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Zelophehad's Daughters
Zelophehad’s Daughters July 2011 I would like to start off tonight by trying to articulate just how excited I am to be here. In my two weeks at Shomrei Torah, the deep abundance of love and support from members, staff, Rabbi George and every person who has walked through the doors has been remarkable. I could not have dreamed of a better start for my rabbinical career. It is also exciting to me that this week’s Torah portion is Pinchas, not so much for the broad story but, rather, for the story of Zelophehad’s daughters that is tucked away inside. The first few years of rabbinical school, I was struck by the strong feminist nature of some of my classmates and teachers. Back then, I would not have considered myself to be a feminist. So as I started to prepare to speak tonight, I tried very hard to shy away from speaking about Zelophehad’s daughters. Yet I just couldn’t give up the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite episodes in the Torah. I love this story, because it tells the triumphant tale of the very first feminist activists. The story of Zelophehad’s daughters actually appears in the Bible three times. The first time they are mentioned is in this week’s portion. The story introduces us to the daughters of Zelophehad, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Let’s look at them together. The portion begins as God instructs Moses and Eliazar to conduct a widespread census of the people. God then instructs Moses to distribute lots of land in proportion to the enrolment of the group. -
The Seder Plate
Te Seder Plate! (1) Zaroah/Shank Bone - Symbolizes the blood of a sheep that was painted on the lintels of the Israelite homes on their last night in Egypt, protecting their firstborn children from the angel of death. Also symbolizes the sacrifice for the festival of Passover that our ancestors brought to the Temple in the land of Israel during this annual pilgrimage festival. (2)Beitzah/Roasted Egg - The egg is round and symbolizes rebirth. When the egg is roasted (rather than simply hard boiled) it also symbolizes the Passover sacrifice referenced above. (3)Maror/Bitter Herb - Here, horseradish paste is pictured; you can also use horseradish root that you have sliced or peeled into strips. The bitter herb symbolizes the bitterness of the lives of the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt. (4) Potato/Lettuce - Often lettuce occupies a place on the seder plate. Here, slices of potato are pictured. If potato, these are eaten at the same time as the parsley, also dipped in salt water (6) or if lettuce, at the time when the bitter herb (3) is eaten. (5) Charoset - While everyone’s charoset looks a bit different - and Jewish people from all over the world make charoset differently - this mix symbolizes the mortar that the Israelites would have used with bricks, building in Egypt. This is often a mix of apples, nuts, and wine or grape juice. This sweetness is a beloved taste of the seder! (6) Karpas/Parsley - The green of parsley symbolizes springtime and new growth. It is dipped into salt water, symbolizing the tears of the Israelites due to the difficulty of their lives in slavery in Egypt.. -
The Torah: a Women's Commentary
Study Guide The Torah: A Women’s Commentary Parashat Mas’ei Numbers 33:1-36:13 Study Guide written by Rabbi Stephanie Bernstein dr. tamara Cohn eskenazi, dr. Lisa d. Grant, and Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss, Ph.d., editors Rabbi Hara e. Person, series editor Parashat Mas’ei Study Guide themes theme 1: Recalling the Journey: it’s Been a Long and Winding Road theme 2: ensuring Justice in the Promised Land: Providing Cities of Refuge theme 3: Amending God’s Law in the Promised Land: the Limits of individual Freedom Introduction arashat Mas’ei begins with a detailed review of the israelites’ journey to P Canaan, from egypt to the plains of Moab. this parashah, the last in the book of Numbers, concludes with the israelites poised to enter the Promised Land, their long journey finally at an end. t he parashah contains a list of the forty-two places at which the israelites stopped during their wanderings, an itinerary that reminds the israelites of just how far they have come: from slavery, through the trials of the wilderness, and on to the threshold of entering Canaan as a free people in their own land. An account of Aaron’s death interrupts the narrative, reminding the people that the leaders of their journey will not accompany them as they cross the Jordan. the narrative then shifts from a recollection of the journey to God’s directions for how the israelites will occupy and live in the Promised Land. God’s concern is not only with the geographic boundaries of the land, but with the social and legal boundaries that will regulate the interactions of its inhabitants. -
Daf Ditty Pesachim 78: Korban Pesach Today (?)
Daf Ditty Pesachim 78: Korban Pesach today (?) Three girls in Israel were detained by the Israeli Police (2018). The girls are activists of the “Return to the Mount” (Chozrim Lahar) movement. Why were they detained? They had posted Arabic signs in the Muslim Quarter calling upon Muslims to leave the Temple Mount area until Friday night, in order to allow Jews to bring the Korban Pesach. This is the fourth time that activists of the movement will come to the Old City on Erev Pesach with goats that they plan to bring as the Korban Pesach. There is also an organization called the Temple Institute that actively is trying to bring back the Korban Pesach. It is, of course, very controversial and the issues lie at the heart of one of the most fascinating halachic debates in the past two centuries. 1 The previous mishnah was concerned with the offering of the paschal lamb when the people who were to slaughter it and/or eat it were in a state of ritual impurity. Our present mishnah is concerned with a paschal lamb which itself becomes ritually impure. Such a lamb may not be eaten. (However, we learned incidentally in our study of 5:3 that the blood that gushed from the lamb's throat at the moment of slaughter was collected in a bowl by an attendant priest and passed down the line so that it could be sprinkled on the altar). Our mishnah states that if the carcass became ritually defiled, even if the internal organs that were to be burned on the altar were intact and usable the animal was an invalid sacrifice, it could not be served at the Seder and the blood should not be sprinkled. -