SB Right – 3 Column
Shemini
March 27, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk •
Sung in Eichah trop “Aaron was silent” (Lev. 10:3). My sons. I cannot breathe, I cannot speak their names, my heart has no words, just No, I say no, this cannot be; when all that is left of my boys is ashes. Their names folded into that fire- air, flames that sucked breath from their souls. God, you chose me, You dressed me, you have me set aside portions of korbanot to […]
Tzav
March 19, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • 0 Comments
Shalom Aleichem. Tzav – command! The word is a sticky, fricative syllable that in one iteration or another crosses our lips daily as we perform a mitzvah. Reflecting again, back to the final readings in Exodus, the Book of Shemot, we read about the construction of the Sanctuary, the Mishkan– and we read about fire. Fire is an element that follows us throughout Torah: God appeared to […]
Vayikra or Postcard from the Wilderness
March 11, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • Tags: vayikra • 0 Comments
Many of our teachings in Torah were and are revolutionary – in every way from economic to social. In the book of Exodus, of Shemot we were called to remember and keep Shabbat. Let’s try and think for a few minutes about how utterly revolutionary that command was and still is: Stop working. Do not engage in any manner of […]
Pekudei – Rock, Paper, Scissors
March 5, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • 0 Comments
We open up Pekudei and read: אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה עֲבֹדַת֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ “These are the “accounts”, the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were drawn up at Moses’ bidding—the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.” We begin with a financial accounting. Pekudei is the final […]
Vayakhel
February 25, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • 0 Comments
Shalom Aleichem In this week’s Torah portion, we again meet Bezalel, the Leonardo da Vinci of the Mishkan world. We learn in Exodus 35:30-34: “And Moses said to the Israelites: ‘See, the Lord has singled out by name Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has endowed him with a divine […]
Ki Tisa
February 19, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • 0 Comments
Shalom Aleichem. Life has many blessings, and many pitfalls. So too does Ki Tisa. This is another one of those parshiot filled with verbs – remember, provoked, ascended, descended, smashing, carved – as if to remind us that every action we take, even the act of intention, holds tremendous import. Ki Tisa is about our […]
Tetzaveh
February 11, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • Tags: tetzaveh • 0 Comments
Shalom aleichem We read very early in Tetzaveh the exquisitely detailed instructions God gives to Moses with regard to the “garments of sanctity” – his be’gdei kodesh, garments that will be made by wise-hearted people to dress the High Priest, the Kohen Gadol. The Chevra Kadisha continues to use these garments today – by the […]
Terumah
February 4, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • Tags: Temurah • 0 Comments
Shalom Aleichem, This week in my Rabbinics class we were asked to write about Pastoral care. This is my submission, in part. Who amongst us has not lost a beloved one, be they a parent, a spouse, a sibling, or God forbid, a child. This week our Jewish community lost a teacher of many years, […]
Tazria
April 2, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • Tags: tazria •
Tzaraas. Afflictions, in more pustular detail than you had ever imagined! Have you ever gone to a paint store and tried to find the right shade of white – or as Procol Harum sang, a Whiter Shade of Pale? There are many, many shades of white, and concomitantly, many degrees of tzaraas, and places where tzaraas can appear. White, a colour we now often and […]