The Clouds of Glory: Living in God’s Shelter

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 2, 2022 | God, Hebrew Language, Pekudei, Temple

After the Tabernacle is fully assembled, God descends upon it in a cloud of glory: The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of Hashem filled the Mishkan. Exodus 40:34 The Hebrew word for ‘glory,’ kavod (כָּבוֹד), is perhaps more precisely translated as...

The Status of the Priests, Then and Now

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 1, 2022 | Holiness, Israel, Pekudei, Temple

After the sin of the Golden Calf, the tribe of Levi is chosen to serve in the Temple instead of the firstborn as they did not participate in the sin. Aaron is chosen to be the High Priest, and Moses anoints his brother and his brother’s sons. With this, the...

The Tabernacle: Giving From the Heart

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 28, 2022 | God, Holiness, Temple, Vayakhel

The Torah describes how the Children of Israel brought so many voluntary offerings for the construction of the Tabernacle that Moses called a stop to donations. The people gave so enthusiastically that there was enough for the construction of the Tabernacle and there...

The Blessing of the New Month

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 24, 2022 | Community, Isaiah, Prayer, Shabbat, Temple, Tishrei

The Shabbat which precedes Rosh Chodesh (new month), the beginning of a Hebrew month, is referred to as Shabbat Mevorchim, or the Shabbat when we bless. On this Shabbat a special prayer is recited after the Torah is read but before the Torah scroll is returned to the...

Why We Read About the Silver Half-Shekel Before the Month of Adar

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 23, 2022 | Adar, Covenant, Ki Tisa, Purim, Temple

Shabbat Shekalim is the last Shabbat preceding the beginning of the Hebrew month of Adar*, or the 1st of Adar itself if the month begins on Shabbat. In synagogues, the Torah portion describing the bringing of the silver half-shekel is read (Exodus 30:11-16) in...

Hiram: The pagan who built Solomon’s Temple

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 22, 2022 | Temple

Every Shabbat, after the Torah is read in the synagogue, an additional reading is made which is taken from the Prophets. This reading is called the haftarah and is thematically linked to the Torah reading. When the Torah portion of Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:2), which...