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Justice, Justice - DT Shoftim Kligler

This week’s Parsha, Shoftim, begins with this famous declaration:

Tzedek, tzedek tirdof / צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף

Justice, justice thou shalt pursue.

Deuteronomy 16:20

This is one of the central declarations of the Torah, echoed in many other instructions. For example:

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/justice-justice

Posted on: 2017/08/17 - 11:59am

It Just Isn't So! DT Eron Ki Tetzey

There comes a point in the life of all faithful Jews when we face the fact that what the Torah says, just isn’t so. This does not occur when we see the differences between the ancient understanding of the origins and structures of the physical world and contemporary scientific knowledge. The Torah is not a science text book, but uses the knowledge of its time to illustrate the various ways in which God, the Creator, interacts with creation.

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/it-just-isnt-so

Posted on: 2017/08/17 - 1:15pm

Melekh Ha-Olem DT Shoftim Eron

Each time we pronounce a blessing, we are making a political statement. Within the introduction to every blessing are the words which declare that our Eternal God is melekh ha-olam, Sovereign of the Universe. Every time we express our gratitude for the opportunities and experiences life offers us, we also affirm our loyalty to God as our sovereign and acknowledge our citizenship in the Divine One’s dominion. In Hebrew this is called kabbalat ol malchut shamayim, accepting the yoke of the kingdom of heaven.

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/melekh-ha-olam-sovereign-all

Posted on: 2017/08/17 - 11:44am

Be Happy! DT Re'eh Mendelssohn

“Remember the month of Aviv and keep the Passover…”. In Parashat Re’eh we are given a description of the three major pilgrim festivals, Pesakh, Shavuot, and Sukkot. These are the Ḥagim. “Ḥag” is a cognate of the Arabic word word “Haj”. Just as Haj to Mecca is a requirement for the Muslem (if one can afford it), so is the Ḥag to Jerusalem if one is a Jew.

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/be-happy

Posted on: 2017/08/11 - 2:39pm

Open Your Hand DT Re'eh Kligler

Pato’ach tiftach et yadcha l’achicha, l’aniyecha u’le’evyoncha b’artzecha

כִּ֛י לֹא־יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּ֠תֹחַ תִּפְתַּ֨ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֜ לְאָחִ֧יךָ לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃

You must open, open your hand to the poor and to the needy in your land. (Deuteronomy 15:11)

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/open-your-hand

Posted on: 2017/08/11 - 2:24pm

By Bread Alone? Ekev DT SCR

Sometimes all of life seems like a test. Friendships drift away, loved ones die, we find ourselves fighting a serious illness or falling victim to corporate “downsizing” and either having our salaries cut or losing our jobs altogether. It’s remarkable how quickly even the most positive of people can suddenly find themselves haunted by questions of “Why me?” as their lives seem to undergo one blow after another.

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/bread-alone

Posted on: 2017/08/03 - 12:07pm