Thoughts on Parasha Va’etchanan At the beginning of this week’s Torah portion Moses asks the Eternal to let him enter the Promised Land. God does not cave in to his pleas, the only thing He offers him in exchange is a suggestion for Moses to climb to the top of mount Pisgah, from where he […]

Shabbat Chazon For Beit Warszawa 10th. August 2019. – Each year I read the book ‘Devarim’ – which we begin this Shabbat – differently. The reason is simple; Each year I am a little older and Devarim is an Old Man’s Book. When I was a younger rabbi it seemed very repetitive; as I get […]

Thoughts on Parasha Pinchas At the very beginning of this week’s Torah portion God rewards Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, for his zealous act – namely for killing the prince of the Simeonites Zimri and his lover Cozbi, a Midianite princess. As part of this reward God endows Pinchas with the covenant of peace and […]

For Beit Warszawa, 19. July 2019 – The sidra ‘Pinchas’ starts in the middle of an horrific episode and it starts in a way that is not only surprising, but shocking – God APPROVES of the impetuous violent actions of Pinchas the son of Elazar, a grandson of Aharon, a Cohen, who has just murdered […]

As many of you know by now, I have a very different, very personal way of looking at biblical texts than do the traditional writers of Midrash. It is also important for me to teach and urge others to learn their own personal way as well. It is not enough to say just ”Rashi says…” […]