This Friday, in addition to being Erev Shabbat is also Shavuot, z’man matan Torah, the holiday celebrating the receiving of Torah at Mount Sinai. Someone asked me recently what we mean when we say Torah? Torah is not only the…
Torah Thoughts – Bamidbar Numbers 1:1-4:20 – “Naming Our Numbers”
At a solemn gathering of WNY clergy last Friday in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue, Rev. Rochelle Robinson began by reading the list of the names of the victims. Not…
Torah Thoughts – Behar-Bechukotai – Leviticus 25:1-27:34 – “Reflection on the One Year Anniversary of the Tops Tragedy
I had never envisioned writing a personal message to you, our congregants of Shir Shalom. Just like you, I am terribly troubled and feel helpless with such a tragedy right in our own city. The people living in the targeted…
Torah Thoughts – Emor – Leviticus.21.1-24.23 – “The Spoken Word”
The name of this week’s Torah portion. Emor, comes from the root of one of the common words – ויאמר (vayomer). Normally Torah portions are named after an unusual word in the few verses of the portion to help assist the…
Torah Thoughts – Acharei Mot-Kedoshim – Leviticus 16:1-20:27 – “Happy 75th Birthday Israel!”
Seventy-five years ago this past Wednesday David Ben Gurion stood up in Independence Hall in Tel Aviv and announced to the world on live radio: “WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE’S COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAEL AND OF…
Torah Thoughts – Tazria-Metzorah – Leviticus.12.1-15.33 – “Let This Not Be the Last of Us”
Cordeyceps is the fungus that infects humans in HBO’s “The Last of Us” that turns them into zombies. In the television series based on a hit video game, global warming enables this real fungus that causes ants to dig their…
Torah Thoughts – Shmini – Leviticus.9.1-11.47 – “Who Knows 8? I Know 8”
For those of you, who attended our first ever joint second night Passover Seder with Temple Beth Zion, you know that eight is the day of the Brit Mila. Rabbi Brent held up two fingers to look like scissors and…
Torah Thoughts – Passover – “The Burning Bush is a Blackberry Bush”
I wrote the poem. And then I rewrote it and made it worse. I thought time would heal it. Time passed. I did research: Exodus, midrash, my mother. I rewrote the poem. I ate fistfuls of soft berries. Navy lips.…
Torah Thoughts – Tzav – Leviticus.6.1-8.36 – “Keeping the Flame Going”
This week’s Torah portion, Tzav, begins with an impossible proposition – a flame that no matter the situation is never allowed to go out. The Eternal Flame or Ner Tamid the Torah speaks about must be robust enough to withstand…
Torah Thoughts – Vayikra – Leviticus 1:1-5:26 – “The Four Questions of Leviticus”
On Sunday, I had an opportunity to hear the Kindergarten through Second Grade students sing the Four Questions. The Mah Nishtanah is one of my favorite customs of the Passover Seder. Listening to the youngest members of our families provoke…