In this week’s Torah portion we find the story of Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro, who after having heard about everything that God has done for Moses and the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt decides …
''Fog in Channel. Continent Cut Off!'' This was one of the most famous headlines in British newspaper history, some say dating from the 1930's, and it is, by many accounts, at least to some extent …
VAYECHI
Rabbi Dr. Walter Rothschild
This week's sidra forms the end of the Book of Bereshit, Genesis, and winds up the period of the Patriarchs which commenced with Abraham's ''call'' at the beginning of Chapter 12. In …
Meaning as an organizing structure
Thoughts of parashat Vayigash
Menachem Mirski
We live in an age of many different and often conflicting narratives. All the different worldviews can be easily pitted against each other, with a promotion …
CHANUKAH
Rabbi Dr. Walter Rothschild
For decades the issue of the Jewish festival of Chanukah falling in close proximity to the Christian festival of Christmas has been for many Jews a problem, a challenge. Historians can talk …
The humiliation of Joseph
Thoughts on parashat Vayeshev
The Torah portion for this week starts with the story of Jacob settling in Hebron with his twelve sons. His favorite son is seventeen-year-old Joseph, with whom his brothers …
VAYESHEV
Rabbi Dr. Walter Rothschild
''And Jacob lived where his father had only been passing through, in the land of Canaan.'' (Genesis 37:1).
Many commentators have tried to explain this sentence which is so heavily laden with meaning, …
To speak your mind or not
Thoughts on parashat Vayera.
Menachem Mirski
The Torah portion of this week contains only great and famous stories. We have in it the story of Abraham interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah, …
SERMON FOR PARASHAT NOACH
3.6mm per year; this is apparently the current rise in sea level per year... At the end of the Flood story God swears Genesis 9:11) never to bring a Flood upon the …
Too Big, It Must Fail
Toughts on Parashat Noah
This week’s parasha contains two great narratives that are at the foundations of the Judeo-Christian civilization and have inspired people for centuries: the story of Noah and the …
CHOL HAMOED SUKOT
SERMON: BEIT WARSZAWA, SHABBAT CHOL HAMO'ED SUKKOT, 18th. October 2019.
For the Shabbat in Sukkot the rabbis chose as a Torah reading Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 8, which stresses the way in which the Israelites …
Haazinu
'Haazinu' - Deuternomy Chapter 32 - is almost the end of the Torah, the five books, and represents what one might call Moses' 'Swansong' - this term is based on the legend that, shortly before …
