By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s Torah parsha, Vayikra, is the first in the Book of Leviticus, known formally as ‘Torat Kohanim’ (Instructions for the Priests) (1). The title, Vayikra, defines the entire Book of Leviticus: “and He called”. We have just completed reading the thrilling and dramatic story of the Book […]
Posts with the Torah tag
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: PEKUDEI (EXODUS 38:21-40-38)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Pekudei is the last chapter in the Book of Exodus. For the fourth time, as in parshiot Tetzaveh, Terumah and Vayakhel, we again read a tedious repetition of the inventory of all the equipment used in the building and decorating of the Sanctuary: “These are the records of […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: VAYAKHEL (EXODUS 35:1 – 38:20)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Both this week’s Torah reading, Vayakhel, and next week’s reading, Pekudei, are replete with questions and contradictions. The first enigma is the question of why they exist at all. In parshiot Terumah and Tetzaveh, we read descriptions of every one of the Sanctuary’s dozens of components as dictated […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: KI TISA (EXODUS 30:11-34:35)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s Torah parsha, Ki Tisa, begins on Mount Sinai, where God is relating to Moses some rather benign instructions pertaining to the final particulars to complete the Holy Sanctuary. It is expected that Moses will remain at the top of the mountain for another forty days. Here, […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: TETZAVEH (EXODUS 27:20-30:10)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant The primary theme of last week’s Torah parsha, Terumah, was the building of the Mishkan (Sanctuary). Each Israelite donated the gold, silver, copper, fabric and all of the other materials required to create a dwelling of splendor, where God would live ‘within its midst’. This week’s Torah parsha, […]