A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: VAYELECH (DEUTERONOMY 31:1-31:30)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   This week’s Torah parsha, Vayelech, is both heartrending as well as inspirational. It begins with Moses speaking the following words to the Children of Israel: “Today, I am one hundred and twenty years old; and, the Lord has told me that I will not cross the Jordan with […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: NITZAVIM (DEUTERONOMY 29:9-30:20)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   After hearing the list of the 98 terrifying curses at the end of last week’s Torah parsha, Ki Tavo, the people were devastated and questioned whether they could possibly withstand such frightful punishments. Moses responded with the opening statement of parsha Nitzavim: “You are all still standing this […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: KI TAVO (DEUTERONOMY 26:1-29:8)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah congregant This week’s parsha, Ki Tavo, begins with instructions from Moses to the Children of Israel. They are directed that on the very day that they cross the Jordan to create two huge stones on which each word of the Torah will be clearly written. At this point, the Levites […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: KI TEITZEI (DEUTERONOMY 21:10-25:19)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   This week’s Torah parsha, Ki Teitzei, occurs as the Children of Israel are at the brink of embarking on war with hostile nations as they tirelessly struggle to reach the ‘Promised Land’. The parsha comprises seventy-four of the Torah’s six hundred and thirteen commandments. The separate commandments pertaining […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: SHOFTIM (DEUTERONOMY 16:18-21:9)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant In previous parshiot in the book of Deuteronomy, we learned how God began preparing for the establishment of a new nation in the ‘Promised Land’. Equal portions of the land were allotted according to the population of each of the tribes. Last week’s Torah parsha, Re’eh, emphasized the importance […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: RE’EH (DEUTERONOMY 11:26-16:17)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant “See, I am setting before you today the blessing and the curse: the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am giving to you today; the curse if you disobey the commandments of the Lord your God” (1). These are the first words […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: EKEV (DEUTERONOMY 7:12-11:25)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant In this week’s Parsha (EKEV), Moses continues his closing address to the Children of Israel, which he began in Parsha (DEVARIM), and expanded upon in last week’s Parsha (V’ETCHANAN). Moses clearly understands the risks for this new generation. They may not remember the miracles which God had performed to […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: VETCHANAN (DEUTERONOMY 3:23-7:11)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant In last week’s Torah Parsha (DEVARIM), we heard the words of Moses as he explained to the Children of Israel the sins and transgressions committed by their forefathers, with the consequence that God banned them from entering the ‘Promised Land’. He also told them the reason he believed the […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: DEVARIM (DEUTERONOMY 1:1-3:21)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant   This week’s Torah Parsha (DEVARIM) is the first in the last Book of the Torah, DEUTERONOMY. The entire book denotes a major shift from each of the four earlier Books. We read how Moses served as the liaison between God’s Word and the Israelites, their leader and teacher […]

A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: HAAZINU (DEUTERONOMY 32:1- 32:5)

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Every year, either in close proximity, or during the ‘Ten Days of Repentance’, we read the penultimate Torah Parsha (HAAZINU). It is no coincidence that when we are experiencing a heightened sense of spirituality, we are enjoined to hear Moses’ final words to The Children of Israel. For a […]