Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on May 15, 2014 by Laura Marder
What do we have to do in order to get the beautiful blessings that are promised to us in this week’s parsha? Blessings that really take care of us – our whole selves, emotionally and physically. Blessings that have blossoming effects on our shared land and bring food and joy to our tables. It seems Continue Reading »
Posted on May 7, 2014 by Dita Ribner Cooper
It is no great secret that to be present in Israel during the week of Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut is one of the most emotional, saddening, joyous, and challenging experiences a Jew can have in the present day. In a span of 48 hours, the Jewish people collectively descend into a state of national Continue Reading »
Posted on May 1, 2014 by Elana Shilling
The omer is my least favourite time of year. Partly because of how all the clean-cut men in the world suddenly become scraggly and foreign looking and also partly because of the mournful tone of the month. Mostly however, the omer is a terrible time of year for me because of the sheer amount of Continue Reading »
Posted on April 24, 2014 by Ariel Eliach Forman
This week’s Parsha, Parshat Kedoshim uses the literary device of an “inclusio”. It starts and ends with the same line. דַּבֵּר אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם–קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ: כִּי קָדוֹשׁ, אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. and ends with: וִהְיִיתֶם לִי קְדֹשִׁים, כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְהוָה; In the middle, the parsha talks about all the ways and laws Continue Reading »
Posted on April 3, 2014 by Josh Pernick
“I’m not totally sure what the appropriate response is” was all that I could come up with in the moment. How could I effectively convey my feelings towards my friend, who had just informed me that she was going to be moving halfway across the country? While moving to new cities has become a way Continue Reading »
Posted on March 27, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman
Parshat Tazria presents the laws of zara’at (leprosy). This lengthy exposition that continues into next week’s portion highlights the difficulties in learning (and teaching) the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus). The detailed laws of kosher animals from last week’s portion are complicated enough. But over one hundred and fifty verses about lepers and bodily discharges overwhelmingly stretch our Continue Reading »
Posted on March 20, 2014 by Lisa Motenko
You are what you eat. For Jews, this adage rings especially true because we follow strict dietary laws that strengthen our relationship with G-d, as well as distinguish us from other nations. Growing up I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted – except for pig. Like many assimilated American Jews, my family did not keep kosher, but Continue Reading »
Posted on March 6, 2014 by Max Einsohn
This week we begin reading the third book of the Torah, Sefer Vayikra. This book, commonly known by its Greek name Leviticus, consists of laws of sacrifices, ritual purity, and kashrut. Sefer Vayikra is also referred to as “Torat Cohanim” relating to this book’s emphasis on the laws and behavior of the Priests, or Cohanim. Continue Reading »
Posted on March 1, 2014 by Emet Ozar
I shared these parting words at community lunch on Thursday, and Jess posted them to her blog: In this week’s parsha, Pekudei, Moshe and the Israelites are continuing to work hard to complete the Mishkan according to Gd’s specifications. At the end of the parsha, the very last chapter of the book of Shemot, the Continue Reading »
Posted on February 27, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman
This week’s parasha, Pekudei, is the last portion in the Book of Shmot (Exodus), and the final section in a series on the building of the mishkan, or tabernacle, in the desert. As such, I think it would be instructive to look back at the idea of “God’s house” in an earlier segment of the Continue Reading »