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…” […]

Thoughts on Parasha Shelach. In this week’s Torah portion Moses sends twelve spies to the land of Canaan. They come back forty days later, bringing an enormous assortment of grapes, pomegranates and figs to prove the richness and abundance of the land they traveled across. However, ten of the spies warn everyone that the inhabitants […]

Beit Warszawa, 28th June 2019 – There is nothing new about ‘Fake News’. There is nothing new about ‘spinning’ information to give the impression you want. There is nothing new about ‘influencing’ the outcome of a public poll. By the time of this week’s Sidra, the people of Israel have spent around a year in […]

Thoughts on Parashat Naso Two weeks ago I devoted my drasha to Jewish unity and diversity. This week I will take up the topic of the role of our leadership. This week’s Torah portion speaks extensively about roles of Levites (in particular Kohathites and Gershonites), Kohanim in the Tabernacle services, ritual purity, the ritual of […]

Thoughts on Parasha Bamidbar This week’s Torah portion contains a number of laws and regulations regarding the responsibilities of the representatives of each tribe of Israel in the Tent of Meeting. These regulations are only a part of the whole Code of Law which was supposed to ensure the harmonious co-existence of the tribes of […]

This week’s Parasha Bechukotai concludes the so called “Holiness Code” – i.e. chapters 17-26 from the Book of Leviticus which describe the ritual and moral prohibitions aimed at making the people of Israel a nation aspiring to holiness. The beginning of our Parasha coincides with the summary of the Code in which we find the […]