Thursday 27 September 2012

The Time of Our Rejoicing - Sukkot

Weekly Sidra: Sukkot (Tabernacles)
Torah Portion: Vayikra / Leviticus 22:26 - 23:44
Maftir: Bamidbar / Numbers 29:12 - 29:16
Haftorah: Zecharya / Zechariah 14:1-21
“All who survive of all those nations that came up against Jerusalem shall make a pilgrimage year by year to bow low to the King Lord of Hosts and to observe the Feast of Booths. Any of the earth's communities that do not make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to bow low to the King Lord of Hosts

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The Power of Torah - Sidra Ha'azinu

Weekly Sidra: Ha’azinu (Give ear)
Torah Portion: Devarim / Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52
Haftorah: Sh'muel Bet / II Samuel 22:1-51
This week in Sidra Ha’azinu we read of Moshe final instructions to Benei Israel.
“And when Moshe finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them: Take to heart all the words with which I have warned you this day. Enjoin them upon your children that they may observe faithfully all the terms of this Teaching. For

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Thursday 20 September 2012

Teshuvah (Repentance) Time!

Yom Kippur, also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the people of Israel. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in the Hebrew Bible as the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe"). Yom Kippur is the tenth day of the month of Tishrei.

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Return in Repentance - Sidra Vayelech

Weekly Sidra: Vayelech (Standing ones)
Torah Portion: Devarim / Deuteronomy 31:1-31:30
Haftorah: Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20
I realized growing up that if I did something wrong I would be punished by my dad.  I also knew that he would love me and care for me if I apologized for what I had done.

This week we read a special Haftarah portion for Shabbat Shuva.  Shabbat Shuvah or Shabbat T'shuvah ("Sabbath Return" שבת

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Thursday 13 September 2012

The Rosh Hashanah Shofar sounds

A shofar is an instrument made from the horn of a ram or other kosher animal. It was used in ancient Israel to announce the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and call people together. It was also blown on Rosh Hashanah, marking the beginning of the New Year, signifying both the need to wake up to the call to repentance, and in connection with the portion read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Binding of Isaac (Genesis, chapter 22) in which Abraham sacrifices a ram in place of his son,

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The Feasts are coming. Get ready!

The Fall Feasts of Israel are coming.  At sunset on Sept. 16th, 2012 Israel begins year 5773 on the Hebrew Calendar.
The fall is arguably the most important time of the year in Judaism. Three of Israel’s holiest days are celebrated then, and all in the space of 15 days. They are Yom Teruah, or Feast of Trumpets, followed 10 days later by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and 5 days after that by Sukkot, the weeklong Feast of Tabernacles, ending with Hashanah Rabbah (the

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Wednesday 12 September 2012

A New Beginning - Rosh Hashana

Weekly Sidra: Rosh HaShana (New Year)
Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 21:1 - 21:34
Maftir: Bamidbar / Numbers 29:1-29:6
Haftorah: Sh'muel / I Samuel 1:1-2:10
The year 5773 is fast approaching.  The two Haftarot for Rosh Hashanah are a reflection of pain and joy. 
On day one we read of Hannah’s prayer to HaShem for a son.  She is so distraught that her prayer appears to Eli as if she is drunk. (I Sam 1:12) Yet in her anguish HaShem

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Still Standing - Sidra Nitzavim

Weekly Sidra: Nitzavim (Standing ones)
Torah Portion: Devarim / Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20
Haftorah: Yeshayahu / Isaiah 61:10-63:9
As the high holidays approach so many thoughts swirl through my head.  I have to prepare food for Rosh Hashanah, there will be fasting on Yom Kippur and a Sukkah still needs to be built.  All this while having to juggle family, work and daily living activities.  It is a wonder on some days that I can even get out of

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Friday 7 September 2012

Perfectly Powerful Prayer (Hitbodedut)

Prayer, Tefilah, just talk to God. Tell the Master of the world how much you love Him, and thank Him that he is there."
In the Torah, the first act of Creation was "God said, Let there be Light: and there was Light. And God saw the Light, that it was good: and God divided the Light from the darkness." God spoke the Word to create.
Of all the Father’s earthly Creation, only humanity possesses the ability to form the Divine Alef-bet of Creation into words. Speaking the

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Monday 3 September 2012

Be a Light!! - Sidra Ki Tavo

Weekly Sidra: Ki Tavo (When you come)
Torah Portion: Devarim / Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
Haftorah: Yeshayahu / Isaiah 60:1-60:22
The month of Elul is a time for reflection.  As the last month of the year we look back on our lives.  We seek to repent of any actions we have done and continue to draw near to HaShem by reading His word and performing mitzvot.
In this week’s Haftarah portion we are reminded of this wonderful truth:

And nations shall

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