Messages from February 2017

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Mishpatim (Exodus 21-24) Shul is not Necessarily the Place to Get Spiritual Fuel

February 24, 2017
Exodous
Mishpatim

AND these are the laws that you should place before them. (Exodus 21:1) This week’s Parsha is full of laws and must be understood in context. What is the significance of its being placed immediately after the exhilarating Sinai encounter (last week’s Parsha) when its main content is law? There are obligations of an employer […]

Rabbi O’s weekly-Yitro (Exodus 18-20)

February 17, 2017
Exodous
Yitro

People Hearing Without Listening Jethro, minister of Midian, father in law of Moses, heard all that G-d had done for Moses and for Israel, His people-that G-d had taken Israel out of Egypt. The verse above is followed by others that inform us that Jethro went into the wilderness to meet Moses, whom he had […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Beshalach (Exodus 13:17-17:16)

February 10, 2017
Exodous
Beshalach

What Did the Sea See? The week’s Torah portion begins with the Jewish people leaving Egypt. What was Moses doing at that time? Moses took the bones of Joseph with him… The Midrash states that the splitting of the sea was in the merit of these bones. This is hard to understand in light of […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16

February 3, 2017
Exodous
Bo

Feel the Fear Looking for a great topic for discussion at your Passover Seder? Consider a story you either learned in Hebrew school or we heard at a Passover Seder growing up. The people were told to put blood from the Passover offering (Pascal Lamb) on their doorposts so that their homes would be passed […]