Hazzan Azi Schwarz: Bring Them Home

Musical Treats

Last week, Rabbi Barenblat wrote about habits and grooves. Pharaoh had hardened his heart so many times that it “just stayed that way”. Exodus teaches us to examine our habits closely, like shoes—the shoes that God told Moses to remove “because of holy ground”. Habits—the right ones—need to be cultivated, such as little acts of kindness. Please follow the link to her blog below to read this article:

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: Yitro Deed and Creed

Torah Sparks

Rabbi Sacks writes that the covenant in Yitro is not the first Divine covenant; there was the covenant with Noah and another one with Abraham. However, these were not reciprocal. At Sinai, God wanted the covenant to be mutual; God wants the liberated people—formerly enslaved—to worship freely. This is a powerful concept.