by Fonda C. Hartman Parashat Vayikra (“and God called”), a complicated text for modern readers, deals with animal sacrifice as a way to approach God. The Hebrew word “korban” is generally translated as “sacrifice,” but its root K-R-B, means “to come near.” The High Priests performed these rituals according to the rules specified in this chapter as a way to thank God for one’s good fortune or to ask forgiveness for one’s sins. These rites helped the Israelites feel closer to God. Leviticus contains the laws that will help the Israelites become a nation and preserve God’s “orderly” world. The rules set forth explain what must be done when boundaries are broken. Vayikra speaks in specifics about sacrificial rites and practices, including rules for women as well. One thing that stands out is that, though a person may offer the finest animal for a sacrifice, if they then go out and do “ugly and immoral things, God will not have mercy on him” (Leviticus Rabbah 2:2).

by Gabrielle Grunau The parashah for this week, Parashat P’kudei, starts with one verse to which I most responded. Following this first verse were more than 30 more verses describing the priestly garments and Tabernacle. P’kudei concludes both the book of Exodus and a series of parashot that began with Parashat T’tzaveh. P’kudei is the last in this series and it reiterates the engineering wonder and fashion statement Moses had described before. The “wonder” of P’kudei is that the engineered construction had to have the capability of being set-up and broken down for “varying journeys” (Exodus 40:36) and the “statement” of P’kudei is that it calls for costumes to be tailored for an act on stage to be performed by priests. My favorite verse, however, is the first one, which has nothing directly to do with either. Rather it is a study of Moses’ desire for his work to be replicable through personal accountability.

by Monica Solomon When I read Parashat Vayak’heil I wondered why God wanted to dwell in a house of such magnificence, one that we today would call ostentatious. To me God is not focused on the material, but rather with that which is intangible. I always imagine God being more concerned about what we do, rather than what we have. So why all this gold and silver, skins and jewels, beaten brass for the mirrors? The Israelites had just built the golden calf, so where did all this extra gold come from? Did they carry so much with them from Egypt that they had more to spare? And we then read that Moses told them to stop bringing as there was more than enough. I wondered what this taught us—after all it is not very inspiring reading all the dimensions of the Tabernacle and maybe the most we think about is where they got the dolphin skin and how they were going to transport this enormous structure through the desert.

by Pamela Feldman-Hill The Torah portion Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11 – 34:35) is chock-full of big ideas and startling imagery, so how to choose a focus? Do I discuss the census and how every person must be “counted?” Shall I connect the purification of the Israelites’ meeting space to the sacred potential of our gatherings? We are introduced to Bezalel, the great artisan, and his role in adding beauty and wisdom to our traditions (a personal favorite!), along with a reiteration of the centrality of Shabbat to our covenant with God. And then comes the dramatic story of the golden calf, including the breaking of the tablets by Moses, his plea to God to forgive the Jewish people, and Moses’s subsequent meeting with God and receipt of our Covenant, delivered to the Israelites with radiance. One of my first thoughts when reading through the portion was, “Where was Aaron?” As the appointed leader of the people in Moses’s absence, he does not seem to do much “leading,” as his flock commits the ultimate sin against the God that just redeemed them from Egypt. It appears that Aaron has thrown the Israelites under the bus, as he allows his flock to fail miserably. And yet, our sages continue to hold Aaron up as a great and exemplary leader; so I wondered…how so?

by Laurie Blinder

I originally joined the sisterhood at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, MI, as a way to feel comfortable in such a large congregation. Raised in Niagara Falls, NY, it seemed overwhelming at first to find a place for myself among the many members. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Ours is a congregation that is welcoming and open to all. It is constantly searching for new and innovative ideas for worship. Our leadership is constantly working to provide programming to engage it’s members and the greater community in educational activities and social justice issues.

Parashat T'tzaveh (“you shall instruct”) continues the description, begun in the previous portion, of the building and furnishing of the Tabernacle, called in Hebrew the Mishkan. It includes commandments to create a ner tamid, a constantly burning light, above the sanctuary ark and to appoint Aaron and his sons as the priests to manage the sacrifices offered in the sanctuary. Detailed instructions are given about clothing for Aaron: very specific clothing, to include an ephod, a breast piece, a robe, a fringed tunic, a headdress, and a sash. Additionally, Aaron’s ceremony of ordination as a priest is described, along with instructions for slaughtering of the offerings. The portion concludes with directions for building an altar for burning incense before the ark.

by Jane Taves This week’s parashah begins the detailed instructions for the building of the Mishkan, the portable tabernacle that the Israelite people carried with them through the desert. Early in the portion, we read God's familiar words, “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” These are words that resonate, words that we hear frequently, words that are carved above the entrance of the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest. While the rest of this parashah goes on to detail the form, the size, and the materials for constructing the Mishkan, these are the words that stay with me. On the surface, we might not see the parallel between ourselves and our ancestors, who carried their tabernacle with them from place to place. Our synagogues today tend to be stationary. And yet this speaks to me in a compelling way. As women of WRJ, communal Jewish leaders, how often have we created a holy space in a temporary location? Whenever we attend a WRJ District Convention, a WRJ Assembly, or a leadership training program, a meeting room that was ordinary the day before becomes a holy space because we are there. We bring certain furnishings with us, just as the Israelite people did to their Mishkan. We bring an ark of some fashion, we bring candle holders and Kiddush cups—some of the same items that are described in this parashah. But the generic meeting room becomes a holy space mostly because we bring a sacred community to it.

by Robin Sobol Rules! Rules! Rules! In last week’s Torah portion, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. This week, in Parashat Mishpatim, God legislates a series of laws for the people of Israel. There are 613 commandments in the Torah and this week’s portion contains 53 mitzvot: 23 imperative commandments and 30 prohibitions. What are these laws that God legislates? They include penalties for murder, kidnapping, assault, and theft; civil laws pertaining to redress of damages, the granting of loans; and the rules governing the conduct of justice by courts of law. There are also laws warning against mistreatment of foreigners; the observance of the seasonal festivals, including the agricultural gifts that are to be brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem; the prohibition against cooking meat with milk; and the mitzvah of prayer.

by Karen Goldberg The focus of this week's Torah portion, Yitro, is the revelation at Sinai: a defining moment in the foundation of the Jewish people. According to midrash, all of Israel was present at Mount Sinai when the Torah was given, and thousands of years later, the commandments given at Sinai still inform how we live today—teaching us to be moral and just in a world filled with immorality and violence, to be kind and compassionate while so many others are unkind and indifferent. We may ask, why was the Torah given to the Israelites at this particular point in time? And how do we as modern Reform Jews continue to stand ready to receive Torah as if we were at Sinai ourselves? How do we keep ourselves open to spiritual growth?

by Sherri Feuer B’shalach, Exodus 13:17-17:16, recounts the Israelite’s crossing of the Sea of Reeds, the culmination of their departure from Egypt. Once the Israelites cross the sea, their sojourn from Egypt is truly a reality. The Israelites rejoice in their new freedom. Miriam leads the women in the song. We celebrate the Israelite’s trek to freedom every Pesach. The story has drama, suspense and celebration—it’s a wonderful story to retell. We now know, however, that the crossing of the sea was not the end of the struggles for the Jewish people. The Israelites would endure food shortages and military threats before they ultimately reached the Promised Land.