Corporate Torah

Shabbat Terumah Dvar Torah The Torah portion opens with Hashem telling the Jewish people to build the Tabernacle which will become the center of the camp and the worldly home of the Shechina – the Divine Presence. A massive fundraising campaign ensues, with the people generously giving gold, silver, precious stones and fabrics — but there are two critical conditions to participate. First, there is a specific list. Not everything is accepted and the materials must match what G-d asks for. Second, the Torah instructs to accept donations specifically from “ every man whose heart maketh him willing ” with Rashi explaining this as a wholehearted gift of goodwill. As the spiritual epicenter of the Jewish people, the Tabernacle and later the Temple needed to be built on solid foundations. To create a true home for G-d we first have to understand that it’s not about us. It’s not about our egos and what we want to give, but what is needed from us. It’s also not enough to give begrudging...

Shabbat Mishpatim Dvar Torah In last week’s Torah portion, Yitro, the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai. It was a singular  spiritual high with thunder and lightning, the mountain trembling, and the entire nation hearing the Ten Commandments. A dramatic, awe-inspiring, and unforgettable event. This week’s portion, Mishpatim, is quite the opposite. It’s about the day to day laws of respecting your neighbors, dealing with property, and settling disputes. My teacher, Rabbi Moshe Lichtenstein, often described this transition with a simple metaphor: After the wedding — the music, the celebration, the fireworks — comes real life. The excitement at the outset is critical. But what truly builds a relationship is the day-to-day work that follows. That is what Mishpatim is about. Instead of thunder and revelation, we read about ordinary responsibilities: lending money to someone in need and doing so with sensitivity; treating a borrower’s collateral with dignity; listening to the c...

Shabbat Yitro Dvar Torah – Jewish Unity for Generations The Jewish people, newly freed from slavery in Egypt arrive at Mount Sinai. Describing their arrival, the Torah uses an unusual phrase: “Vayichan sham Yisrael neged hahar” — “Israel camped there opposite the mountain.” Strikingly, the entire people are described in the singular – deviating from the narrative until then – addressing them as one individual rather than a multitude. Rashi explains that at that moment, the people were united “like one person with one heart” a singular moment of full and unequivocal unity across the Jewish people with Moses soon after ascending Mt. Sinai and receiving the Torah Perhaps, we can understand this detail not just as a situational description of the encampment at Sinai, but as an explanation of why the Torah was given at Sinai. Accepting the Torah — entering a lasting covenant built on shared responsibility — required an unusual depth of unity. It demanded a commitment strong enough ...