The Peace Offering in the City of Peace

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 10, 2022 | Holiness, Kindness and Compassion, Passover, Temple, Vayikra

People who are unfamiliar with the Bible think that a sacrifice is an unspecified animal that is slaughtered haphazardly and thrown into a blazing fire to be burnt entirely. But the book of Vayikra (Leviticus) is incredibly specific, describing a variety of sacrifices...

Why Do We Read About Amalek Before Purim?

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 6, 2022 | God, Good and Evil, Ki Teitzei, Purim

The Shabbat which immediately precedes the holiday of Purim is known as Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of remembering. In addition to the regular Torah reading, we read the verses commanding the Jews to remember what Amalek did to them when they left Egypt, and their...

The Month of Adar: Turning Darkness into Light

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 2, 2022 | Adar, Antisemitism, Happiness and Joy, Nisan, Purim, Redemption

The Bible does not name the Hebrew months, but declares that the month containing the holiday of Passover, the month we refer to as Nisan, is the first month. The month preceding Nisan is Adar, and therefore, according to the Biblical manner of counting months, it is...

The True Day of Rest

by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 27, 2022 | Community, God, Shabbat, Vayakhel

The fourth of the Ten Commandments instructs the Children of Israel to observe Shabbat on the seventh day because God Himself created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Exodus 20:8-11). This mitzvah (Torah commandment) is repeated in many places...

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...