Exodus (Shmot)

 ”And you shall command the people of Israel, that they bring you pure beaten oil olive for the light, for the lamp to burn always.”  Exodus 27:20 Olive oil has always been an important substance in this part of the world, providing light, and also providing sensuous pleasure to skin dried out by the...
Read More »

 A bit over two years ago, I reported how my car was stolen on Yom Kippur.  Amazingly, we got the car back, damaged and “smelling bad” from being filled with stolen sheep.  The car was recovered with said sheep inside.  I even posted a complete set of pictures. Bringing our car was like bringing a bit...
Read More »

Moses is the premier example of a diplomat in the Torah.  As we see in not only this week’s Torah reading, but the last few weeks, Moses is serving as an Ambassador for God.  God is the “Chief Executive Officer” of the Jewish people; Moses represents the “government” in negotiations with the Egyptians. It’s...
Read More »

Two weeks ago I found myself in Breckenridge, Colorado for the weekend.  My brother's family rented a ski condo, so we had a "mini family reunion" on the ski slopes.  For the first time I was presented with skiing on Shabbat as a practical question, not just a theoretical question. After thinking about it,...
Read More »

Is it foolish to accept instructions on blind faith? Among the many commandments in this week's Torah reading, Mishpatim, is the response of the Jewish people: "All the Lord has commanded, na'aseh v'nishmah, 'we will do and we will hear(understand).'"  The Talmud records that when the people responded this way, the angels cried out,...
Read More »

Is it a commandment to work? This week we read the Ten Commandments, including the commandment to observe Shabbat.  The commandment does not ONLY say to rest on the seventh day.  It says "Six days shall you toil and do all of your work…the seventh day shall be a "Shabbat" a day of rest,...
Read More »