Seven Minute Torah

As Moses prepares for his own death, he is commanded to write down the Torah. Handing it to the Israelites, he hands us a tradition of writing and study that is still alive today.

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What does it mean when we say that we all stood at Sinai? This week's Torah portion - and the Rabbinic texts that comment on it - teach that Judaism belongs to all of the Jewish people in every generation.

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In Ki Tavo the Israelites are commanded to bring their "first fruits" as an offering to God. The words they recite during that ritual are a reminder of how our past shapes us, and how we shape the future.

In a parashah full of laws, an unexpected commandment about eggs, birds, and nests presents an opportunity to talk about the values behind our choices and actions. We will explore the mitzvah of the "mother bird" through the eyes of two medieval commentators, and discover what values they believe sit behind it.

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This week's parashah is about various kinds of leaders in ancient Israel. It's also about the way Judaism is constantly evolving - and our ongoing responsibility to find new meanings in ancient traditions.

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This parashah describes the dietary laws - what Jews traditionally may and may not eat. What is a liberal Jewish approach to keeping kosher?

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This week's parashah, Ekev, contains the middle paragraph of the Shema - a challenging passage that speaks of God as Source of "reward and punishment." Should this passage be in our prayerbook? How might we read it through modern eyes. Turns it out can also be read as an ecological text.

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This week we dig into the Shema and the command to "v'shinantam l'vanecha - teach (words of Torah) to your children." How has this become such a central idea in Jewish life today?

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Questions or comments? Email me at rabbistreiffer@gmail.com

With D'varim we begin the final book of Torah. Moses reminds the Israelite people of some past failures - with an eye toward helping them build a better future.

It would be easier to skip the story of the Israelite war with Midian. But by facing it, we can commit to learn from it and to do better going forward.

To become a supporter of Seven Minute Torah, go to www.patreon.com/sevenminutetorah.

Questions and comments: rabbistreiffer@gmail.com.