It’s time for portion Vayera. Did Abraham understand the essence of the Torah? Why is hospitality so important? Enjoy another episode of Shabbat Shalom with Shmuel: Torah Portions from the Heartland.
What does it mean to be a “searching person”? Abraham was called-but did others hear that same call? Join Shmuel to learn about Abraham’s journey and the intimate connection the Jewish people have maintained with the land of Israel through their exile and return.
Welcome to a new series Shabbat Shalom from Shmuel! This week’s Torah Portion in Noach (Noah). What are the “waters of Noah”? Noah faced enormous challenges and built an ark-but did he pray for his fellow man? Discover the connection between Noah, Abraham, and the Tower of Babel on this week’s episode!
Welcome to a new series Shabbat Shalom from Shmuel! This week’s portion is Beresheet: In the beginning. Why does the Torah open with this story? How does this portion relate to the land of Israel? David Ben-Gurion used what to assert the Jewish right to their homeland?! All this and more in today’s episode.
This Shabbat is also the holiday of Simchat Torah, the day we celebrate the conclusion of the annual cycle of reading the weekly portions of the Five Books of Moses, the Torah.
This week we read the Song of Moses, one of Moses’ final speeches to the Children of Israel before his death. The only other words Moses speaks to the nation after this are the words of blessing in Deuteronomy Chapter 33
This week’s portion includes Moses’ last speech to the nation before the final poem that is Chapter 32 and the blessings in Chapter 33. Chapter 30 is often referred to as the “Return” chapter, including, as it does, references to both a physical and spiritual return to God and the Land of Israel.
There is a common joke among Jews that summarizes all of our Jewish holidays in one sentence: They tried to kill us, G-d saved us, let’s eat. It doesn’t quite apply to every holiday, but certainly Passover, Purim and Hanukkah fit the bill. And the statement certainly tells us a great deal about Jewish culture.
This weeks Torah portion includes the largest number of commandments of any other weekly portion. Beginning with Chapter 21 verse 10 and proceeding through Chapter 25, verse after verse is filled with situations and the rules of practice that are applicable.
These verses set forth guidelines to be followed by the kings of Israel, to ensure their righteousness and the absence of corruption in their kingdoms. Although, we no longer have kings, our political leaders would do well to follow these rules.
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