These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Archive: March 2011

ויקרא, vayikra

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

  parshat vayikra is basically consumed with the bloody details of offering korbanot (sacrifices) and sin-offerings to God.  throughout all the different variations of how we may sin and what we need to do to be forgiven, over and over, we’re instructed to lay our hands upon the animal to be sacrificed directly before its Continue Reading »

על שמות, on shmot

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

in the beginning of sefer shmot, בני ישראל did not yet know their God.  when God recruits moshe to make the initial introduction between He and the people, God first must tell moshe by what name He can be called before moshe is even willing to make this giant leap.  sefer shmot is the book Continue Reading »

פקודי, pekudei

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

in this week’s parsha, פקודי, the משכן is finally built.  thanks to the work of bezalel and his team of craftsmen, the tabernacle, the priestly clothing, and all of their accoutrements are constructed exactly as God commanded through moshe.  God then instructs moshe to set up the משכן on the 1st of the 1st month, Continue Reading »

ויקהל, vayakhel

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

when i first read this week’s parsha, in which the תרומה (gifts offered to God) and the building of the משכן (tabernacle) is detailed, i experienced a sense of de-ja-vue in their descriptions.  i thought, i’ve literally just read all of these same words about how the skilled should offer their services, these vessels will Continue Reading »

כי תשא, ki tissa

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

in this week’s parsha, ki tissa, we learn much about moshe and God’s complicated relationship, through the nature of their interactions.  by now, they seem to have developed an interesting dynamic in which God has singled moshe out from the rest of the people, almost as a companion or confidante.  it is moshe that is Continue Reading »

תצוה, tetsavveh

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

  in this week’s parsha, aharon is instructed to kindle lamps inside the אהל מעוד, the tent of meeting, to burn from evening until morning.  each night, he must light the lights and each morning, he must put out their flames as a law for all generations.  aharon, as the lamplighter of the jewish people, Continue Reading »

תרומה, teruma

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

while moshe is up on the mountain, God instructs him in great detail, down to every last loop and fold in the fabric, on how to build the משכן, the tabernacle, which is to be His dwelling place amongst the israelities.  however, the building process, is not the typical “build a new home from scratch” Continue Reading »

משפטים, mishpatim

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

this week’s parsha entitled mishpatim translates to law in english.  and this parsha is aptly titled as the bulk of the parsha is a long, long list of rules that it is quite easy to get lost in.  topics covered include but are not limited to goring oxes, tunneling thieves, uncovered pits, and virgin-seducers.  but, Continue Reading »

יתרו, yitro

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

i’ve been wondering for the past few parshot to whom moshe is able to turn when overwhelmed by the responsibility that has been thrust upon him.  as the middle man, he receives all of God’s direct commands while bearing the weight of the people’s fear and doubt.  God is able to rant to moshe about Continue Reading »

בשלח, beshallach

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

In this week’s parsha, God finally makes good on His promise to the Jewish people and gets the Israelites out of Egypt in style.  This is no shabby saving; The hand of God Himself causes the sea to swell and the waters to part.  While the Israelites breeze through on dry land with walls of Continue Reading »