Weekly D'var

PARASHAT VAYECHI
Peter Malnekoff

Good Shabbes. Today we will explore Torah Secrets that are hidden in plain sight in this week’s Torah Portion, Vayechi. The following questions should be asked about this week’s Parsha using critical thinking to understand what we just read in the Torah.

Why did Jacob and Joseph both allow their bodies to be mummified in the...Read more...

CHANUKAH, JUDITH, AND CHEESE
Al Madansky, z”l
November-December 2011

In my coverage of the main themes of Chanukah in past bulletins, one of the details I discussed was the special foods of Chanukah, latkes and sufganiyot.  What I didn’t mention, though, is an additional tradition, that of eating cheese on Chanukah.  (No, I’m not getting Chanukah confused with Shavuot!)  In his...Read more...

PARASHAT VAYISHLACH
Paula Madansky

I want to talk about Dina. Throughout the story as told in the parasha, Dina is silent.

In VaYishlach, Chapter 34, the narrative tells us:

“Dina goes out to socialize with the local girls (Very specific about the purpose of her walk.) Shechem, the son of Hamor, the...Read more...

THE JEWISH LEGEND LITERATURE
Al Madansky, z”l
July-August 2007

There is a body of Hebrew literature referred to as the Midrash.  In order to understand what the Midrash is, one needs some background on its origins.  So, let’s begin.

The Talmud is a combination of two works, the Mishnah, a set of religious laws compiled, organized, and put into...Read more...

PARASHAT CHAYEI SARA
Eliana Roodman

The title of each sedrah comes from its first word or phrase, but it also summarizes, or at least hints at, something important, within the portion. It is interesting, then, that the title of this week’s sedrah is chayei sara, the life of Sara. It begins: “And the life of Sara was 127 years: the years of Sara’s life. Sara died in Kiryat Arba, which is Hebron,...Read more...

Rabbi Sacks Legacy: Covenant and Conversation

We are pleased to share the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l from his weekly Covenant and Conversation series. Lech-Lecha: Inner-Directedness.

The Dove: Noah

I REALLY wanted to do Parsha Noah which is next week. But it’s Izzy Gutstein’s Bar Mitzvah.  And his father is the president of our synagogue.  I’m still going to Noah.  But I’m betting my d’var torah will be a little different from Izzy’s.

In Parsha Noah, the dove has starring role.  It is one...Read more...

SHABBAT SHUVA / PARASHAT VAYEILECH
Peter Malnekoff

The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuvah, The Shabbat of Teshuvah because the haftarah reading from the Prophet Hoshea begins with the words Shuvah Yisrael and because Shabbat Shuvah always occurs during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur.

Shabbat is supposed to be a day of joy and spiritual upliftment yet...Read more...

Rabbi Sacks Legacy: Covenant and Conversation

We are pleased to share the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l from his weekly Covenant and Conversation series. Ki Tavo: We Are What We Remember.

Rabbi Sacks Legacy: Covenant and Conversation

We are pleased to share the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l from his weekly Covenant and Conversation series. Parashat Shoftim: Power from the Outside or Self-Restraint from Within.

PARASHAT EIKEV
George Siegel

In the Wall Street Journal, Saturday, August 10, 2025, Barton Swaim, Editorial Page Writer, wrote: “The socialist impulse, like the poor it’s meant to aid, will always be with us, that it [The socialist impulse] proliferates when three circumstances converge: youth, disaffection and irreligion.” From what do these circumstances arise?...Read more...

PARASHAT VAETCHANAN
Harold Zarkowsky

The Torah portion begins with a plaintive Moses----“I pleaded with God, saying ‘Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan’.”

According to Midrash Rabbah, it was not a one-time prayer.  Moses prayed 515 times for permission to enter the Promised...Read more...

PARASHAT MATOT-MASEI
Josh Gutstein

Forgiveness

In today’s double parsha of Matot-Masei, I am going to focus on the dominant story of Matot.

In the parsha Gd spoke to Moshe saying, נְקֹ֗ם נִקְמַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאֵ֖ת הַמִּדְיָנִ֑ים אַחַ֖ר תֵּאָסֵ֥ף...Read more...

PARASHAT BALAK
Steven Adelman

The parsha today is Balak. I will be focusing on one issue: how G-d’s blessing of the Jewish people has prevented their destruction at the hands of a nation’s leader who planned to kill Jews.

We start with the fact that the King of the Moabites, Balak, was afraid of the rapidly growing Jewish community, which he considered a...Read more...

Rabbi Sacks Legacy: Covenant and Conversation

We are pleased to share the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l from his weekly Covenant and Conversation series. Parashat Korach: The Leader as Servant.