Ki Tisa- Cracks of Light                                          Michael Carr               03/11/2023

It’s been said that we don’t see things as ‘they are’; we see things as ‘we are’ because we see reality through our emotional history.

Each of us experiences emotional sensory situations differently when we read, listen, or taste. These sensations may evoke pleasure, pain, distaste- well you […]

Today’s Parsha is Tetzaveh. Tetzaveh means commanded. I could talk to you about how G-d commanded Moses to have the B’nai Yisroel bring pure olive oil to keep the everlasting flame of the Menorah burning in the Mishkan. I could talk to you about the clothing that the Kohanim wore. Almost half of the Parsha […]

The first 2 verses of Parashat Terumah read: G-d spoke to Moses, saying:  Tell the Israelite people to bring me gifts; you shall accept gifts for me from every person whose heart is so moved.

By asking for donations, Tzidaka, G-d invites everyone in the community–rich and poor, old and young, wise and innocent–to participate in […]

Just 7 weeks prior to the start of today’s Parsha, the Jewish people were still slaves in Egypt.  But now, As G-d is about to give B’nai Yisroel the Torah and make them his “chosen people,” Moshe’s father-in-law shows up at their encampment.  This is Yitro, the priest of Midian.  He brings with him his […]

This week’s Parsha includes the final three plagues that G-D created for the benefit of the Israelites and imposed upon Pharaoh to let the Israelite Slaves go. As we know Pharaoh was opposed to any meaningful changes in the kingdom.

In fact we read year after year in the Torah and during Pesach about the terrible […]

Parsha Vaera brings to mind the idea of FUD. It’s the acronym for fear, uncertainty and doubt. This idea was probably more pervasive than ‘hope’ for getting the Israelite slaves out of Egypt. Fear of a autocratic and stubborn pharaoh who imposed his autocratic rule daily created uncertainty and doubt about a meaningful life for Israelite […]

There will not be a dvar Torah today, there will be a dvarette or a dvarala, if you prefer.

Shemot, names. There are many names you will recognize that you will be hearing in a few minutes in today’s Torah Reading.

In exile in Egypt, the Jewish people increased in number from being a family to become […]

The book of Genesis ends in parshah Vayechi with three significant scenes. First, Jacob blesses his grandsons, Efraim and Menashe. Second, Jacob blesses his 12 sons. Third, after the death of Jacob, the brothers asked Joseph to forgive them for selling him into slavery, which he does. Evidently, the brothers harbor the suspicion that Joseph […]

If we zoom out for a moment on Genesis there are any number of injustices that highlight the first book of Torah.  For example: Cain kills Abel and walks; Lots daughters rape their father; Abraham lies about his wife twice, attempts to sacrifice his son, and becomes a patriarch; Jacob deceives his own family members […]

A recent subject of National Public Radio’s show called RadioLab, was “transformations.” Examples were given of how, sometimes surprisingly, people are not necessarily locked in to a specific pattern of behavior. Behavior can and sometimes does change. This is an appropriate theme for my D’var Torah, as it relates to Jacob, because today’s parashah is […]