Mindful Torah...and more

This week’s parashah is Beshallakh (Exodus/ Shemot 13:17 - 17:16). Among many other things, this parashah contains the splitting and crossing of the Sea of Reeds (or Red Sea, if you prefer the older translations). Most of us are familiar with this event from Bible stories we have read or movies we have seen, and yet there is much more contained within this story than meets the eye. According to midrash (rabbinic lore) the seas split not merely because Moses raised his staff over the water, but because one man dare to enter the waters on his own without waiting for Moses or anyone else to take action. This man, Nachshon ben Aminadav, understood that in order to achieve freedom and salvation we must not merely wait around or pray for it, but we must act as partners with God in order to make it happen! It was Nachshon’s bravery and his faith in the divine-human partnership that enabled him to enter the raging waters even as Moses prayed to God asking for help. Or was it? In a mode...

This week’s parashah , Bo (Shemot/Exodus 10:1-13:16), begins “Then God said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh. For I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his courtiers, in order that I may display these My signs among them, and that you may recount in the hearing of your children and your children’s children how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I displayed My signs among them – in order that you may know that I am God.’” (10:1-2). This is then followed by the onset of the eighth plague of locusts. The parashah continues with the continued hardening of Pharaoh’s heart after the eighth and ninth plagues and then the last plague, the death of the firstborn. The parashah concludes with the commandments to dedicate the first-born of the Israelites to God and to observe Pesakh/Passover. At the end of last week’s parashah, Va’era , the land of Egypt/ Mitzrayim was almost completely decimated by the plague of hail. Mitzrayim , which is connected with...

This week's parashah is Va'era (Exodus/ Shemot 6:2 – 9:35). In this parashah the conversation between God and Moses continues as God gives Moses further instructions on how to bring about the people's redemption. However, Moses seems a bit reticent. He claims that Pharaoh and the people will not listen to him because he is of "uncircumcised lips." The implication being once again that he is unable to speak clearly and that his speech is not complete or whole. In short, he is not up to the task. This reaction is something to which many of us can relate. So many times in our lives, we may feel unequal to the task that lies before us. We fear that the task is too great. Yet, one might imagine that even if Moses felt unworthy he would have trusted God's judgment and God’s ability make the correct choice. Nevertheless, Moses does not respond that way. Moses tries to convince God that God has the wrong man. It is for this reason that some commentators be...

Between general vacation time with my children and the celebration of the secular new year I did not get a chance to send out a commentary this week. but, better late than never! Happy New Year! May it be a year filled with joy, gratitude and learning! Stop Moving! A Commentary on Parshat Vayekhi This week’s parashah , Vayekhi ( Bereshit /Genesis 47:28 – 49:33), brings to a close the book of Bereshit /Genesis. Jacob is finally able to settle down and rest in Egypt with his sons and their families. Until now he has not been able to stop moving either physically or emotional. This began when he traded Esau a bowl of lentils for his birthright and then manipulated his father (with the help of his mother) into giving him Esau’s blessing. And so he ran from his brother’s anger and vengeance and went to the land from which his parents came. There he worked for 14 years in order to finally marry Rachel and Leah (the latter due to at trick played on him by her father). Then, somewhat cover...