Parshat Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24) Rabbi David Stav Our Torah reading, Vayera, begins with three angels paying a visit to Abraham as the patriarch was recovering from his circumcision, during which time one of the angels reports that God is about to
Parshat Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1-17:27) Rabbi David Stav In last week’s Torah reading, we were engrossed in the history of humanity as a whole, and in how it was nearly entirely destroyed in The Flood as a punishment for deeply-ingrained moral
Parshat Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32) Rabbi David Stav Barely a single portion of the Torah has been concluded, and already God has decided to destroy the entire universe. The optimistic mood echoed in the verse, “And God saw all He had done
Simchat Torah 5778 Rabbi David Stav Perhaps one of the Jewish people’s most unique – and bizarre – holidays is Simchat Torah. I often ask myself what possesses both young and old to encircle the bima at the synagogue in a
Sukkot 5778 Rabbi David Stav Sukkot is a particularly festive and beloved holiday, and indeed, the Torah specifically commands us to be joyful on these days [Deut. 16:14]. The uniquely celebratory nature of Sukkot is perhaps best demonstrated by the special
Yom Kippur 5778 Rabbi David Stav If you were to peruse the streets of Israel on the evening of Yom Kippur, you couldn’t help but notice the unique atmosphere, as a blanket of majestic beauty settles on the physical world around
Parshat Haazinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52) Rabbi David Stav This coming Shabbat Shuva, we will read Parshat Haazinu – or, to be precise, Shirat Haazinu (Song of Haazinu). God tells Moshe that this song has a vital role in shaping Jewish consciousness –
Parshat Nitzavim-Vayelech (Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30) Rabbi David Stav There is something truly unique about the Torah’s description of the Jewish People assembling to experience the sealing of the covenant between the nation and its God, as the Book of Deuteronomy comes to
Parshat Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8) Rabbi David Stav We rarely have any hard and fast rules about which Torah portions must be read at what time, yet an age-old Rabbinic tradition maintains that we must be sure to read the parsha
Parshat Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19) Rabbi David Stav The Torah contains many events and mitzvot, and this week’s portion, Ki Teitze, is among the most “mitzvah-packed” in the entire Torah. It lists mitzvot of all kinds, both private and public; those
Parshat Shoftim(Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9) Rabbi David Stav True to its name, our Torah portion, Shoftim, elaborates on the different court systems and government agencies the nation would need to establish once it enters the Land of Israel, as echoed in the verse:
Parshat Reeh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) Rabbi David Stav Our Torah portion this week, Re’eh, is replete with religious and social mitzvot, of which one is to take place during the Sh’nat Sh’mitah, the Sabbatical Year: the principle of Sh’mitat K’safim – the
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