Emor (Say) – Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23
Death plays an important role, as this week’s Torah portion coincides with Israel’s Memorial Day, Independence Day, and the memorial for Shmuel’s late father.
Kedoshim (Holy) – Leviticus 16:1 – 20:27
Shabbat Shalom! This week’s Torah portion Kedoshim opens with a powerful statement: Be holy as I am holy. But what is holiness?
Achrei Mot (After the Death) Leviticus 16:1-18-3
Shabbat Shalom! This week we’re sharing an Orthodox Jewish commentary on the traditional reading of Song of Songs during Passover with Sondra Oster Baras.
Pesach (Passover)
Shabbat Shalom! This week we’re sharing an Orthodox Jewish commentary on the traditional reading of Song of Songs during Passover with Sondra Oster Baras.
Mezora (Leper) – Leviticus 14:1 – 15:33
This week’s Torah portion, Mezora talks about disease! But what exactly is this disease, often translated as “leprosy”?
Tazria (Conceived seed) – Leviticus 12:1-13:59
This week we read portion Tazria, but Shmuel is already looking ahead to next week’s portion, Mezora which deals with the topic of leprosy. Could leprosy be a tool to help the affected person?
Shmini (Eighth) – Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47
In this week’s video Shmuel discusses the foundation for the laws of kosher food, as well as his personal adventures of keeping kosher as a world traveler.
Sukkot – Exodus 33:12 – 34:16
This week is the holiday of Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the middle of Sukkot falls on Shabbat, so once again the regular Torah reading is suspended and a special portion for the holiday is read instead.
Ha’azinu (Listen) – Deuteronomy 32:1 – 32:52
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
Ki Tavo (When You Will Come) – Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:8
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.