Divrei Torah

*Bereyshit Genesis 1:1 - 6:8 127*

Hebrew Text Full of Untranslatable Resonances	Dannin
Kaplan on Creation: An Explanation of Jewish Mission	Scult
Malachim	Dannin
Not "How" but "Why"	Eron
Shabbat and Holiness	Pik-Nathan

*No'ah Genesis 6:9 - 11:32 127*

Symbolism of Rainbows	Cohen
The Computer of Babel	Waskow

*Leh-Leha Genesis 12:1 - 17:27 126*

"Be a Blessing"	Pik-Nathan
"Ger" (Stranger/Convert)	Cohen
Abraham and His Commitment to Judaism	Kalenberg
Abraham the Warrior	Eron
Avraham, Happiness, and God's Open Hand	Dannin
Being a Member of the Jewish People	Cohen

*Vayera Genesis 18:1 - 22:24 127*

Akeidat Yitzchak/Akeidat Uri	Masters
Bound Faith	Pik-Nathan
The destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah	Pik-Nathan
The Sins of Sodom	Eron

*Hayey Sarah Genesis 23:1 - 25:18 105*

Abraham's Second Life	Eron
Filling in the Missing Pieces of Sarah's Life	Bolton
Holy Places	Eron
Sarah's Death in the Wake of the Binding	Gluskin
The Life of Sarah	Pik-Nathan

*Toldot Genesis 25:19 - 28:9 106*

His Father's Wells	Eron
Isaac - Digger of Wells	Dannin
Questioning Jacob's and Rebeka's Behavior	Gluskin
Seize the Opportunity	Haimowitz

*Vayetzey Genesis 28:10 - 32:3 127*

Connecting with the Divine	Pik-Nathan
In This Place, In This Moment	Dannin
Meeting Angels	Eron
The Divine Plan	Cohen
What God Promised	Dannin

*Vayishlah Genesis 32:4 - 36:43 127*

Connecting the Dots	Dannin
Discarding Alien Gods	Eron
My Brother's Keeper	Eron
Reconciliation and Change	Cohen
The Blessing of Brothers	Pik-Nathan
The Legacy of Yisrael	Pik-Nathan
Wrestling with .....	Pik-Nathan

*Vayeshev Genesis 37:1 - 40:23 112*

First Born Sons	Cohen
Joseph, Part 1	Pik-Nathan
On Being Ready	Pik-Nathan
Tamar and Judah	Dannin
Tamar the Hidden	Dannin

*Miketz Genesis 41:1 - 44:17 127*

Jews-By-Choice: Asenath and Ruth	Eron
Joseph, the Favorite Son	Bolton

*Vayigash Genesis 44:18 - 47:27 106*

Desire and Fear	Dannin
Judah	Pik-Nathan
Prophets and Sages	Eron
Reconciliation	Eron
United We Stand	Cohen

*Vayhi Genesis 47:28 - 50:26 85*

Birthright and Brotherhood	Pik-Nathan
Jacob's Final Dream	Pik-Nathan
Life Beyond Death	Eron
The Danger of Religious Fanaticism	Greene
The Goal of Life	Eron

*Shemot Exodus 1:1 - 6:1 124*

"Blessed is the One Who is the Breath of Life"	Waskow
Adjusting to New Narratives	Gluskin
Being Trapped in Our Own Lies	Eron
Moshe	Lobb
To Know	Pik-Nathan
Why Slavery?	Pik-Nathan

*Va'era Exodus 6:2 - 9:35 121*

Making God Appear in Our Lives and Through Our Lives	Dannin
Moses' Double Mission	Eron
Speaking vs. Listening	Pik-Nathan
The Other Side of Slavery	Dannin
Two Prophets on Self-Deification	Cohen
What's in a name?	Pik-Nathan

*Bo Exodus 10:1 - 13:16 106*

Ad Bo-eina Shama - Until We Are There	Dannin
Commitment and Continuity	Schein
Defining Boundaries	Cohen
Diversity Makes Us Stronger	Rosen
From Slavery to Freedom - For All	Bolton
Humility vs. Humiliation	Pik-Nathan
Redeeming God's Wrath - A Poem	Greene
The Sign of Courage	Eron

*Beshalah Exodus 13:17 - 17:16 116*

Faith and Doubt	Eron
It's Reassuring: Number of Jews Can Increase as Well as Shrink	Schein
Jewish Continuity and the origins of "Ben Hur"	Mendelsohn
Joyful, Soulful, Prayer	Greene
Sinai and Mitzvot	Seidman
The Singing of the Oppressed	Pik-Nathan
Walking with Joseph’s Bones	Dannin

*Yitro Exodus 18:1 - 20:26 75*

"Hearing" the "Voice" of God	Cohen
Jews Struggle with Unity, Challenges of Membership	Schein
Online Interactive Study Guide for <em>Parashat Yitro</em>	Gluskin
Words of God	Pik-Nathan

*Mishpatim Exodus 21:1 - 24:18 118*

A Vision of the God of Israel	Schuman
Approaching Torah	Pik-Nathan
Filling the Earth With God's Presence	Dannin
Having Yourselves Been Slaves in Egypt	Eron
Jewish Tradition and Slavery	Schein
Ordering Chaos	Cohen
The Gift of Freedom	Pik-Nathan

*Terumah Exodus 25:1 - 27:19 96*

Blueprint for a Full Jewish Life	Schein
Building the Tabernacle	Cohen
Do you want to be a millionaire?	Eron
God is the Architect, We Are the Builders	Cohen
The Golden Calf and the Mishkan	Pik-Nathan

*Tetzaveh Exodus 27:20 - 30:10 101*

A D'var Torah for Parashat Tetzaveh	Mendelsohn
Connecting the Ner Tamid and Amalek	Pik-Nathan
Creating Sacred Space	Bolton
Dress of the High Priest had Deep Meanings	Dannin
Forever is Forever	Dannin
On Holding High Jewish Office: Do Clothes Make the Man?	Schein
Purification Before Performing Rituals	Cohen
Why Moses Did Not Become a Priest	Pik-Nathan

*Ki Tisa Exodus 30:11 - 34:35 127*

Dualism	Cohen
Grounded Engagement Connects Us To Infinite Joy	Dannin
The Promise of Forgiveness	Eron
The Torah as Puzzle: You Can Rearrange the Parts	Schein
Trying to Limit the Divine - the Sin of the Golden Calf	Eron
Two Sides of the Golden Calf	Pik-Nathan

*Vayakhel Exodus 35:1 - 38:20 122*

Capacity to Receive is A Limited Resource	Gluskin
Reconstructing the Prohibitions of Shabbat	Pik-Nathan
The Giving Heart of the "Gangs of Washington"	Schein
The Greatest Miracle	Eron

*Pekudey Exodus 38:21 - 40:38 92*

Journeying From the Personal to the Communal	Greene
Our Appointed Tasks	Eron
Shadows	Pik-Nathan
Vision is Important in Guiding Our Work	Schein

*Vayikra Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26 111*

Drawing Close to Sacrifice	Dannin
Insights from Leviticus	Cohen
Leviticus - A Spiritual Guidebook	Eron
Our Words And Prayers Are All We Need To Connect With The Divine	Esserman
Shabbat Zahor -- Reconstructing Amalek Via Hasidism	Zevit
Structure	Pik-Nathan
Where Does the Spirit of Sacrifice Take Us?	Schein

*Tzav Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36 97*

Olah, Zevach Shelamim and Iraq	Pik-Nathan
The Ascending Heart	Schein
The Thanksgiving Offering	Eron

*Shemini Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47 91*

And God Blessed Nadav and Abihu	Dannin
Respecting Boundaries	Cohen
Strange Fire ... a Midrashic Reconstruction on Nadav and Avihu	Pik-Nathan

*Tazri'a Leviticus 12:1 - 13:59 67*

Illness: Banishment or Empathy?	Eron
Reconstructing Biblical Views on Impurity Following Childbirth	Dannin
Sickness, Separation and Openings	Dannin
Tzara'at and Impurity	Pik-Nathan

*Metzora Leviticus 14:1 - 15:33 90*

Does Historical Accuracy of Religious Texts Matter?	Seidman
Finding Healing in Separation	Pik-Nathan
Sins of Emission?	Dannin
Tzara'at and Selfishness	Cohen

*Aharey Mot Leviticus 16:1 - 18:30 80*

Between Death and Death	Dannin
Blood	Dannin
Comparing Conservative and Reconstructionist Approaches in Dealing with Leviticus' Prohibition on Male-Male Sex	Nestel
Ethical Mitzvot	Pik-Nathan
Shabbat HaGadol	Cohen
Warnings	Cohen

*Kedoshim Leviticus 19:1 - 20:27 64*

What Ethical and Moral Standards to We Need Today?	Weissler
Wholiness	Pik-Nathan

*Emor Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23 124*

Collection of Brief Comments/Art from a TorahQuest Encounter	Gluskin

*Behar Leviticus 25:1 - 26:2 57*

Land	Hirsh
Poverty	Cohen
Thinking, Speaking, and Acting: the Braid of Social Responsibility	Millas

*Behukotay Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34 78*

"If You Follow My Laws..."	Cohen
Blessings and Curses	Eron
Walking in God's Ways	Pik-Nathan
What is 'Herem" (Proscribed)?	Cohen

*Bemidbar Numbers 1:1 - 4:20 127*

Marriage	Cohen
Nachshon ben Aminadav	Pik-Nathan

*Naso Numbers 4:21 - 7:89 127*

Holy Isolation	Cohen
The Nazirite	Hirsh
The True Honor	Eron

*Beha'aloteha Numbers 8:1 - 12:16 127*

Be Careful What You Wish For	Stein
Just A Little Prayer Will Do	Eron
Miriam	Pik-Nathan
The Hidden Meaning	Cohen

*Shelah Numbers 13:1 - 15:41 119*

The Reminder of Tzitzit	Pik-Nathan
Tzitzit	Hirsh

*Korah Numbers 16:1 - 18:32 95*

Destruction and Creation	Pik-Nathan
Leadership	Pik-Nathan
What is "community"?	Cohen
Who Has the Authority to Change Judaism?	Hirsh
Why Did Korah Rebel?	Bolton

*Hukat Numbers 19:1 - 22:1 87*

On Being A Paradox Jew	Cohen
The Red Heifer	Dannin
The Well of Tradition and Miriam's Well	Eron

*Balak Numbers 22:2 - 25:9 104*

A Curse Turned Blessing	Dannin
Balaam Recognizes the One God	Hirsh

*Pinhas Numbers 25:10 - 30:1 127*

Egalitarianism	Pik-Nathan
The Tragedy of Pinhas	Lobb
The World of Silence	Cohen
Transitioning Leadership	Hirsh

*Matot Numbers 30:2 - 32:42 112*

The Importance of Re-Reading Torah	Hirsh

*Masey Numbers 33:1 - 36:13 127*

Personalizing the Epic Narrative	Eron

*Devarim Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22 105*

"Rav Lakh"	Pik-Nathan
Shabbat Hazon	Hirsh

*Va'ethanan Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11 122*

"It Reached No Further"	Cohen
Our Sustaining Hope	Eron
Shabbat Nahamu	Hirsh
The Ten Commandments	Stern
Tisha B'Av	Bolton

*Ekev Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25 111*

"If I were a rich man..."	Eron
Living the Good Life	Dannin
Rewards and Blessing	Eron

*Re'eh Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17 126*

"Be Happy!"	Mendelsohn

*Shoftim Deuteronomy 16:18 - 21:9 97*

Ancient Debate	Lobb
Examining Justifications for the State of Israel	Nestel
Melech Ha-Olam, Sovereign of All	Eron
Think Like a Lawyer	Dannin

*Ki Tetzey Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:19 110*

Honest Weights and Measures	Eron
It Just Isn't So!	Eron
Ownership of Property, Returning Lost Property	Pik-Nathan
What is the purpose of observing mitzvot?	Cohen

*Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8 122*

Consequences	Bolton
First Fruits	Pik-Nathan
Serving God in Gladness	Eron

*Nitzavim Deuteronomy 29:9 - 30:20 40*

Choose Life	Pik-Nathan
Standing Together in Covenant	Cohen

*Vayeleh Deuteronomy 31:1 - 30 30*

You Should Live to Be 120	Eron

*Ha'azinu Deuteronomy 32:1 - 52 52*

Between a Rock and a Hard Place	Dannin

*Rosh Hashanah*

Being Part of the Universe	Scult
God and People Mutually Accountable	Gluskin
Our Akeidah, Our Binding	Dannin
The Akeida: Questions of Sacrifice	Nestel
Why on earth are we here?	Pik-Nathan

*Yom Kippur*

Eleh Ezkarah -- Sacrifice and Martyrdom	Eron
Future Prayer	Dannin
Goat's Journey Helps Us to See Ourselves	Gluskin
Let's Not Follow Noah's Example: A Call to Action	Zimmerman
On Jonah and More: Getting Perspective in Order to Repent	Dannin
Unetanah Tokef - In the Wake of the Decree	Frankel
Walking the Walk: The Sacred Art of Energy Conservation	Rosen

*Sukkot*

Reconstructionist Sukkot
Sukkot: Yom Kippur's Counterbalance	Cohen

*Shemini Atzeret*

Taking Down the Sukkah; Thoughts for the Day After Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah	Eron

*Simchat Torah*

Moses Died With a Promised Land	Dannin

*Hanukah*

December and Dedication	Spitzer
How to Light the Hanukkah Menora and Sing the Blessings	Eisenstat
The United States of Hanukah	Segar
Three Reasons	Cohen

*Purim*

Challenging Distinctions: The Purim Enigma	Segar
Four Lessons We Learn from Purim	Tepperman
Learning to Use Our Power for Good: Reflecting on Purim	Eron
Let's Reconstruct Purim to Become a Celebration of Feminism	Carr
Purim's Messianic Message	Eron
Unpacking Amalek	Moise

*Pesah*

Circles and Cycles: The Never-Ending Cycle of the Jewish Year	Pik-Nathan
Family at the Root of Passover Commandments	Seidman
Hassal Siddur Pesach
Kiddush for Passover
Passover Reading on Darfur Genocide	Strassfeld
The Miracle of Freedom	Goldsmith
The Tension Between Law and Redemption on Passover	Gluskin

*Shavuot*

Ruth, the First Convert	Hirsh
The Omer Song	Stein Spitzer Raphael

*Tisha b'Av*

The Modern Meaning of Tisha b'Av	Eron