Inspirational Torah

Leaders Are Made, Not Born!  Parashat Ki Tissa 16 Adar 5778 פרשת כי תשא ט"ז אדר תשע"ח Exodus 30:11-34:35 Haftara (Prophets) 1 Kings 18:1-39 "A leader takes people where  they   want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." — Rosalynn Carter What makes a great leader and what is good leadership? We look to the Torah for role models. In this week's parashah, Ki Tissa, we read the account of the g rave   sin of the Israelites: the casting of the Golden Calf. This incident raises many questions, but the one I wish to raise is a question of leadership. Who is the true shepherd of the People? What positive and negative leadership traits do we find in Moses and Aaron? How do these qualities inform the decisions they made as leaders? We generally speak about and attribute the terrible sin of the Golden Calf to the Israelite People. But when a society Adoring the Golden Calf   -  Raphael...

Remembering to Forget?! Shabbat Zachor/Tetzaveh  Exodus 27:20-30:10 Maftir (End Ki Tetze) Deuteronomy 25:17-19 Haftarat Zachor: 1 Samuel 15:2-34 "I have a terrible memory. I never forget a thing."  - Edith Konecky Jewish American Novelist This coming Shabbat is Shabbat Zachor.  שבת זכור  Shabbat Zachor   (Sabbath of Remembrance) is the Sabbath immediately preceding the holiday of  Purim . We read Devarim  25:17-19 (the end of Parasha Ki Teizei), describing the attack on the Israelites by the nation of Amalek. The short reading paradoxically commands us to both remember and forget what Amalek did to us when they attacked us in the wilderness ! Primary Text: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deuteronomy 25: 17-19 Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt--how, undeterred by the fear of God... He ...

Coerced to Follow Your Heart's Desire? By Rabbi Yonatan Sadoff Parashat Terumah Exodus 25:1-27:19 Haftarah (Prophets) 1 Kings 5:25-6:13 One of the reasons that I called my blog "Inspirational Torah" is that I hoped it would inspire people! However, and perhaps less obvious, is that,  I myself, have to seek inspiration to say something meaningful about the Torah portion each week. This week that inspiration came from Rabbi Benny Lau* in his book Ethnachta , a collection of drashot   (published in Hebrew)   based on his weekly column that appeared in the newspaper  Haaretz . Since these books are not currently available in English, I will do my best to share some of his ideas in English, as well as adding my own chiddushim  (innovative conclusions). This week's portion, Terumah , is the beginning of a series of parshiot  (weekly Torah portions) about the building of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle/sanctuary). This wee...