This week we begin the Torah again and begin at the beginning with the story of the creation. God forming life and being out of chaos, tohu va vohu. God’s first act is a gathering of the chaos, separating it and making space for the world. God brings light, not as we understand light, but […]
Sukkot is a holiday which, according to our tradition, is meant to teach about joy and celebration. It comes at a time when we have just survived a gruelling section of the calendar when we have fasted and put our souls through an extended cleansing ritual. Finally, there is a time to step back and […]
Recently I had the opportunity to study a deep and profound teaching from Rabbi Berezovsky, the last Slonimer Rebbe, who passed away around 24 years ago. In this teaching, the Slonimer focuses on a verse from the book of Deuteronomy: ‘And now, Israel, what does the LORD require of you, but to fear the LORD, […]
Throughout the Tanach (the Bible), there are a number of recognised songs or poems. Two of those directly involving Moses – Shirat HaYam and Shirat Ha’azinu – represent bookends of our ancestors’ journey through the wilderness, from just after the Exodus from Egypt through to just before entering the Promised Land. The song our ancestors […]
We live in an age of unprecedented access to information. On the surface, this can be a gift as never before in human history do we have such a vast reservoir of information. Yet, we can clearly see the challenges that having access to a veritable avalanche of information can cause. What do we trust? […]
WHAT DOES HEALING LOOK LIKE IN THE AFTERMATH OF DEVASTATION? The calendar that our ancestral sages set for our people thousands of years ago, in the wake of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and the beginning of our long exile, provides context and meaning for us in our times. Between the Shabbat after Tisha […]
Throughout the entire book of Deuteronomy, Moses is giving what is in essence his last will and testament. He knows he will not be joining the Israelites into the Promised Land, he knows that he does not have long to live. We have a tradition, taught in the Midrash (an early rabbinic commentary on the […]
This week, we begin to read the book of Devarim, the book of words, as Moses gives his last speech to the Children of Israel. He knows he will not complete the journey he has begun, and he will die before he reaches the Promised Land. He has one final opportunity to reflect on the […]
Reflections on time spent in the desert As we approach the end of the book of Numbers, Bamidbar,this week, it is worthwhile for us to reflect upon its main themes and teachings. Bamidbar, which means “in the desert”, is the fourth book of the Torah and contains some ofits most powerful stories. Journeying through our annual cycle of reading Torah, we read of the trials and tribulations […]
If you’ve had the privilege and opportunity to visit the Kotel (Western Wall) on Rosh Chodesh, especially in recent times, you’re likely to either have participated in or witnessed morning services and Torah reading in the women’s section of the Kotel, coordinated and organised by Women of The Wall as they fight for equal participation […]
