by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 16, 2024 | Antisemitism, Bo, Light Unto the Nations
The Torah portion of Bo (Exodus 10:1–13:16) tells of the final three plagues visited upon the Egyptians before the Exodus from Egypt. The Torah notes that during the ninth plague of darkness, while the Egyptians could not see one another or move around, “all the...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 14, 2024 | Faith, Proverbs
What does it really mean to trust in the Lord? How do we actualize the lesson of this verse? What is it calling on us to do? Trust “in” or Trust “to” The beginning of this verse calls on us to “trust in the Lord.” As always, the precise Hebrew contains a nuance that...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 8, 2024 | Faith, Miracles, Va'eira
Have you ever wondered why, in the story of the Exodus from Egypt, God chose to perform such grand miracles? What was the reason behind turning rivers into blood or parting the Red Sea? God certainly didn’t need to perform miracles to save the Israelites from...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 7, 2024 | Light Unto the Nations, Va'eira
In an insightful interpretation by Rabbi Pinchas Polonsky, the story of the Exodus is presented not just as a pivotal chapter in Jewish history, but as a defining moment in the spiritual journey of all humanity. The grand revelation of God during the Exodus, as...
by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki | f 7, 2024 | Messiah, Psalms, Temple
Psalm 122 is the third in a series of fifteen psalms that begin with the words, A song of ascents. Of these fifteen chapters, only four name David as the author. One chapter names David’s son Solomon (Psalm 127). The remaining ten chapters in this series do not name...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 4, 2024 | Shemot, Tests and Trials
The beginning of the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt is marked by Pharaoh’s fearful decree: “Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase” (Exodus 1:10). Yet, paradoxically, in response to increasing oppression, the Israelites flourished:...
