Weekly Sidra: Nasoh (Lift up) Torah Portion: Bamidbar / Numbers 4:21-7:89 Haftorah: Shofetim / Judges 13:2-13:25 “There was a certain man from Zorah, of the stock of Dan, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. An angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "You are barren and have borne no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son. Now be careful not to drink wine or other intoxicant, or to eat anything unclean. For you are going to conceive and bear a son; let no razor touch his head, for the boy is to be a nazirite to God from the womb on. He shall be the first to deliver Israel from the Philistines." (Judges 13:2-5) This week’s Parashat means to lift up. Among the many topics it deals with is that of the Nazarite vow. The Haftarah portion [...]
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This is a double parsha, made up of parshas Behar and Bechukotai. The seven aliyot of this week’s reading are indicated by special aliyah markings within those two parshas in the Chumash. Parshiyot Behar and Bechukotai are power-packed doubleheaders, this one emphasizing the connection between...
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We stand with Israel. We are Zionist. What does that mean? Zionism is the national revival movement of the Jewish people who is returning to the land of Israel, the home of the Jewish people. It holds that the Jewish people have the Biblical right to self-determination in their own national ho...
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Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before HaShem alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. 2 And fire came forth from HaShem and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of HaShem. [Vayikra 10:1-3] This ...
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Parashat: Sheminì (L’ottavo) Parashà: Wayqrà’ (Levitico) 9,1-11,47 Haftarà: 1 Samuél (1 Samuele) 20, 18-42 L’ottavo giorno, dopo i sette giorni della loro inaugurazione, Aronne ed i suoi figli cominciano ad officiare come kohanim (s...
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We have the culmination of the Mishkan (Taberncle) creation and beginning of use, doubled with the beginning Aaron and his sons being set aside as high priests occurring this week in the portion Shemini. Aaron loses two of his sons to the Most High’s fire and HaShem gives us the kosher dietary...
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The Hebrew Letter Resh (Heb. רֵשׁ ;ר), the twentieth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; its numerical value is 200 It is symbolic of wickedness as well as higher consciousness. However, the Hebrew Letter Resh is the 20th letter in the order of the Alef Bet, the number 20 se...
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Parashat: Pésach (Pasqua) Parashà: Shemot (Esodo) 33:12-34:26 (I Sefer) Maftir: Bamidbar (Numeri) 28:19-25 ( Haftarà: Yechezkel / Ezechiele 37:1 – 14 Questa lettura si conclude con l’esortazione relativa al dovere di Israele di restare fedele a D-o. Is...
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Galut or Golus (Hebrew: גלות), means literally exile. Galut or Golus classically refers to the exile of the Jewish people from the Land of Israel. There were altogether four such exiles. These are said to be alluded to in Abraham’s biblical vision of the future of ...
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Techiyat hameitim means the resurrection of the dead. Rambam stated: "I believe with perfect faith that the dead will be brought back to life when God wills it to happen." (This is the 13th and last of Rambam’s Principles of Faith) Is there no hope for the dead? Is our life simply fi...
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Seder traditions for us are an collection of practices that are Sephardic in origin, but for many of us these practices have grown and changed because they were practiced underground in either maranno or crypto-Jewish households. Remember: Sephardic Passover customs and traditions can vary from regi...
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Korban Pesach (Hebrew: קרבן פסח "sacrifice of Passover") also known as the "Paschal Lamb" is the sacrifice that the Torah mandates to be brought on the eve of Passover, and eaten on the first night of the holiday with bitter herbs and mat...
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Parashat: Tzav (Ordine) Parashà: Vayikra / Levitico 6:1 – 8:36 Haftarà: Yermiyahu / Geremia 7:21 – 8:3; 9:22 La Parashat inizia con un comando: (“E il Signore parlò a Mosè, dicendo: לֵּאמֹר מ...
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The Korban Todah (offering of thanksgiving) of a Nation. The special laws of the korban Pesach (offering of Passover) can be understood in a similar manner, for it too is an offering of thanksgiving – not for a personal case of redemption, but rather for our national redemption. Let’s re...
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We mark the passage of time between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost) by the “counting of the omer.” A period of seven weeks is observed in which each day is counted off for 49 days ending on the fiftieth day known as Shavuot /Pentecost (Pentecost-means 50). It is the number of d...
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