Parashat B’midbar Sinai: Counting and the Severity of Compassion (d’var Torah delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on June 7, 2024) The Book of Numbers begins with a head count of the entire Jewish People, before they depart from their Sinai encampment, on the way to the Promised Land. Moses organizes this massive endeavor, with the […]
Parashat Emor: Counting–The Omer, Singing Competitions, and Confidence in College Presidents (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on May 18, 2024) We are in the midst of the period of the counting of the Omer, which helps us tie the Passover holy days with their reminder of our getting out of Egypt and oppression to Shavuot, […]
Parashat Sh’mini: A Midrash on Moses and Aaron (Torah study led by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on April 6, 2024) Leviticus 10:20 וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיִּיטַ֖ב בְּעֵינָֽיו׃ When Moses heard this, he approved BT Z’vachim 101b (= Sifra, Sh’mini, 2:12) “וייטב בעיניו”–הוֹדָה וְלֹא בוֹשׁ לוֹמַר לֹא שָׁמַעְתִּי (זבחים ק”א): AND IT WAS PLEASING IN HIS […]
Parashat Ki Tisa: Aaron’s Way (and Moses’ Way) of Conflict Resolution (A d’var Torah delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on March 1, 2024) What do you think is the best way to get two people in a conflict to be reconciled with each other? We learn of our ancestor Aaron’s method in the rabbinic work […]
Erev Rosh HaShanah: Practice, Priorities, People (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on September 15, 2023) In 2009 archaeologists unearthed an ancient synagogue in the city of Migdal on the Sea of Galilee. It was established over 2,000 years ago. It’s fascinating. The Jewish community of ancient Migdal built a synagogue at a time when Jewish […]
Parashat Shoftim: Who Judges Your Gates? (delivered by Rabbi Sacks on Saturday, August 19, 2023) Prince, the great musician, singer, and songwriter,[1] famously told the Los Angeles Times in 2009 that “the gatekeepers must change.” While he was speaking in a different context, his suggestion might well apply to our preparation for the High Holy […]
First Haftarah of Admonition [Jeremiah 1:1-2:3]: Lessons from an Almond Tree (Torah discussion led by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on Shabbat Pinchas–July 8, 2023) Starting today, none of the next ten weeks will feature haftarah selections associated with the Torah portion. Rather, today, we read the first of three haftarot of admonition, since we just recently […]