Re’eh (Behold) Deuteronomy 11:26 – 16:17

by Katie Eacrett | Aug 30, 2024 | Shabbat Shalom, Shmuel Shabbat Shalom

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Portion Re’eh details the covenant between the Children of Israel and God. It admonishes the Children of Israel to guard themselves against pagan practices as they enter the land of Israel. Several times it mentions the place that...

Ekev (Because) Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25

by Katie Eacrett | Aug 23, 2024 | Shabbat Shalom, Shmuel Shabbat Shalom

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print This week marks eleven months on the Hebrew calendar since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Eleven months is the traditional Jewish mourning period. This week’s Torah portion Ekev speaks of future disasters and destructions,...

Vaetchanan (And I Beseeched) – Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11

by Katie Eacrett | Aug 16, 2024 | Shabbat Shalom, Shmuel Shabbat Shalom

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Portion Vaetchanon continues the story of Moses who is unable to enter the Land of Israel. In the English translation of this portion, it almost seems as though Moses blames the Children of Israel for his exclusion from the Land....

Devarim (Words) – Deuteronomy 1:1 – 3:22

by Katie Eacrett | Aug 8, 2024 | Shabbat Shalom, Shmuel Shabbat Shalom

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print At last, we begin Devarim (Deuteronomy), the final book of the Torah. The portion opens with a painful reminder of the sin of the spies. The sages teach that the day that the spies returned with a bad report was on the 9th of Av,...

Matot / Masei (Tribes/Travel) Numbers 30:2 – 36:13

by Katie Eacrett | Aug 2, 2024 | Shabbat Shalom, Shmuel Shabbat Shalom

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print This week we’ll explore the double Torah portion of Matot-Masei. This portion will summarize the lessons of Bamidbar (Numbers) before moving on to Deuteronomy and Moshes’ final speech. Vows, personal priorities, and a surprising...