T’ruma: Moshe’s Mishkan & Aharon’s Mishkan
byProphecy returns in the time of our redemption & all the hearts will once again move closer together.
Culture
Mishpatim: Mystery of the Mal’akh
byThere is a different between a created mal’akh & a mal’akh that’s actually direct Divine guidance.
Yitro: Israel’s Torah & Israel’s Political Life
byReceiving a legal code at Sinai was an unexpected twist that seemed to have nothing to do with Israel’s understanding of liberation. There suddenly arose a need to strengthen the people’s trust in Moshe.
Beshalaḥ: The Necessity of the Mann
bySince the Torah was forced on Israel, some could argue that it doesn’t naturally fit our identity.
Fire & Water
by“Just as fire and water cannot coexist in a single vessel, so too love for this world and love for the next cannot coexist…
Bo: Blood in the Basin
byThe very act of eating a lamb – an Egyptian deity – on the eve of the Exodus symbolizes the consumption & internalization of those Egyptian values that were worthy of being uplifted as part of the redemption.
Va’eira: Plagues
byThe plagues demonstrate the ethical gap between the nations of Israel & Egypt in the ancient world.
Sh’mot: The Importance of Names
byIn order for us to participate in bringing the redemption, it’s necessary to know in whose Name we are acting, what mission mankind is fulfilling, & in what style HaShem is guiding the world.
Vayeḥi: Chariot of the Divine Presence
byWhile it’s true that Yosef didn’t become a ‘fourth patriarch’ of the nation of Israel, it’s also true that he gained some patriarchal traits in that both of his two sons became full fledged Israelite tribes.
Vayigash: Returning Home
byYosef’s efforts to build Egypt didn’t advance the Hebrew mission. The world can only be fixed through a powerful Israeli nation in our land.
Mikeitz: Dreams
byAn understanding of ancient Egyptian society can help us appreciate why Pharaoh’s wise men & sorcerers couldn’t see the meaning of his dreams.
Vayeishev: The Individual & the Collective
byExcessive involvement with personal repentance & growth, without any concern for the broader collective & its needs, can often lead to confusion.