D'var Torah

Many years ago I was a guest at a seder in Jerusalem. Around the table, in classic Yerushalmi (Jerusalemite) style, was a sampling of all the typical residents and tourists. Some were American, some native Israelis, some Yemenite immigrants, some religious, some heretics, some crazy. Old, young, and in between. It was a lively scene,...

Commentary on Parshat Metzora (Leviticus 14:1 – 15:33) One of the most powerful experiences I had during my rabbinic training was serving as a hospital chaplain. I practiced chaplaincy with a group of five other people on the path to becoming clergy of various faiths, and we were trained by a supervisor – an ordained...

Commentary for Shabbat HaChodesh and Shabbat HaGadol This coming Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh Nissan, which means the clock is ticking for Pesach’s arrival. The following Shabbat, we will read as Haftarah the very last passage of the last of the classical Hebrew Prophets: Chapter 3 of “Malachi.” We name the day “Shabbat Hagadol” – referring...

Commentary on Parshat Shmini (Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47) What happens when the gift we want to offer isn’t accepted? Why do our efforts to be holy sometimes have tragic consequences? Our Torah reading celebrates the completion of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle built to be God’s dwelling place amongst the people. Precise instructions have been followed,...

Commentary on the Book of Esther.  “Oh, there’s no such thing as boy things and girl things. It’s just whatever you like.” Such was my 7-year-old son’s gently delivered and matter-of-fact response when another child firmly told him that flowers and hearts are “girl things.” Faced with the notion that gender is a binary (there...

Commentary on the Torah reading for Shabbat Zachor (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) “We’re all in this thing together  Walkin’ the line between faith and fear  This life don’t last forever  When you cry I taste the salt in your tears”   —Old Crow Medicine Show Memory is at the very core of our identities. Jewish memory is both...

Commentary on Parshat Pekudei (Exodus 38:21 – 40:38) Human beings can re-create the world, says the Torah in Parshat Pekudei. This is heartening news for Canadians. Only a few decades ago, the Canadian government supported the genocide of Indigenous peoples. But, with the closing of the last Indian residential schools, genocidal policies have come to...

Commentary on Parshat Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1 – 38:20) “He made the washbasin of copper and its stand of copper, from the mirrors of the women.” (Exodus 38:8) Parshat Vayakhel describes the mishkan, the portable desert sanctuary, as filled with beautiful items created from donated materials. Near its entrance stood a copper washbasin, a public fountain...

Commentary on Parshat Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11 – 34:35) The Golden Calf is one of the most spiritually disturbing incidents in the narrative of the Israelites’ journey through the desert. While Moses is away on the mountain with God, the Israelite camp dissolves into a chaos of mistrust and idol worship under the care of...

Commentary on Parshat Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20 – 30:10) In religious and spiritual communities, I am often asked to “shed layers” — that is, to dig deep into my soul, discerning what truly matters and letting go of the rest. There is a sense that spiritual connection has to do with getting rid of the extra...