Let My People Go! This week’s Torah portion is called “Bo” [Go]. It culminates the Ten Plagues and ends with the slaying of the first born Egyptians and Pharaoh’s acquiescence to Moses’ demands to the let the Israelites go. This is my second consecutive sketchnote based on a d’var Torah by Rabbi Sarah Bassin of Temple Emanuel […]
Va-eira – Shortness of Breath, Shortness of Spirit
Kotzer ruach – “shortness of spirit or “shortness of breath” is the gift given to our ancestors by 400 years of bondage. G-d tells Moses to tells the Israelites that they would be delivered. They were too tired of body and spirit to understand what freedom meant, much less even think about what they might […]
Sh’mot – The Formation of a Human-Divine Partnership
Rabbi Peter Knobel, in his d’var Torah Who is This God? “Eyheh-Asher-Ehyeh” speaks of the conversation between G-d and Moses at the burning bush. Moses agrees to lead the Israelites from bondage but appears a bit unsure that they will follow based on his word. So in Exodus 3:13-14 he asks G-d When I come to […]
Va-y’chi – Predictions for Each of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
When I started reading the Torah portion Va-y’chi I wasn’t struck so much by the scene of Jacob’s deathbed with all of his sons gathered around receiving blessing. That sounds like an appropriate scene for one of the patriarchs. It’s fairly apparent that these weren’t blessings but predictions of the future. And Jacob (Israel) didn’t […]
Vayigash – a Lesson in Choices
The Torah portion Vayigash continues the story of Joseph and his family. In this parsha, Joseph plants a cup in Benjamin’s bag then accuses him of stealing. While much could discussed around this actions, my focus this time is on the the choice put before their brother Judah. Choices Judah has a choice to make. […]