Corporate Torah

Shabbat Vaetchanan Dvar Torah: The Power of Prayer At the start of this week’s portion, Vaetchanan , we meet Moses at his most human and vulnerable. He reveals to the people that even after it was decreed that he wouldn't cross into the Promised Land, he refused to give up and prayed that G-d let him in anyways This entreaty is consistent with a famous principle of prayer taught in the Talmud (Brachot 32b) that even if our prayers are refused, we should not give up, but double down. When we talk to G-d, tradition gives us license to refuse accepting a "no" as final. And yet, the door still remained closed. My father often pointed out a haunting nuance in the text. Moses recounts "Vaetchanan” lit. "And I pleaded" in the singular. Moses was the only one begging. In another famous passage, the Talmud (Brachot 8a) explains that there is a theological "time of favor" for prayer. This moment is not random but created when we come together as ...

Shabbat Devarim Dvar Torah This week we begin the Book of Deuteronomy, which opens with Moses delivering his final address to the people on the banks of the Jordan. Before they cross into the Promised Land, he reviews with them the whole of their journey and the Torah given until that point, preparing a new generation for the life ahead. At the start of this address is an extensive treatment on our legal system where we are taught "Ki hamishpat leilokim hu" - for justice belongs to G-d. The classic commentator Rashi, quoting the Midrash, explains that when we distort justice, we do more than wrong one another; we do God a disservice, for He must then intervene to correct the corruption and restore what was lost to its rightful owner. Justice is literally his and He is its guarantor. The Psalms teach that "the heavens are G-d's heavens, and the earth has been given to mankind." The world is ours to shape. When we uphold truth, we honor that trust; when we...

Shabbat Matot-Masei (Chazak) Dvar Torah – Building a principled homeland This week's portion introduces the laws of Sanctuary Cities. It answers a hard question every society faces. What do we do with someone who has caused terrible harm — not out of malice, but through carelessness? Someone has committed manslaughter. Though they never meant to kill, yet a life is gone because they were not careful enough. The Torah's answer is neither completely punitory nor an easy pass. It is a city of refuge. The offender may not leave its walls, sometimes for years. Life goes on — but it is a changed life, lived under the weight of what happened. In that single law, two truths are held at once: human life is never cheap, and a human being is never beyond repair. Where does the Torah send them? To a city of the Levites — the teachers of Israel. The idea is quietly profound. Surrounded, day after day, by people devoted to a higher way of living, the offender is slowly reshaped. When ...

Shabbat Pinchas Dvar Torah - The importance of consistency There is a fascinating debate in the Midrash (ancient rabbinic literature) about which single verse best sums up the entire Torah. The first scholar, Ben Zoma suggests the Shema : "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One” (Deu. 6:4), the ultimate statement of faith. The second scholar, Ben Nanas suggests: "Love thy neighbor as thyself" (Lev. 19:18), the golden rule of our communities. But the third scholar, Shimon Ben Pazi, gives a surprising answer from this week's Torah portion: "The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second lamb you shall offer in the evening" (Num. 24:4) The Midrash concludes dramatically that someone got up and exclaimed that we follow the answer of Shimon Ben Pazi. But why? Compared to the grand, sweeping ideals of absolute faith or our dedication to one another, bringing an offering every morning and evening feels a bit anticlimactic. A hint to a p...

Shabbat Balak This Shabbat the Diaspora "catches up" with Israel with a double portion Chukat-Balak. Feel free to double dose on the Slack Torah as well with last week's message Dvar Torah – Rising with courage In this week's portion, Balak, King of Moab, hires the prophet Balaam to curse the Jewish people. Standing on a hilltop overlooking the Israelite camp, Balaam opens his mouth and blessings pour out instead. Among them: "Behold, a people that rises like a cub, and lifts itself like a lion" (Numbers 23:24). The classic commentator Rashi (quoting the Midrash) explains this verse as a moving description of something ordinary – our morning routines. Balaam saw that Jews arise each day with the energy and vigor of lion cubs, going from one mitzvah to another from our very first waking moments. From the moment we say “Modeh Ani” till the moment we say Shema before going to sleep, we are on a journey of meaning. In fact, this image is so foundational that ...

Shabbat Chukat – Israel For Diaspora, please refer to last week’s Dvar Torah for Korach Dvar Torah – Aaron’s Caring Leadership In this week's portion, the Torah records the death of Aaron, the High Priest. Describing the nation's grief, the Torah recounts that "the entire house of Israel" wept for him. Compared to Moses later passing, the wording is different. There it is simply "the children of Israel" who mourn. The difference is subtle, but the Torah's language is never accidental. Why was Aaron mourned by the entire house of Israel? Rashi, quoting the Midrash explains that this means that everyone - men and the women alike mourned Aaron. Beyond serving in the Tabernacle, Aaron devoted his life to pursuing peace between a person and his fellow, and between husband and wife. He would move quietly between estranged parties until resentment melted away and relationships were restored. This leadership of tenderness and care was mourned by all. ...