by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki | f 18, 2024 | God, Va'etchanan
This verse is the most fundamental statement of monotheistic faith in the entire Bible. Jewish practice is to recite it, and the five verses that immediately follow it, twice a day every day. According to Jewish tradition, it is customary to cover one’s eyes when...
by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki | f 17, 2023 | God, Isaiah, Redemption
In this prophecy, Isaiah foretells that in the future, when Israel is restored to the Land of Israel and to Jerusalem, there will be a mass movement among the nations to come to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel at the site of the Holy Temple. This prophecy has...
by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki | f 21, 2023 | God, Ha'azinu
Almost the entirety of this week’s Torah portion is a poem that Moses spoke to the nation of Israel in the final days of his life. Opening with the words, “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth” (Deut. 32:1), Moses lays out...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 20, 2023 | God, Psalms
Imagine yourself standing on a at Rosh Hanikra, a coastal region in the northern Israel where the sea meets the mountains. As you peer out over the Mediterranean Sea, the rhythmic waves crash into the rocks, each wave stronger and more intense than the last. This...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 11, 2023 | God, Good and Evil, Ha'azinu, Responsibility
The portion of Ha’azinu contains the song mentioned in the previous Torah portion (Vayeilech), which God told Moses to teach the Children of Israel so they would always understand the consequences of their actions. It ends with Moses preparing to die before the people...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 2, 2023 | Faith, God, Kindness and Compassion, Purim, Revelation and Prophecy
By Shira Schechter Imagine you’re reading a thrilling tale of a heroine who risks everything to save her people from annihilation. The story is full of suspense, political intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns. Yet, as you turn the pages, you notice...
