Rabbi Cantor Eva Robbins: Spiritual Preparation for Passover
For those who missed Rabbi Robbins’ email on “Spiritual Preparation for Passover”, please follow the link below to read this beautiful article
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky: Parashah Tzav – The Reward of Participation
The parashah continues the discussion of the 5 basic sacrifices. However, the focus in this parashah is on the manner in which the offering is made; every step in the process must be correct. The objective is for us to become holy by engaging in partnership with God.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz: Do Not Eat Life!
Parashat Tzav covers details on the prohibition against consuming blood, which is equivalent to life. He quotes Arbarbanel, stating that “eating blood is a show of contempt for the animal’s life.” Kook states that in a perfect world, everyone would be vegetarian, but the world is not perfect. The prohibition against the blood requires us to acknowledge the living animal with respect.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: Tzav
The principle of ritual sacrifice seems incomprehensible, irrelevant to our contemporary lives. Yet, Rabbi Sacks informs us that “we love what we are willing to make sacrifices for”. The sacrificial offerings in Biblical agrarian society consisted of the beloved output of our work, offerings of love for God. It is the element of love that makes sacrifice relevant today.
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky: Parasha Vayikra
Rabbi Ruditsky raises 3 thoughts on the subject of ritual sacrifice. First, today it is considered barbaric, yet should be viewed within its historical context. Second, what happens when the people could no longer do their ritual sacrifices? Third, we continue to study the texts on ritual sacrifice to achieve the same merit as if we performed the actual sacrifices.
Rabbi Sacks: Vayikra – The Pursuit of Meaning
Happiness is associated with taking, while meaning is associated with giving. Meaning is what gives us a sense of purpose in life. While happiness is “in the present”, meaning is in the past, present, and future.
Rabbi Adam Ruditsky: Sacred Time and Sacred Space
Rabbi Ruditsky addresses the concepts of sacred time and sacred space in Vayakhel-Pekudei, represented by the completion of the Mishkan for God to be present, and the mitzvah of observing Shabbat – a holy time coinciding with a holy space.
Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwals: Identiyfing The Essentials of Life
Rabbi Buchwald addresses insights regarding the Tabernacle, as addressed in Truman, Tetzaveh, Vayakhel, Pekudei, and part of Ki Tessa. He cites Moses Mendelssohn, who wrote about the full array of human creativity, craftsmanship, and skills involved in the building of the Tabernacle, without which no community can survive.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z’l: Mishpatim – Doing and Hearing
One of the most famous phrases in the Torah makes its appearance in this week’s parsha. It has often been used to characterise Jewish faith as a whole.
Zev Eleff: How New York’s 19th Century Jews Turned Purim Into An American Party
The Purim story is relevant to American Jews today in the themes of charges of dual loyalty, and marriage outside of Judaism. Contemporary political leaders continue to argue that Jews can’t be trusted if they are loyal to Israel and the threat of assimilation is ongoing.