatim of the Jewish people (except Shimon). Each tribe gets, their own blessing, but for some reason, the blessings of the tribes of Yissachar and Zevulun are bundled up together into one bracha. וְלִזְבוּלֻן אָמַר, שְׂמַח זְבוּלֻן בְּצֵאתֶךָ; וְיִשָּׂשכָר, בְּאֹהָלֶיךָ And of Zevulun he said:… Continue reading Who supports whom?

Humility

In Parshat Behaalotcha we encounter the story of Miriam and Aharon, Moshe’s siblings, speaking Lashon Hara about him. They find out that Moshe is no longer able to be intimate with his wife because of his need to be constantly ready to receive prophecy, and they question whether this is correct, because they too are… Continue reading Humility

Why We Drink

In Parshat Shemini, after Nadav and Avihu are killed, Aharon is instructed by Hashem not to drink wine when serving in the Beit HaMikdash. Some commentators even say that Nadav and Avihu’s sin was that they were inebriated while bringing their sacrifice. When that commandment is given to Aharon, a reason is also provided: .וַיְדַבֵּר… Continue reading Why We Drink

What if Adam and Chava ate from the Tree of Life first?

In this past week’s parsha, Bereishit, we read about Adam and Chava’s sin in eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. After listing the punishments of Adam, Chava and the snake, the Torah portion describes their expulsion from the Garden of Eden: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ, לָדַעַת, טוֹב… Continue reading What if Adam and Chava ate from the Tree of Life first?