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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, […]
Mishpatim: Civics and Angels
January 30, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • Tags: angels, civics, mishpatim • 0 Comments
Shalom Aleichem I alluded last week to my maniacal preparations for my own ceremony of Bat Mitzvah as a grown woman, and as someone who chose to enter the covenant. Mishpatim is that sidra that caused me to pause and consider my need to allow others to help me prepare for that day. Mishpatim includes […]
Yitro
January 23, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • 0 Comments
Shalom Aleichem, Yitro is the חוֹתֵן, the father-in-law of Moshe, a relationship that is reiterated and reinforced many times in the first section of this sidra. The name Yitro means abundance or riches – and truly this is what Yitro gave to Moshe. Not riches of kind, but of counsel regarding sustainability, practical counsel that […]
B’shallach
January 14, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • 0 Comments
Shalom Aleichem, I didn’t realize until I had to write a d’var Torah every week, how often I say, “Now this is truly one of my favourite sections in all of Torah” – I am like a woman with many grandchildren. Years ago I was in Brooklyn. I had made arrangements with a very orthodox/observant […]
Bo
January 7, 2019 by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough • From the Rabbi's Desk • 0 Comments
Shalom Aleichem, Many years ago, while on a sabbatical in Los Angeles, we had been invited for an upcoming Shabbat afternoon to visit a friend – and her pool – which at 100+ degrees sounded like a great idea. Except we were Canadians. It was January, and it never occurred to either of us 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 […]