Cantor Azi Schwartz: Al Kol Eleh Over All of These
Over All of These (Al Kol Eleh) על כל אלה
Rabbi Amanda K. Weiss: Bereishit From Chaos Comes Creation
Rabbi Weiss states that our world can itself be a mixture of chaos and void, considering global warming, warfare around the world, societal divides. Parashat Bereishit teaches us that chaos and darkness are frequently the precursor to transformational change, rather than the conclusion of our story. In the Torah, God calls the light out; in our daily lives we need to be our own source of transformation.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, z’l: Bereishit A Living Book
Rabbi Sacks questions whether we can understand our history without the “prehistory” – the narratives of Abraham and Sarah and their offspring, the narrative of Adam and Eve, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. He cites Rabbi Isaac who stated that the Torah should have begun with Exodus 12:2 – the first of the months, when the first commandment was given to Israel.
Rabbi Menachem Creditor: A Sukkot Drash Ushpizin & the World
Rabbi Creditor writes of the Ushpizin, mystical spirit guests who are invited in during Sukkot. Traditionally, they remind us of the brokenness of the world, and how to repair it. Yet there is a contrast between the celebration of plenty during Sukkot and the lives of many who are bereft of food and shelter. Rabbi Creditor writes of his experience in visiting Ghana and how it influenced his understanding of Sukkot.
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat Fragile Rejoicing: Songs for Sukkot
Fragile rejoicing – songs for Sukkot
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, z’l: Vezot Habracha Moshe: A Human Being, a Burning Bush
Rabbi Sacks writes of parallels and contrasts represented in the life of Moses. He died, as the text states, “his eyes undimmed, his energy unabated”, whereas Abraham died “an old man and full of years.” Moses never lost the vision that drove him to the end from his original encounter with God at the burning bush. Yet he was the ultimate in humility.
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl: The Love of Tochecha
Rabbi Buchdahl teaches that “rebuke” – the usual translation of tochecha – doesn’t quite capture the meaning. The root means “evidence”; giving someone tochecha is like holding up a mirror to them. Tochecha, in reality, relates to love. What do love and tochecha have to do with Yom Kippur?
Rabbi Menachem Leibtag: Haazinu The Purpose of Shirat Haazinu
Rabbi Leibtag asks the question: Who’s to blame when something goes wrong? God states, as fact, that the people will go astray and break the covenant. Yet the purpose is not to depress Moshe, but to give the people the necessary tools in case the situation does arise. The tool comes from the Shira.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, z/l: Haazinu Moses the Man
Scholars throughout the ages see Moses in different ways. He is said to have dialoged with the angels, who questioned why humans would be given something so sacred. He is unique when compared to other prophets; he was wide awake when he received his prophecies, God’s communications were not oblique, and God spoke to him as a man speaks to his friend.
Musical Treats: Achalt Sha’alti
(Duet for Elul) – אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי – Lea K & Rabbi T feat. Coleen Dieker