Parshat Tzav and the burning Bush
Dedicated to my father’s Yartzite Parashat Tzav describes the ordination ceremony of Aharon and his sons to the office of priesthood, and their anointing with the anointing oil before their first appearance as priests before the people and the precise instructions they must observe regarding each type of sacrifice: “Olah”-ascendant, “Chatat”-sin, “Asham”-guilt, “Shleymim”- […]
Parshat Vaykrah: Why him and not me?
Parshat Vayikra Last week we finished reading the Book of Exodus. The last scene was: “And the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle [the portable sanctuary]” and “Moses was not allowed to go into the part of the Tabernacle known as the ‘Ohel Moed’, because the Holy Cloud dwelled within it”. […]
Parshot Vayakhel-Pekudei
Have you ever felt your heart rise up to your throat at the sight of a work of art? “ He has God in his throat” was my dad’s favorite phrase when he heard an opera singer or a particularly talented cantor. For me, it happens when I see Michael Baryshnikov dancing or […]
Parshat Ki Tisa
A surge of rage rose from his depths, went up with the intensity of a tsunami and completely overcame him. Like a blind man he threw from his hands the testimony written in the finger of God, the tablets of the covenant, and smashed them. Later, when he tried to recall what had […]
Parshat Tetsave
Who does not know the feeling that accompanies “dressing up” for an event (e.g., job interview, first date, concert, etc.), and how this external process of dressing affects the inner feeling and builds the special energy for the event? Parshat Tetzaveh deals with the details of the High Priest’s attire in great detail. […]
Parshat T’ruma: God is in love
I remember a story of O. Henry that I heard in my youth. A love story, about a young and poor couple. Approaching Valentine’s Day, or maybe it was their wedding day, they wanted so much to make each other happy. But they did not have the means to purchase expensive gifts. The […]
Parshat Mishpatim: a quilt of social stories
After the impressive audio-visual spectacle at the foot of Mount Sinai (the “wedding” between God and his people), and the receiving of the Ten Commandments (some say the “Ketubah”), after the people went through an ecstatic experience of seeing the voices, the time has come to “get down” to the ground floor of reality. […]
The differences between psychodrama and sociodrama
How is sociodrama different from psychodrama? What does a sociodrama deal with? A. Sociodrama is a group method in which participants act out agreed upon social situations spontaneously. It deals with the collective components of roles, as manifested in social situations. Sociodrama helps people express their thoughts and feelings, solve problems and clarify their values. […]
Parshat Yitro :The story of Zipporah
Exodus 18:2-5 The story of Zipporah Part A She couldn’t remember exactly when he spoke to her about separation. Maybe after the Nile turned into blood? But one day he turned to her and said: “Zipporah, it’s not going to work”. “While I love you,” he continued, “you are a beautiful, sexy and smart woman, […]
Parshat Beshalach: “To be …or not to be”
The sound of horses galloping grew louder. Were these his heartbeats? Or were they the hooves of Pharaoh’s chariot horses that pursued them? Cold sweat covered his body, and as he looked ahead and saw the Sea of Reeds as an open abyss before him — and he froze in place. His legs refused to […]