Rabbi Avi Weinstein

Our spiritual leaders must always remember that the sanctity of human life should never supercede devotion to God.

The nature of Moses' communication with God was affected by his role as intermediary of the people.

Bezalel's wise-heartedness was his ability to merge the practical with the contemplative.

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.

The many interpretations of the tachash remind us to look beyond surface appearances for spiritual intensity.

Moses' challenge as a leader was to learn the difference between the Israelites' expressions of fear and rebellion.

The miraculous experience of the Exodus and redemption inspires us to seek the miraculous presence of God in our daily lives.

Moses was challenged with the task of trusting God despite adversity.

As Jacob descends to Egypt he calls on the God of Isaac to assure him that this decision is correct.

Sarah's death illustrates the flaw of attempting to impose perfect justice on an imperfect world.