Monday, February 29, 2016

Shabbat Shekalim: Vayakhel - Reconstructionist

Exodus 35:1–38:20

Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

Shabbat and Holiness


This week's parashah is the first parashah in the Torah, Bereshit. We are all familiar with the story of the creation that we read in these chapters of the Torah. However, the narrative still raised many questions for our rabbis and scholars. One of the many issues debated by the rabbis is the timing of humanity's creation in relationship to Shabbat. Rashi (12th century France) believed that God created Adam right before Shabbat so that he could immediately enter the holy and peaceful realm of Shabbat. And yet we also read in the same source that God created Adam a few hours before Shabbat so that he could first participate in the everyday activities of the world and thereby be better able to appreciate the peace of Shabbat.

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Monday, February 22, 2016

Ki Tissa - Reconstructionist

Exodus 30:11-34:35

Rabbi  Ellen Dannin for Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

Grounded Engagement Connects Us To Infinite Joy


I used to have interesting conversations with a friend who had studied for the Catholic priesthood in his youth. We talked about questions of ethics and morality from the perspectives of our two traditions. In one conversation, I mentioned that Jews don't really concern themselves with an afterlife, that you can attend services year after year and never hear anything about what happens after death. My friend was shocked and asked, "Well, then, why be good?"

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Monday, February 15, 2016

Tetzaveh - Reconstructionist

Exodus 27:20-30:10

Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

Why Moses Did Not Become a Priest


This week's parashah, Tetzaveh, begins with God commanding Moses "And as for you, you shall instruct the Israelites to bring you pure olive oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling the Eternal Lamp (Exodus 27:20)." At first glance it does not appear that there is anything unusual or extraordinary about this verse. It is simply God giving Moses another instruction concerning the Mishkan (Tabernacle), just as God instructed him last week on how he was to build it. However, it is precisely because God's instructions to Moses had been at the center of the preceding narrative that commentators have questioned why the verse begins "V'atah tetzaveh" (and as for you, you shall command) as opposed to simply tzav (command!) or tetzaveh (you shall command). After all, "and as for you " would seem to imply that the previous verses had been addressed or referred to someone else.

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Monday, February 8, 2016

Terumah

Exodus 25:1-27:19

Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

The Golden Calf and the Mishkan


This week's parashah, Terumah, begins the section where God gives Moses the instructions on how to build the Mishkan/Dwelling Place - the portable sanctuary that will follow the people through the desert.

It seems strange that following the spiritual high of the Revelation at Sinai the first thing that God tells Moses once he ascends the mountain for his 40-day stay is what material objects are needed for the building of the Mishkan.

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Monday, February 1, 2016

Mishpatim

Exodus 21:1−24:18

Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

Approaching Torah


This week's parashah, Mishpatim, is the continuation of the events that occurred at Mount Sinai. As you may remember from last week's d'var Torah, many classic interpretations are based on the principle that there is no real chronological order to the Torah. An interpretation written by Rashi (12th century France) on this week's parashah again uses this device to interpret the narrative. For Rashi claims that Exodus 24:1-12, which appears to occur after the giving of the 10 commandments, is actually a "flashback" to the events that occurred in the days prior to the revelation at Sinai. In these verses Moses recounts to the people all the words of God and the people ratify the covenant by stating "all that God has spoken we will do" (v. 3). Moses then writes down the "words of God" and reads "the account of the covenant ... in the ears of the people [and the people then respond] 'all that God has spoken, we will do and we will hear'." After this section Moses is then told by God to "go up to the mountain and remain there, that I may give you tablets of stone with the instructions and the command."

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