Evergreen
Our Golden Calf: When Tzedakah Is Not Righteous
The incident of the Golden Calf challenges us to consider how we respond to tzedakah that comes from questionable sources.
On Matters Of The Heart
The image of Israelites, whose hearts moved them, donating gifts to the Tabernacle, inspires us to consider the meaning of having a heart that is moved.
Positive Communal Action
The collection of the half-shekel teaches us the importance of working together as a community.
Go Down, Moses!
The incident of the Golden Calf teaches each of us the importance of taking responsibility for our actions and inspires us to make our communities homes of sacredness.
The Idol Of Complacency
The prohibition against making an idol warns us not to fix our image of God, but rather to allow our conception of God to evolve.
Negotiating A Relationship With God
In constructing the Golden Calf, the Israelites attempted to create a mediated, safe relationship with an awesome and consuming God.
Tzedakah And Jewish Education
Our communal responsibility to ensure the immortality of the Jewish people depends on our commitment to supporting Jewish education.
The Role Of Ritual
In focusing on ritual laws, Parashat Terumah teaches us that by reliving heroic historic moments we can introduce the transcendent into our daily lives.
Moses’ Absence
Parashat Tetzaveh foreshadows the connection the Children of Israel will have with God after the death of Moses.
Aromatherapy: Jewish Style
The incense reminds us to unite our bodies and souls in our service of God and to imbue our lives with holiness, purity, compassion and hope.