vayikra
sholem aleichem Sefer Vayikra is named after haShem’s call to Moshe. But I want to write about our call to haShem in Hallel: מִֽן־הַ֭מֵּצַר קָרָ֣אתִי יָּ֑הּ...
terumah and tetzaveh
sholem aleichem, I’ve been thinking about gold as I read these two parshas. Over and over, haShem instructs the b’nei Yisrael to cover elements of the...
beshallach
sholem aleichem, The b’nei Yisrael cross the sea, and the Egyptians perish. And: וַיַּ֨רְא יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַיָּ֣ד הַגְּדֹלָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙...
bo
sholem aleichem, Thank you to everyone who donated to cover newsletter hosting costs! I’m truly grateful. Hosting costs are covered, with $19.40 left over....
vaera
sholem aleichem, Apologies for the lateness. Bodies, minds, limitations, etc. So. Moshe has been trying to convince Par’oh to let the b’nei Yisrael go and...
shemos
sholem aleichem, this dvar is dedicated to the memory of brenda churchill, may her neshamah have an aliyah Apologies for the lateness. I was traveling, and...
vayechi: a blessing
sholem aleichem, Yosef brings his children to his father, Yisrael: וַיַּ֥רְא יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אֵֽלֶּהYisrael saw the children...
vayigash: thought-seeds
sholem aleichem, Yehuda speaks Yaakov’s words to Yosef: וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָֽאֶחָד֙ מֵֽאִתִּ֔י וָאֹמַ֕ר אַ֖ךְ טָרֹ֣ף טֹרָ֑ף וְלֹ֥א רְאִיתִ֖יו עַד־הֵֽנָּה[Yaakov...
miketz: nothing
sholem aleixem, Apologies for the lateness! I was traveling for Chanukah, and just didn’t have time to write (also, I didn’t have a book I needed for...
vayeishev: alive
sholem aleichem, Yosef dreams, and dreams again: וַיַּחֲלֹ֥ם עוֹד֙ חֲל֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וַיְסַפֵּ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ לְאֶחָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֨ה חָלַ֤מְתִּֽי חֲלוֹם֙ ע֔וֹד...
vayishlach: fear
sholem aleichem, Fear wants to control us. As the pasuk says וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד וַיֵּצֶר לוֹYaakov was very afraid, and it created straits for him Fear...
vayetzei: being known
sholem aleichem, Yaakov sleeps, and dreams, and: וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א...
toldos: enmity
sholem aleichem, there’s a thought i’ve returned to a few times over the past year, of someone born in gaza around the same time i was born in the US. of...
chayei sarah: a palm of merit
sholem aleichem, a couple quick announcements before the dvar:(1) preorders are live for tatir tz’rurah: an antizionist, traditional-egalitarian siddur for...
vayera: simple chesed
sholem aleichem, last week, i wrote every day we can choose to learn, to serve, to act with loving-kindness. that’s very nice, past-ada, but how exactly do...
lech lcha: this world
sholem aleichem, when we have fallen down, the Place remember us. because there is loving-kindness in the world. our torah portion this week has a verse of a...
noach: birthright
sholem aleichem, i love learning things from the “boring” parts of torah: וַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶתnoach begot...
bereshis
sholem aleichem, let’s start the book again, yeah? בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ the masoretes broke this verse into two...
shavuos
sholem aleichem and chag shavuos sameach, friends. it’s been a while! i had to take some time off from writing while i moved to a new city and started a new...
doing hope
sholem aleichem, this shabbos — shabbos chol hamoed pesach — we’ll read a section of torah including shemos 34:6-7 (loosely referencing Everett Fox’s...