[13] Now these you are to hold-detestable from birds—they are not to be eaten, they are detestable-things: the eagle, the bearded-vulture and the black-vulture, [14] the kite and the falcon after its kind, [15] every [sort of] raven after its kind; [16] the desert owl, the screech owl and the sea gull, and the falcon […]
The Birds Clause (Sh’mini) Read More »
This d’var is based on Lev. 6:1-6. The aish tamid The first six verses of this morning’s Torah reading announce that these are the rules concerning the olah—the sacrificial offering in which all the meat is burnt so that its smoke ‘ascends’ to God. But, in fact, the early rabbis, and key commentators ever since,
Pesach and the aish tamid / continuous fire (Tzav & Pesach) Read More »
D’var Torah on Ex. 33:12-23 At Pesach[1] we are called to go ‘up’, physically and metaphorically, to journey beyond our narrowness, and dare to live in our fullness. By the time of today’s reading[2], we’ve travelled into the desert, complained many times, received the Torah, ten commandments, and detailed instructions for building the mishkan, prayed
“Let me see Your glory!” Davenen through the Four Worlds (Ki Tisa & Pesach) Read More »
The last three verses of parshat Behar[1] present two profound and exciting ideas: how to serve God, and that such service is the only path to, and expression of, freedom. At the end of this d’var torah,[2] I’ll share a midrashic translation of those three verses that speaks to that interpretation. But first, some background.
Bringing God into the world, making the whole world holy (Behar) Read More »
The annual cycle of Torah readings is traditionally split into 54 portions, as well as special readings for Festivals and Fasts. Here’s what I’ve written (and sometimes composed) in relation to some of those readings. 7 Vayeitzei Jacob’s ladder – dreaming awake (Jacob #1) Jacob and Lavan – learning to make a good ending (Jacob
Parshot – Divrei Torah Read More »
<< Previous post in the Jacob series: #3 Wrestling at Yabbok – doing the inner work There are four episodes close together in Jacob’s life that can tell us something about the nature of his—and our—spiritual journey. I’ve been reading—and writing about—these four episodes through the lens of Four-Worlds consciousness, as taught in kabbalah: Assiyah,
Jacob meets Esau – putting God at the centre (Jacob #4) Read More »
<< Previous post in the Jacob series: #2 Jacob and Lavan – learning to make a good ending Coming soon. >> Next in the Jacob series: #4 Jacob meets Esau – putting God at the centre
Wrestling at Yabbok – doing the inner work (Jacob #3) Read More »
<< Previous post in the Jacob series: #1 Jacob’s ladder – dreaming awake Running away is not a solution In my commentary on the ladder dream (Jacob #1), we’ve seen Jacob go through an important spiritual transformation using Four-Worlds consciousness. But that’s not the end of his spiritual journey, only one stage in it. Jacob’s spiritual
Jacob and Lavan – learning to make a good ending (Jacob #2) Read More »
The ‘Jacob series’ There are four episodes close together in Jacob’s life that can tell us something about his—and our—spiritual journey. The awakening that Jacob experiences in his ‘ladder dream’ (the subject of this post) fortifies him for his challenging face-off with Lavan (Jacob #2), which helps prepare him for the inner work he will
Jacob’s ladder – dreaming awake (Jacob #1) Read More »
The Sages asked how, although Moses wrote the whole Torah, he could have written the final 8 verses after his death (Bava Batra 15a). R’ Avraham David of Buczacz (18th century) suggested a solution to this problem by saying that the final verses of Deuteronomy we can read now were constructed mystically from the same
Moses – an imagined alternative ending Read More »