D’var Torah – Pekudei
Parashat Pekudei is the last Torah portion of the book of Exodus. In the beginning of the first Torah portion of Shemot we read that a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. Pharaoh was ignorant of or indifferent to the extraordinary service that Joseph had provided to Egypt. The word KNOW in Exodus has a deeper meaning which includes emotions as well as intellect.
D’var Torah – Vaikhal – A kind Heart
This week torah portion is Vayikhal. The word heart repeats 14 times. It appears together with the word Nadiv – generous and the word Hacham – wise. We can use our hearts in different ways. And in this story it is how the heart moves us to give.
D’var Torah – Ki Tisa
In the Torah portion of Hukat in the book of Numbers, the Israelites are bitten by snakes, get ill and some even die. They ask to be saved and Moses prays to G-d on their behalf. In verse 21: 8 – G-d says to Moses, “make a seraph figure and mount it high (Al Nes), and if anyone who is bitten looks at it, he shall recover.”
D’var Torah – Tetzaveh
This week’s Torah portion is called Tetzaveh. It comes in perfect order after the Torah portion of Teruma when we learn about how to build our “Traveling Temple” and now we go deeper, from learning about the Aron – the Ark of light to Aharon – adding to the word Aron the letter Hey to create the name of the priest, The one who is responsible to keep the light alive – The Ner Tamid: The eternal light!