Rabbi Sacks presents some delightful insights on Sukkot. In one, contrary to popular opinion, the ancient Israelites didn’t live in succot during their sojourn in the desert; they lived in tents. In another, reading Kohelet doesn’t make sense for a festival that is called z’man simchateinu.
On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Belser contemplates the cruelty of ableism in our society, in particular, as it is implicitly raised in Una Taneh Tokef. In her recently published book, “Loving Our Own Bones,” she concludes that we all have a stake in dismantling ableism
Rabbi Ruditsky cites the song “The Sounds of Silence” to highlight a key theme in Ha’azinu – there is no such thing as silence and on Shabbat Shuvah, we are required to listen.
Rabbi Sacks addresses the challenging passage where God tells Moses he will never enter the land of Canaan. The concept of Hakhel, the covenant renewal ceremony, enabled the people to retain their spiritual immortality, even though their physical bodies eventually died. This was the lesson for Moses.
Rabbi Ruditsky addresses the concept of T’shuvah, as described by Isaiah—idolatry and mistreatment of others—raising the issue of social concerns in the community. The Rabbis connect his message to all generations that follow, reflecting Moses’ message in Nitzavim, that the Covenant applies to everyone, even those who were not, nor will be, present at the occasion. Please follow the link below to read his full article:
Rabbi Ruditsky writes about many aspects of Ki Tavo and the Haftarah portion. His key theme is about putting yesterday in perspective; we look to tomorrow and the future, but do not forget the past—good and bad. We take those various aspects with us into the future.
Rabbi Sacks addresses the question “Who Am I?” He writes about God identifying Godself as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob…”. When Moses wonders who he is, God lets him know that he is essentially an Israelite, although he has spent most of his life to date as an Egyptian or a Midianite. Thus, identity is also tied to genealogy. Thus, in Ki Tavo, the Israelites are instructed to say “My father was a wandering Aramean…” when bringing the offering of first-fruits to the priest.
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 teaches “Zakhor – Remember what Amalek did to you…do not forget.” Rabbi Malka cited these verses when addressing an Israeli audience in the mid-1970’s, to warn of the start of a disturbing trend – Holocaust denial. Today Holocaust denial is prevalent on social media and in academia. We have a sacred duty to remember.
Rabbi Sacks writes about the limitations on a father’s capacity to dictate which of his sons inherits, and how much. Inheritance laws overrule his love or preference for a particular wife or son. He discusses the various references to ahuvah and senuah in different portions, and the negative outcomes for not following the laws of inheritance.
Rabbi Ruditsky discusses the nuances of “stand” and “endure”, omeyd and kayayam, and how they are used in Pirkei Avot and the mitzvoth addressed in Ki Teitzei.