Kol Ramah

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Acharei Mot [Leviticus 16-18] consists of 3 chapters, each with its own theme: chapter 16 is devoted to Yom Kippur, with its emphasis on the purification of the sanctuary; chapter 17 treats proper forms of worship, to borrow a phrase from Baruch Levine’s JPS Commentary on Leviticus; and, chapter 18 deals primarily with the biblical incest taboo, which at its heart speaks to the definition of the family. With the end of Passover 5784 taking place yesterday, as I write, we enter a period of the Jewish calendar sometimes called the “yoms” [Hebrew for day], with the upcoming observances of Yom HaShoah [Commemoration of the Holocaust, Sunday night-Monday, May 5-6], Yom HaZikaron [Israel’s Memorial Day, Sunday night-Monday, May 12-13], Yom Ha-Atzma’ut [Israel’s Independence Day, Monday night-Tuesday, May 13-14], and Yom Y’rushalayim [marking the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty in the 6-Dat War [Tuesday night-Wednesday, June 4-5]. In our conversation this week we mostly talked about Yom HaShoah. How do we, should we commemorate the Holocaust? Is there, and should there be, a liturgy for its observance? What does it mean in this year of war in Israel and Gaza? Give a listen and let us know what you think either here, below, or at parshatalk@gmail.com. As the war nears the end of its 7th month, we are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. This Shabbat is Chol Ha-Mo’ed Pesach, the Shabbat which falls during the week of Pesach [Passover]. The Torah Reading is from Parashat Ki Tissa [Exodus 33:12–34:26], which includes the 13 attributes of God as well as one of the earliest festival calendars; it is also read on Shabbat Chol Ha-Mo’ed Sukkot. The haftarah is from Ezekiel, and is the famous vision of the valley of the dry bones [Ezekiel 37:1-14]. Looking ahead to the concluding days of the holiday, the Torah Reading on the 7th day of Pesach [April 27] features Shirat Ha-Yam, the Song of the Sea [Exodus 15:1-19]. It is also customary to read The Song of Songs this Shabbat. Given the turbulence of recent times, our focus was on hope. Are there texts that are part of our liturgical calendar this week, and especially this Shabbat, which point to it? How do we understand the core texts such as the crossing of the Sea; do we see it as the end of a journey or the beginning of one? How do we see the crossing itself, from the point of view of an average Israelite? Does the allegorization of Song of Songs have anything to teach us about hope in the modern world? These are some of the questions we entertain. Let us know what you think of our answers either below or at parshatalk@gmail.com. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. It is traditional to say during these intermediate days מועדים לשמחה, may it be a season of happiness, to which one responds, חגים וזמנים לששון, may these holidays and seasons be for joy. May it be so for all who have loved ones, here and in the Middle East, and throughout the world.

Parashat M’tzora [Leviticus 14-15] coincides with Shabbat Ha-Gadol, the Shabbat before Pesach which features a special haftarah [Malachi 3:4-24], but no special maftir [additional Torah reading]. The subject matter of Metzora is a continuation of the skin disease taken up in last week’s Torah reading [in particular Leviticus 13], which can also afflict a house, as well as various discharges which might happen to men and women, and their treatment. Although acknowledged as another amazing parashah, we focused our conversation on the upcoming Passover holiday, and in particular passages in the haggadah we find especially relevant in these days of war. Perhaps you will find some of what we say useful at your seder. Please let us know! Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Tazria [Leviticus 12-13] flies solo this year because it is a leap year in the Jewish calendar. Most years it is paired with Metzora [Leviticus 14-15], which will be the Torah Reading next week. The double portion is preferred by most people because it is not so easy to derive personal and spiritual meaning from a text devoted to childbirth and skin afflictions. The rabbis themselves identify the sin of lashon ha-ra [often translated as slander] as the responsible agent for the disease, which can be fruitful for discussion and derivation of meaning. We did the best we could with some of the features that captured our fancy, but also spent a good chunk of time on a consideration of some texts from the Haggadah as preparation for Passover. Please let us know what you think, either below or at parshatalk@gmail.com. With the war now in its seventh month, we are ever mindful of the hostages, may they be restored to their families speedily, and the soldiers in the IDF, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha alk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Sh’mini [Leviticus 9-11] coincides this year with Parashat Ha-chodesh [maftir: Exodus 12:1-20; haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18]. This is the last of the four special shabbatot before Pesach, which is now officially just over the horizon. Ha-chodesh is the first commandment given to the Israelite people, understood to mark Nisan as the first of the months; it takes place on the Shabbat before or coinciding with Rosh Chodesh Nisan, so that we are finally, or too soon, depending on your cleaning schedule, about to enter the month in which Passover is celebrated. For those of you keeping score at home, the first seder is Monday evening, April 22. The text from Leviticus, which is the weekly Torah reading, concludes the inauguration of the Tabernacle and priesthood with the tragedy of Nadav and Avihu, which was the focus for most of our conversation. Near the end, we took up Ha-chodesh and the upcoming Passover holiday, which we are likely to return to in the next week or two given the subject matter of the next two parashiyot! Give a listen, and let us know what you think!! As the war enters its six month, we are ever mindful of the hostages, may they be restored to their families speedily, and the soldiers in the IDF, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Tzav [Leviticus 6:1-8:36] coincides with Parashat Parah [maftir: Numbers 19:1-22; haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-38], the third of the four special shabbatot before Passover. Tzav presents the priestly view of the sacrifices which were covered in last week’s parashah from the Israelite’s point of view. Our conversation touched upon a writing feature found in the second verse, the word moq’dah beginning with a small mem [equivalent to English m]. From there our conversation caught fire as it were! We hope you enjoy it! Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yiqra [Leviticus 1:1–5:26] coincides this year with Shabbat Zakhor [maftir, Deuteronomy 25:17-19; haftarah 1 Samuel 15:2–34] in anticipation of the holiday of Purim, which begins Saturday night, upon the conclusion of Shabbat. Parashat Va-yiqra, the opening parashat of Sefer Va-yiqra [Book of Leviticus], introduces the principal sacrifices of the Israelite Temple cult. We ourselves made a sacrifice this week, by devoting our conversation to the Book of Esther, read as part of the Purim observance on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Many have noted that the story of Esther reads very differently this year, given the particular course of Jewish and Israeli history since the war began on October 7th. Our heartfelt wishes for a freiliche Purim [a joyous Purim], perhaps more important this year in a world where Israel is at war and hostages continue to be held captive. Sometimes we have to take what the calendar gives us, and make of it what we will. In that spirit, חג פורים שמח! [Hag Purim Same’ah, Happy Purim]! Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. With the reading of parashat P’qudai [Exodus 38:21–40:38] we conclude the reading of the Book of Exodus. We have already seen most of this material in parashat T’tzavveh three weeks ago. Our conversation focused on the last several verses [40:34–38], comprising the maftir aliyah. We discussed what the verses themselves mean as well as the arc of the Book of Exodus itself. We hope you enjoy it! It is customary to say חזק חזק ונתחזק [hazzaq, hazzaq, v-nit’hazzeq, let us be strong, let us be strong, let us be strengthened] upon the conclusion of each of the five books of the Torah. May we continue to find strength in Torah, and Torah study, as we navigate these difficult days. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yaqhel [Exodus 35:1-38:20] coincides with Shabbat Sheqalim [special maftir (Exosdus 30:11-16) and haftarah (I Kings 12:1-17)], the first of the four special shabbatot preceding Passover. Whereas the previous three parashiyot concern the plans for the mishkan [tabernacle], Va-yaqhel and P’qudai [next week] concern themselves with the execution. There seems to be a lot of repetition. Our conversation focused primarily on the opening passaged, the intriguing opening word, va-yaqkel [and he (Moshe) gathered], the specification of kol edah [the entire congregation], and the connection of the mishkan with Shabbat. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Ki Tissa [Exodus 30:11-34:35] features the episode of the Golden Calf, one of the great sins of the Exodus generation. In the rabbinic imagination, it is paired with the sin of the spies, bracketing the 3-week period of mourning introduced by the 17th of Tammuz and culminating with the 9th of Av. The sin itself is not so easy to understand, in part because of the curious use of the word Elohim, here used to refer to pagan gods, with the plural verb; when Elohim refers to God, the verb is always in the singular. The sin sets in motion a number of events, including the removal of the Tent of Meeting to outside the camp and God’s revelation in private to Moses. The passage, including chapter 34, is so rich, we hardly had time to take note of the opening passage which we will read again as the maftir for Shabbat Sheqalim, the first of the 4 special shabbatot preceding Passover, next week. or the other details concerning the Tabernacle. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat T’tzavveh [Exodus 27:20-30:10] deals mostly with the priestly vestments and the installation of the priests. It raises the question: do the clothes make the person or the person make the clothes? In our conversation we attempt to address this question, though you may find we skirt it more than you like and barely touch other aspects which you might think require more attention. Such is the style of our conversation this week! Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk - with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat T’rumah [Exodus 25:1-27:18] is the first of three successive parashiyot which take up the plans for building the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Given the details I think it fair to say that the content is an acquired taste and not everyone gets that far! There is the well-known verse [25:8] וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them”. In the JPS Torah Commentary on Exodus, Nahum Sarna draws attention to the unusual locution which suggests that the purpose of the sanctuary is to enable God to dwell among the people. In our conversation, we talk about this verse, and more generally about how we construct holy space and holy time, and how these bear on our religious experience. We hope you enjoy it! Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk - with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Mishpatim [Exodus 21–24] is the sixth parashah of Sefer Sh’mot. It is made up almost entirely of what Biblical scholars call the Covenant Code, the exact parameters of which scholars disagree. Suffice it to say, after the drama of the Revelation at Mount Sinai comes a litany of laws. What exactly is the relationship between the two? We discuss Rashi’s comment as well as offer our own interpretations of the exact connection between what one might call the poetry of revelation with the prose of legislation. Give a listen and let us know what you think is here, below, or at parshatalk@gmail.com. As the war is about to enter its fifth month, we are about to begin our 5th year of Parashah Talk. May the study of Torah sustain us during these difficult times. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Yitro [Exodus 18–20] is the fifth parashah in the Book of Exodus. It features the 10 commandments which was the topic of most of our conversation. How does the Sh’ma compare with the Ten Commandments? What meaning might these commandments have for us today? How do we evaluate them as a text? These are some of the questions we discuss. We’ll leave for another time chapters 18 [the arrival of Yitro and the establishment of the judiciary] and 19, the description of the event of revelation. There is always next year! Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat B’shallach [Exodus 13:17–17:16], the fourth parashah in Sefer Sh’mot [the Book of Exodus] features the Song of the Sea [Exodus 15:1–19], which has become part of the morning prayer service. In introducing the show, Eliot framed our discussion as Anatomy of a Scene. We examined the four main figures [God, Moshe, Pharaoh, B’nai Yisrael], seeking to understand their motivations, evaluating their words and actions. This is a rather different approach for us, so we want to know how you liked it! Feel free to leave comments below, or write us at parshatalk@gmail.com. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Bo [Exodus 10:1–13:16] is the third parashah in Sefer Sh’mot [Book of Exodus]. It relates the last 3 plagues, describes the original Passover celebrated in Egypt and prescribes what should happen in subsequent generations, and concludes with the first 16 verses of chapter 13, which comprise the third and fourth passages in the tefillin, the ritual objects worn during the daily worship service by those who consider themselves so obligated. Chapter 12 in particular, at 51 verses one of the longest in the Torah, is particularly rich, and is one of my favorites. We will meet it later as the maftir [additional reading] on Shabbat Ha-Hodesh, the fourth of the four special parashiyot preceding Passover and the Torah reading for the first day of Passover. In our conversation we took up the enigmatic verse in which Pharaoh apparently asks Moshe and Aaron to bless him on their way out of Egypt [12:32] and considered whether or not Pharaoh shows any humanity. We considered the power of narrative [or, storytelling], and its connection to redemption. And we concluded with a few thoughts on the meaning of ritual. We hope you enjoy it! Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-era [Exodus 6:2–9:35] is the 2nd parashah of Exodus. Unlike many of the parashiyot, it takes its name from the first word of the 2nd sentence, in which God declares that He appeared to the patriarchs as El-Shaddai, but did not make known to them the 4-letter name, YHVH. In modern critical scholarship this verse looms large, but alas, that is the subject of another conversation. We focused our attention on the phrase sh’lakh et ammi v’-ya’avduni, a trope in this chapter in its manifold iterations. It translates as “send forth My people, they might worship Me”. We spent most of our conversation trying to unpack this enigmatic phrase. Near the end we took up Moses’ description of himself as aral-s’fata’im, of uncircumcised lips. What did Moses intend to say about himself in describing himself so? There is much we did not get to, including the 7 plagues and the verses of redemption [6:6–8], which are the foundation of the 4 cups of wine at the Pesach Seder. We hope you enjoy what we did talk about! Please let us know, here on Facebook or at parshatalk@gmail.com Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Shemot [Exodus 1:1–6:1] opens the Book of Exodus [Shemot in Hebrew]. It summarizes the end of Genesis in a few verses wherein בני ישראל [b’nai Yisrael] the biological children of the patriarch Jacob who had been renamed Israel, becomes עם בני ישראל [am b’nai yisrael], the mighty nation of Israelites. Very quickly, the anxious ending of Genesis gives way to Pharaoh’s plan to oppress the people with hard work in order to suppress their population growth, instructions to the midwives to murder infant boys in the guise of stillbirth, culminating with genocide by having all Israelite boys thrown into the Nile. We then meet Moses, who will, in turn, meet God, the God of the ancestors, and who instructs him to liberate the Israelities from bondage. Moses is a reluctant leader, claiming to be of heavy mouth and tongue; God appoints Aaron to be his mouthpiece. There first venture into diplomacy ends with abject failure, for Pharaoh only increases the burden on the Israelites. The parashah ends with God telling Moses that now he will see what God will do to Pharaoh. So there is a moment of uplift at the end. So much for the story line. In our conversation we set the scene for the opening of the book, and among other things, discussed the character of Moses as revealed in the 3 events narrated in chapter two, where he slays an Egyptian, intervenes in a dispute between 2 Israelites, and rescues Midianite shepherdesses, leading to his marriage to one of them. What actually is the identity of Moses? We hope you enjoy it! Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yehi [Genesis 47:28–50:26] is the twelfth and final parashah of Genesis. We address the overall theme/direction of the book, and how it fits into the Torah. We also discuss the burial of Jacob: why does he insist on being buried in the ancestral grave? As always [we hope] the conversation is spirited, and we hope you enjoy it! As daylight increases now that we have passed the winter solstice, may light again increase in the world as well. Again this week, our thoughts and prayers are with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, the soldiers fighting in defense of Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way, and all those affected by this war, both near and far. May the One Who brings peace in the heavens, bestow it upon us on earth as well. Shabbat Shalom

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yigash [Genesis 44:18–47:27] is the penultimate parashah of the Book of Genesis. It opens with Judah’s plea to Joseph to take him as captive instead of Benjamin. The events unfold quickly which lead to the reconciliation of the brothers, the descent of Jacob and his family into Egypt, a genealogy [interesting enough on its own, but which we leave for another time], the reunion of Jacob and Joseph, the meeting between Jacob and Pharaoh, and concluding with what Nahum Saran in his JPS Commentary, calls “Joseph’s Agrarian Policies”. We focused on what seems to us a few of the key verses of the parashah. As becomes abundantly clear, biblical stories are never quite how they appear to us even the last time we encountered them. We hope you enjoy our conversation! Again this week, our thoughts and prayers are with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, the soldiers fighting in defense of Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way, and all those affected by this war, both near and far. May the One Who brings peace in the heavens, bestow it upon us on earth as well. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barrry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. According to Eliot, Parashat Mikketz [Genesis 41:1–44:17] is the second-most amazing parashah in the entire Torah, coming a week after his Bar Mitzvah parashah. This parashah is the heart of the Joseph story: Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams and subsequent elevation to second-in-command to Pharaoh, and the scenes with his brothers who have come to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph, as is well-known, tests his brothers, to see if they have changed. Our conversation focused almost exclusively on Joseph’s character. Has Joseph changed since that fateful day he was sold into slavery? The Hebrew of one of the verses makes the illuminating connection between recognition and strangeness, and estrangement, all with the same three letter root: nun, kaf, resh. We hope you enjoy it! As always, our thoughts and prayers are with the hostages, may they be restored to their families speedily, and with the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. As Hanukkah draws to a close, may the lights we kindle continue to burn ever more brightly long after the conclusion of the holiday. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk Vayeshev, with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chasler and jeremy Kalmanofsky. Hanukkah edition.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yishlah [Genesis 32:4–36:43] features, among other things, Jacob’s wrestling match with an angel, the meeting with Esau after a twenty-year absence, the disconcerting story of Dinah, the genealogy of Esau, and a list of kings of Edom. We spent a fair amount of time on the story of Dinah, discussing it in a way that is unlike any previous conversations we have had on this story, at least if memory serves correctly! Comments and criticisms are welcome below or at parshatalk@gmail.com. As always our thoughts are with Israel, both עם [am, people] and מדינה [m’dinah, political entity or state]. May those held hostage be returned to their families, may the soldiers defending Israel be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yetze [Genesis 28:10–32:3] is a personal favorite, in that it is my Bar Mitzvah portion. Coincidentally [or not] it is the Bat Mitzvah portion of my wife, Carol. And, my Hebrew name is יעקב [ya’aqov, Jacob], who is the main character. The parashah begins with Jacob heading northeast, to the land of his uncle Lavan, as he flees from his brother Esau. The parashah ends with Jacob on his way back to Canaan, with two wives and two handmaidens s, in tow, with 12 children [11 boys and a girl], and much flocks, preparing to meet his brother after 20 years.. The parashah begins with a divine encounter, the angels going up and down the ladder, and ends with one, after Jacob concludes his treaty with Lavan. This parashah seems particularly rich, though we say that almost every week. We confine our conversation to the scene at the well, and how that shapes our understanding of the characters involved and the events that subsequently unfold. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, the soldiers who defend Israel, and the people Israel [both of the מדינה (m’dinah, state) and of the עם [am, nation or people we call Jews). May all who are separated from their families and homes be returned to them speedily and in peace. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Toldot [Genesis 25:19–28:9] is the sixth of the weekly parashiyot in the Book of Genesis. The toldot, or generations, from which the parashah takes its name, belong to Isaac. Eilleh toldot yitzhaq ben avraham, avraham holid et yitzhaq: this is the story of Isaac, son of Abraham; Abraham begot Isaac. After a couple stories about Isaac, one of which concerns the birth of Jacob and Esau, the narrative frame shifts to Jacob and Esau. Part of our conversation is devoted to an evaluation of Isaac as patriarch. Does he have what it takes? We began outside the box, so to speak, taking note of the passing of three teachers at the Seminary when we were students: Dr. Sam Klagsbrun, Dr. Israel Francus, and Dr. Avraham Holtz. We shared some memories of each of them. We also reflected on the Rally for Israel on Tuesday. Each of us went, but we did not manage to see each other. Apparently it is not so easy to find people in a crowd of nearly 300,000 with spotty cell service! Finally, we got to the parashah! We hope you enjoy the conversation. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Hayyai Sarah [23:1–25:18] is the fifth of the weekly parashiyot in Sefer B’reshit [the Book of Genesis]. It begins with the death notice of Sarah, and continues with the first acquisition of land by Avraham in Canaan. This is the basis of the subsequent Jewish claim to the Land. Canaan is the place where Avraham the Hebrew buried his dead. In fact, this burial is the first mention of burial in the Torah. Heretofore, the death notice was simply a death notice, often accompanied with a note on the years the deceased lived. But now, we find Avraham engaging in negotiations to acquire land to bury his dead. A piece of the land now belongs to him, and to his descendants. The story continues with Avraham now seeking to find a wife for his son Isaac. He sends his servant back east, to the ancestral homeland, to see if he might find a woman willing to come to Canaan. That woman is Rebecca, who we have had occasion to refer to as the Patriarch, so to speak, of the second generation. The parashah continues with the marriage of Avraham to K’turah [later to become the name of a kibbutz in the Negev], and the birth of six subsequent sons. The parashah ends with the death of Avraham, his burial at the Cave of Machpelah attended by both Isaac and Ishmael, and a genealogical line of Ishmael. In these difficult times we turn to Torah not only for learning and wisdom, but also for comfort. Jeremy spent several days in Israel as part of a mission under the auspices of the Masorti Movement, and he shared his impression of Israel a month after October 7th. We focused our discussion on נחמה [n’hamah, comfort] and ברכה [b’rakhah, blessing]. It has been said that it is not easy to be a Jew, and these days have made that clear yet again. We turn to the Torah, our people’s quest for the eternal, in the hope that in some way the eternal might conquer the temporary, that in the image of Psalm 126, what we sow in tears we might yet reap in joy. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yera [Genesis 18-22] is the 4th weekly parashah in the Book of Genesis. It primarily consists of a series of events in the life of Abraham: the visitation of the angels/messengers of God with the news that Sarah will give birth to a son, Avraham’s discussion with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, a second iteration of the wife-sister story, this time featuring Avimelekh instead of Pharaoh, and the binding of Isaac. There are also stories about the fate of Lot and his family who had been living in Sodom and Gomorrah, and the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, a story to which Avraham is only tangentially connected. Any one of these is worthy of an extended discussion; we chose to focus on the discussion between God and Avraham over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, going verse by verse until we ran out of time. The story resonates with the political situation today; while we do not necessarily look to the Torah for the solutions to today’s problems, we do use it to help us frame our discussion of modern issues. Please let us know what you think either here or at parshatalk@gmail.com. With continued prayers that all hostages are returned to their families and that soldiers are removed from harms’ way. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk - with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Lekh L’kha [Genesis 12:1–17:27] is the third parashah in the Book of Genesis. It opens with God’s dramatic call to Avram, instructing him to leave “his land, his birthplace, his father’s house, to go to the land that I [God] will show you”. Because this is the opening verse of the new parashah, it is easy to forget that Avram has already left his land and his birthplace with his father Terah, his nephew Lot, and his wife Sarai for the land of Canaan, making it as far as Haran, just two verses ago. This call to Avram is the beginning of Jewish peoplehood [if we allow for anachronism]. What distinguishes the journey in chapter 12 from the one at the end of chapter 11 is the voice of God. Avram not only hears the voice of God, he follows it. He allows God to lead him. What follows in the parashah are a number of events both in and out of the land, events of moral complexity which lead Avram to Egypt, to a war in the neighborhood, a separation from his nephew Lot, and a covenant with the promise of an heir for the renamed Avraham and his heretofore barren wife. With such a rich parashah, we could not get to everything, but we did talk for quite a while! We hope you enjoy it. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Noah [Genesis 6:10–11:32] is the second parashah in the Book of Genesis. The main story in the parashah is the flood that God brings in order to destroy God’s creation, to begin again with Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives. Our tone was more somber than usual, in the wake of the news in Israel since Sh’mini Atzeret/Simhat Torah. We call the Torah a tree of life to those who hold fast to it; when the events of the day threaten to restore the pre-Creation chaos, the tohu va-vohu of Genesis 1:2, we cling to what we can. For us as Jews, it is Torah, and for the three of us, it is our weekly conversation about the parashah. Our thoughts and prayers are with Israel: the Land, the State, the People. We say Shabbat Shalom about time; in the qaddish we express our wish for peace about space: עושה שלום במרומיו הוא יעשה שלום עלינו ועל כל ישראל ועל כל יושבי תבל – May God who makes peace from God’s heights, grant peace to us, to all Israel, and to all who dwell on earth. Amen.

Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. We start our annual Torah Reading again this week with the first parashah, B’reshit [Genesis 1:1-6:8]. Because of scheduling issues, we recorded this last week, before the war in Israel broke out. Our prayers and thoughts are with Israel: the land, the state, and the people. May comfort come to those who mourn, may loved ones, soldiers and civilians, be restored to their families. May the words of Torah provide a measure of comfort and healing in dark times. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Because Sh’mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah fall on Shabbat and Sunday, we have another special edition of Parashah Talk. The parashah for this Shabbat is Deuteronomy 14:22–16:17, from parashat Re’eh, which is also read on the last day of Passover and second day of Shavuot. It is Deuteronomy’s festival calendar. Ironically, this calendar does not mention Sh’mini Atzeret. Our conversation took up in turn, the holidays of Hoshanah Rabbah [Friday, October 6], Shmini Atzeret [Shabbat, October 7], and Simchat Torah [October 8]. Next week we return to the regular weekly parashah, as we start the Torah reading cycle over, with Bereshit [Genesis 1:1–6:8]. At this time of year, with the conclusion of the long holiday season in sight, I am reminded of President Ford’s comment when he assumed office in August, 1974: Our long national nightmare is over. Regularity and routine never looked so good! Shabbat Shalom & Chag Same’ach!!

Parsha Talk - with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. The parashah this week is a special Torah Reading for Sukkot. This may be familiar to those who remember the Torah reading from the second day of Passover, 6 months ago, and it will be repeated again on Sunday in communities observing two days of yom tov [holiday]. The Torah reading comprises the sacred calendar of Leviticus. Of special note is verse 23:40, from which the rabbis derive the commandment to gather the four species [etrog (citron), palm branch, myrtle, and willow] and 23:43, which gives the reason for building the sukkah, the temporary dwelling in which one lives during the holiday of sukkot. Our conversation focused primarily on the meaning of the holiday itself, and the symbolism of the sukkah. In hoping you enjoy it we are only underscoring a special commandment associated with Sukkot, v-samachta b-chagekha [Deuteronomy 16:14], to rejoice in the holiday. Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sa’me’ach!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. When either Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, this week’s parashah, Ha’azinu [Deuteronomy 32] is also Shabbat Shuvah, with a special haftarah [Hosea 14:2-10, Joel 2:15-27, according to the Ashkenazic tradition recorded in the Etz Hayim]. Though the Shabbat takes its name from the first word in the Hosea text [as Shabbat Hazon, the Shabbat before Tisha B’Av, takes its name from the first word of its haftarah, Isaiah 1:1-27, and Shabbat Nahamu, the Shabbat following Tisha B’av, takes its name from the first word of its haftarah, Isaiah 40:1-26 , the Shabbat is sometimes called Shabbat T’shuvah, the Sabbath of Repentance, after the season. Our conversation this week also took its cue from the season, and we devoted it entirely to a discussion of Yom Kippur, observed Sunday evening and Monday, September 24-25. Wishing everyone a Shabbat Shalom and a meaningful fast!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. It is the week before Rosh Hashanah [which begins this Friday evening, September 15, 2023], so the weekly parashah is replaced by the special Torah readings for the holiday: on Saturday, Shabbat, we read Genesis 21; on Sunday, we read chapter 22. Rather than speak directly about the Torah reading this week, we spoke instead on the emotional highlights for us of Rosh Hashanah, and in particular, the prayers or texts that speak to us most directly. Unlike the other holidays, where we might prepare the house by removing hametz [leavened products] or prepare a temporary dwelling such as the sukkah [and even on Shavuot, we prepare cheesecake!], on the High Holidays we have the idea that we have to prepare ourselves. We hope our conversation helps you get ready in a meaningful way. לשנה טובה תכתבו ותחתמו! [L-shanah tovah tikatevu v-te’chatemu]. May you and yours be inscribed and sealed for a good year!!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. This week’s double parashah Nitzavim/Va-yelekh [Deut. 29:9–31:30] is relatively short yet contains memorable lines and ideas that have had a kind of an afterlife well beyond the Torah. The phrase lo bashamayim hee [Deut. 30:12], “it is not in heaven” figures prominently in one of the great talmudic stories, The Oven of Akhnai [b. Bava Metzia 59ab], and the command to choose life [u-vaharta ba-hayyim] is often cited in discussions governing moral choice. As the book of Deuteronomy winds to a close in the synagogue reading, the figure of Moses looms larger and larger, as does the seeming inability of the author, whoever that may be, to appropriately close the book. Deuteronomy seems to have a number of different endings, and we have yet to get to the concluding parashah. Thankfully, perhaps, our conversation did have an end. We hope you enjoy it! Shabbat Shalom!!

Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky present Parsha Talk. Parashat Ki Tavo [Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8] contains a lengthy section [Deut. 28] known as the תוכחה [tokhehah, or “rebuke”], which parallels the similar text found near the end of Leviticus [ ch. 26]. Before we got to it, we spent quite a lot of time discussing the passage about the first-fruits ritual [Deut. 26:1–11], and in particular the declaration made by the farmer [vv. 5–10]. Along the way we discussed the upcoming High Holidays and still had time to touch upon the beautiful haftarah [Isaiah 60:1–22]. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Ki Tetze [Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19] is, to use one of Eliot’s favorite phrases, mitzvah-dense, with 74 of the 613 commandments according to Sefer ha-Hinukh, a medieval compilation and explanation of the laws of the Torah. With so much to choose from, we used a somewhat random method, rolling dice to determine a chapter and verse for our discussion. Please let us know if you like this approach. We certainly had fun! Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Shoftim [Deuteronomy 16:8–21:9], as described by Jeffrey Tigay in his JPS Torah Commentary on Deuteronomy, “deals with the responsibilities of public officials, . . . It introduces four main types of human authorities: judges, kings, priests, and prophets . . .” It is thus a political document, outlining the rules intended to check the powers of those in authority. It reminds us, in a way, of the US Constitution, predicated on an intricate web of checks and balances so that no one person or group may exercise ultimate, unchecked authority. As is often the case, it is particularly relevant in this summer of 2023, given the unfolding events both here in the US and in Israel. We hope you enjoy our conversation. Shabbat Shalom!

Fantastic soundtrack of "Alladin". A bogrim production. Take a listen to our live soundtrack recorded in Bet Am Bet by Radio Kol Ramah staff Omer and Ben. Yasher Coach Bogrim!

Sophia , Rebecca , Hannah , Talia , Jolie and Gaby talk on Radio Kol Ramah about their best and favourite moments of Kayitz 23

In our first episode of The Camp Ramah in The Berkshires Summer 2023 Walking Tour, our host Zoe (Shorashim) takes us to the Agam -the lake- to learn all about what happens at camp. She gets to sit down with Rosh Agam Robbie Kroll, who shares a little bit about what he does at camp, his deep connection to the waterfront and some of his favorite things about the lake. This Kol Ramah podcast series was hosted by Zoe (Shorashim) and Jayden (Tikva). The Kol Ramah podcast team includes Mitch Mernick, Omer Patito, Ben Conway, and Darone Ruskay. The music for this podcast was recorded live at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky. You can listen to Kol Ramah anytime by visiting KolRamah.us

In our second episode of The Camp Ramah in The Berkshires Summer 2023 Walking Tour, our host Zoe (Shorashim) takes us on a long walk around camp on the way to the Ulam. We discuss things that she loves to do at camp, new Hebrew words that she has learned, the experience of having her have her sister join her as part of the Taam program, and that’s all before we get to the Ulam itself. Once there, we learn about the dance studios, the Ninja course, and all of the fun that happens at the Ulam. Zoe also gets to chat with dance instructors as they prepare for the Rekudia. This Kol Ramah podcast series was hosted by Zoe (Shorashim) and Jayden (Tikva). The Kol Ramah podcast team includes Mitch Mernick, Omer Patito, Ben Conway, and Darone Ruskay. The music for this podcast was recorded live at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky. You can listen to Kol Ramah anytime by visiting KolRamah.us

In this episode of The Camp Ramah in The Berkshires Summer 2023 Walking Tour, our host Jayden (Tikva) and his counselor Rachel takes a walk around camp to go to Animal Care. Along the way he interviews campers, and counselors and specialist as he talks about all the things he likes about camp and sees on his way. Jayden then sits down to talk to his counselor Rachel Kimball. This Kol Ramah podcast series was hosted by Jayden (Tikva) and Zoe (Shorashim). The Kol Ramah podcast team includes Mitch Mernick, Omer Patito, Ben Conway, and Darone Ruskay. The music for this podcast was recorded live at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky. You can listen to Kol Ramah anytime by visiting KolRamah.us

In our final episode of The Camp Ramah in The Berkshires Summer 2023 Walking Tour, our host Zoe (Shorashim) takes us on short walk from the chadar ochel to where we have worked all week to create this podcast series. Zoe talks about what she sees in the studio, and then sits down to talk to the rest of the Kol Ramah podcast team, Omer, Ben and Darone. This Kol Ramah podcast series was hosted by Zoe (Shorashim) and Jayden (Tikva). The Kol Ramah podcast team includes Mitch Mernick, Omer Patito, Ben Conway, and Darone Ruskay. The music for this podcast was recorded live at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky. You can listen to Kol Ramah anytime by visiting KolRamah.us

Parsha Talk, with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Re’eh [Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17] is a family favorite because it was the parashah for both my daughters’ synagogue Bat Mitzvahs [albeit 11 years apart; they each also celebrated a camp Bat Mitzvah the year before]. Re’eh, like every other amazing parashah, is chock full of good conversation material. There is the opening scene, setting before the people a blessing and a curse, the beginning of the Deuteornomic core of laws, which goes through 26:15, including the discussion of the false prophet, the dietary laws, the sabbatical year, and the holidays, among other things. I am always surprised that the half hour passes so quickly when so much is left unsaid. But there is always next year! Shabbat Shalom!!

Leora, Aliza & Zoe made a great audio play of the famous book&movie Alice In Wonderland - Listen To it!

Dr. Alison Joseph of chinuch worked in small groups with Solellim and Bogrim. Reading Parashat Ekev they worked all week reading the parsha. Chanichim chose points or questions they thought interesting to explore and developed different segments for the podcast.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Eqev [Deuteronomy 7:12–11:26] is perhaps best known for the 2nd paragraph of the Shema [Deuteronomy 11:13-21], but it also contains the scriptural basis for the Grace after Meals, the verse that is quoted in the second of the four blessings in that prayer [8:10], and two verses before that, the list of the 7 species by which the Land of Israel is known. This week, each of us chose a verse or verses to explicate, and to which the others responded. We hope you like the format. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, BArry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. The shabbat when we read Parashat Va-etchanan [Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11] is known as Shabbat Nachamu, after the opening words of the special haftarah [prophetic portion, this week Isaiah 40:1–26] recited on the shabbat after Tisha B’Av [this year observed Wednesday night/Thursday, July 26–27]. Each haftarah for the 7 shabbatot following Tisha B’Av comes from the last 27 chapters of Isaiah, the section known to most biblical scholars as Second Isaiah, a 6th century B.C.E. prophet, which is distinguished from First Isaiah, an 8th century B.C.E. prophet whose prophecies appear in the first 39 chapters of the Book Isaiah. These haftarot of consolation will provide material for our conversation in the coming weeks. The Torah reading itself is one of the great highlights reels of the weekly Torah reading, containing the 2nd version of the 10 Commandments, the first paragraph of the Sh’ma, and a number of verses which have become part of the liturgy for prayer services during the week and on shabbat and holidays. So, there is a lot to talk about, though, as seems inevitable for us lately, we keep coming back to Moshe and his not being allowed to enter the Land of Israel. Listen to the end for a special bonus - 2009 Makhela rendition of Nachamu! Shabbat Shalom!

Tamar , Rafi , Joey , Libby , Sarah talk about their favourite moments from first session , what they got up to during intersession and what they are excited for in second session

Recorded live at Bet Am Bet by Radio Kol Ramah.

Great day to welcome Rabbis Eliot Maloment, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky for Parsha Talk; recorfded live in the Bamat at Ramah Berkshires - where Parsha Talk was born!

Solellim hatzagah Seussical, 2023. Soudtrack recorded live at Bet Am Bet

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. This week we conclude the Book of Numbers with a double portion, Mattot-Massei [Numbers 30:2-36:13], the longest portion of the year. As individual portions they fall somewhere in the middle of the number of verses in Numbers, but together they exceed them all. The parashah begins with a discussion of vows, in particular those made by a woman who is either in the domain of her father or of her husband. This is followed by what might be termed the Midianite Massacre, which we tried to avoid in our conversation but to which we somehow came back; the separation of the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe; the list of journeys which led the Israelites out of Egypt to their final resting place [the plains of Moab] before entering the Promised Land; andthe division of the land, including the boundaries of the Promised Land, the apportionment, , the Levitical cities, and the laws governing the unintentional manslayer. As with the Book of Leviticus, the ending of Numbers does not follow organically from what came before, but appears to be more of an appendix to the book, as it reprises the laws of inheritance concerning a situation where a man left only daughters as heirs. Whereas in chapter 27, the daughters were able to claim the ancestral land as their inheritance, here in chapter 36, in response to the argument of the other tribe members, the daughters must marry within the tribe in order to maintain the tribal allotment. So the daughters may not be disenfranchised, so to speak, but neither may the tribe. And with that we say חזק חזק ונתחזק [chazak, chazak, ve-nitchazzek, be strong, be strong, and we shall be strengthened], the words we say when we conclude the reading of a book of the Torah in the synagogue. We hope to be back at Camp Ramah for next week’s Parashah Talk. Shabbat Shalom!

The Shorashim Campers create an interesting podcast talking about their favorite foods at camp and also about animals and in particular their pets. Judah , Oliver , Ella , Jackie , Noam , Leah , Cooper

The Shorashim Camper have a heated discussion about pop music and Rap music as well as a sing along to some of their favorite artists Cooper , Oliver , Judah , Noemi , Noam , Jackie , Ella

The wonderful banot of tzrif A1 join Mitch in the studio and talk about the high ropes, agam, cantene, their ideal day at camp and much more. (Hint: listen to the podcast and see if Mitch goes on the high ropes!)

We welcome the Chaverim campers to radio and let them express their thoughts of the rainy day - Yom Geshem

Machon Beauty and the Beast - Recorded live at Bet Am Bet July 5.

The Shorashim Campers talk about the beauty of the rain in song. Noam , Ella , Cooper , Jacqueline , Neomi , Oliver

Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky bring us Parsha Talk - broadcast directly from Ramah Berkshires in Wingdale!

Shorashim Show 07.04.23 by Camp Ramah in the Berkshires

Hofa'a bassist, 5th year Cantorial student and Ramah historian, Max Silverstone discusses his studies in Israel and recently uncoverred history of Ramah Nyack and Berkshires.

Live recording of Ramah Berkshires concert last night in the Ulam. Featuring the Ramah Berkshires Hofa'a band! Piano – Adam Siegel, Bass – Max Silverstone, Guitar – Jeff Weisz, Drums – Rayaz Khan, Vocals – Lexi Wenger, Landon Braverman. Special Guest Singers – Leilah Rosen, Helene Weintraub, Odeya Buzaglo Harris Cohen – Engineer Musical Direction by Landon Braverman

Listen to the wonderful kids of Tzeirim interviewing the people at the farm of Camp Ramah!

Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky - broadcasted directly from our studio in Ramah Berkshires! This week the double parashah Chukkat-Balak [Numbers 19:1-25:9] allows the Diaspora communities to catch up with Israel. Because the 2nd day of Shavuot was on Shabbat in the Diaspora, necessitating a special reading for the holiday while in Israel it was a normal Shabbat with a regular weekly reading, Israel has been a week ahead. This week is the first opportunity for a double portion in the book of Numbers, so we are reading Chukkat-Balak while in Israel they will be reading Balak. Among the many topics covered in this double portion, we ended up focusing on two: chapter 19 with the ritual of the red heifer for purification after corpse contamination and chapter 20:1-13 which is the famous story of Moses and the Rock, on account of which, at least in this week’s Torah reading, Moses and Aaron lose their ability to enter the Promised Land, because of their failure to sanctify God before the people at the Rock. While there is much more to the reading than this, we find ourselves year after year unable to stop talking about this story. I hope that at least each year we have something new to say! Shabbat Shalom!!

Take a listen as Omer and Ben of Radio Kol Ramah get to speak to campers and staff as the buses pull up for the start of Kayitz 2023!

Parsha Talk; with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky Parashat Korach [Numbers 16-18] is one of the few parashiyot [weekly Torah readings] to take the name of a person. The Book of Numbers itself has two others, next week with half of Chukkat-Balak and the following week with Pinchas. Korach, a cousin of Moses and Aaron, leads a rebellion against their authority. Jaccob Milgrom, in his JPS Commentary on Numbers, identifies the strands of at least four separate rebellions which are fused together in the parashah this week. In our conversation we try to untangle Korach’s complaint. Is it in anyway justified? Give a listen and let us know what you think below in the comments or at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Sh’lach L’kha [Numbers 13-15] neatly divides into two uneven sections: the story of the spies [13-14] and, as Jacob Milgrom describes it in his JPS Commentary on Numbers, a miscellany of laws. The end of the miscellany is the passage on tzitzit, which became well known as the 3rd paragraph of the Shema. There is a connection between the spies and the tzitzit passage; both contain variation of the Hebrew root “tur”, meaning “to scout” or “to follow”, and zanah, perhaps euphemistically, “to follow one’s lustful urge” or “to be led astray”. Our conversation focused mostly on the spies, which for the rabbis was one of the great catastrophes of biblical history. They imagine it as the first of a series events which took place on the 9th of Av [cf. Mishnah Ta’anit 4:6]. Like many another story in the Bible, it is endlessly fascinating. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat B’ha’alot’kha [Numbers 8-12], the third parashah in Numbers, covers a lot of ground. To name just a few topics, there is the lighting of the menorah [Numbers 8:1-4]; the ritual purification of the Levites so they might perform their duties with the Tabernacle [Numbers 8:5-22]; the Second Passover [9:1-14], which allows those who are in a state of ritual impurity or too far from the Temple at the time of the First Passover to participate in this great national celebration; the guidance in the wilderness [Numbers 10:29-36] provided by Hobab, the name given here for the figure known elsewhere as Jethro (father-in-law of Moses), and the Ark, including the two verses separated by the inverted nuns [the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet], the complaints at Taberah [11:1-3] and Kibbroth-Hattaavah [4-35], which includes Moses complaining to God about his burden, God providing for 70 elders to assist Moses, and God providing a month’s worth of quail to satisfy the people’s demand for meat; and the passage about Aaron and Miriam challenging the authority of Moses [chapter 12]. Even though this list seems exhaustive, there are things left out! Our conversation is perhaps not so wide-ranging, but worth a listen nevertheless. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Naso [Numbers 4:21–7:89] is the second parashah in the Book of Numbers. It contains the longest single chapter in the Torah [7, with 89 verses], and at 176 verses, is also the longest single parashah of the year. In fact, it has the most letters, the most words, and the most lines in the Torah scroll of any single parashah. For content, it contains the conclusion of the levitical census, detailing the count of Levites between 30 and 50, and the responbilities of each of these families when the Tabernacle must be taken down in order for the camp to move. It take up some matters related to the purification of the camp, the ritual for the woman suspected of adultery, the ritual of the Nazir [the man or woman who takes upon him or herself extra religious obligations], the priestly blessing, and, the lengthy description of the tribal gifts to the Tabernacle. Because this week Eliot’s family welcomed his first grandchild, a daughter born to his son and daughter-in-law, we talked about the significance of that event for Eliot, which led to a discussion of the priestly blessing and the meaning of ritual. We welcome your comments, either here or at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk; with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. With the onset of Shavuot Thursday night it is another early edition of Parashah Talk. In the Diaspora [outside the Land of Israel], the 2nd day of Shavuot on Shabbat preempts the weekly Torah reading, so that Israel will be a week ahead for a number of weeks. Our show is devoted to an exploration of Shavuot, which comes with its own set of Torah readings, haftarot, customs such as eating dairy, and the all-night study session known as Tiqqun Lail Shavuot. We discuss Revelation and what it might mean to us and how one might best understand the holiday as a celebration of Revelation. Along the way we discuss some other aspects of the holiday as well. With best wishes for a Chag Same’ach and Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk - with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. It’s an early edition of Parashah Talk this week. It turns out we all have lives outside of Parashah Talk which affects the day we record. So we open up the Book of Numbers on a Monday, with Parashat Bemidbar [Numbers 1:1–4:20]. There is more to discuss than one might first realize; we hardly got much beyond the first few verses! Let us know what you think here or at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk; with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat B’har-B’chukotai [Leviticus 25-27] concludes the Book of Leviticus. Leviticus is the shortest book in terms of chapters [27], and the fewest in parashiyot [10, tied with Numbers], but takes as few as 7 weeks to read when all of its potentially doubled parashiyot are in fact doubled, as is the case this year. B’har opens with a description of the sabbatical year and the jubilee year, which led to a discussion of time and how we mark it and find meaning in its passage. Our discussion, as is so often the case, meandered: we mentioned the Rebuke [Leviticus 26:14-45] and the double ending of the book, since the last verse in chapters 26 and 27 are virtually identical. Sinai looms large in the book and the parashah, as does, in at least one reading, the relationship between time and space. In the synagogue, when we conclude a book of the Torah, we say chazzak, chazzak, ve-nitchazzek. Let us be strong, let us be strong, and we shall be strengthened!

Parsha Talk: with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Emor [Leviticus 21-24] further develops the theme of holiness which is at the core of the Holiness Code [Leviticus 17-26]. The parashah begins with restrictions on kohanim [priests], on whom they marry, whom they mourn, what physical characteristics prevent them from serving. Chapter 23 is the Book of Leviticus’ sacred calendar, which is always worth studying, especially in comparison with the calendars in Exodus [23:14-19 & 34:18-26], Numbers [28-29], and Deuteronomy [16:1-17]. The parashah concludes with chapter 24, a miscellany of laws, including the incident of the blasphemer and the determination of what to do with him, and one of the three appearances in the Torah of the lex talion [law of revenge, better known perhaps as “eye for an eye”]. We opened the show with a tribute to Rabbi Harold Kushner, who went to his eternal home last week. We welcome comments below or at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. This week is another double parashah, Aharai Mot-Q’doshim [Leviticus 16-20], which features a description of Yom Kippur, and in particular the ritual of the goat sent to Azazel, and the beginning of the Holiness Code [Leviticus 17-26]. The Holiness Code develops the idea of holiness as it pertains to the priests and the people Israel in general. What does it mean to be a holy people? How is it possible to become a nation of priests? What do we expect of the modern state of Israel, a pertinent question as we record on Yom Ha-atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day. Give a listen! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parsha Talk; with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. This Shabbat features not only the weekly parasha, Tazria-Metsora [Leviticus 12-15], but also a maftir [Numbers 28:9-15] and haftarah [Isaiah 66] for Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the new month of Iyar whose first day is this Saturday. In addition, it is the Shabbat preceding Yom Ha-Zikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, and Yom Ha-atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day. The parashah describes the rituals for childbirth [ch. 12], the disease commonly referred to as leprosy in humans and its manifestation in clothing and in houses [chapter 13-14], and bodily discharges [chapter 15]. These are not the topics that normally provide rich conversation, so we devote the first half of the show to the meaning we might find in these chapters. In the second half, we discuss new rituals for Yom Ha-atzma’ut and how we might understand the religious signficance of the day. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. The parashah this week is Sh’mini [Leviticus 8-11], but we recorded on the 5th day of Passover, the third of the four intermediate days before the concluding holiday resumes on Tuesday evening. So, Passover was still on our mind. We began our discussion by talking about Yizkor; recited on the last day of Passover [and also on the 2nd day of Shavuot, Sh’mini Atzeret, and Yom Kippur]. Our conversation meandered, taking in the story of the untimely deaths of Nadav and Avihu, the older two of Aaron’s four sons [Leviticus 10:1-7], the upcoming observances after Passover, beginning with Yom Ha’Shoah [Holocaust Commemoration Day] on Tuesday, the 18th, and continuing with Yom HaZikkaron [Israel’s Memorial Day] and Yom Ha’atzma’ut [Israel’s Independence Day] the following week, on the 26th and 27th. The Book of Job also entered our conversation. So the tone was perhaps more somber than we had anticipated when we first started to talk. We hope you find it meaningful! With best wishes for a Chag Same’ach and Shabbat Shalom, depending on when you find this post!!

Parsha Talk; with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. While the Torah reading this week, Tzav [Leviticus 6–8], continues with a description of the principal sacrifices from the priests’ point of view [chapters 6–7] and a description of the inauguration of the Tabernacle [chapter 8], we went in a different direction. In anticipation of the upcoming festival of Passover, we discussed the six haftarot that mark the holiday: the haftarah for Shabbat Hagadol this week [Malachi 3:4–24], followed in turn by the haftarah for the 1st day from Joshua [5:2–6:1, 6:27], the 2nd day from 2 Kings [23:1–9, ,21–25], Shabbat Chol Ha-mo’ed from Ezekiel [37:1–14], the 7th day from 2 Samuel [22:1–51], and the 8th day from Isaiah [10:32–12:6]. It was a lot of page turning and a lot of fun. We hope you enjoy! We will be taking a week off for Passover, and will return in two weeks for Parashat Sh’mini. Shabbat Shalom and Chag Same’ach!

Parsha Talk; with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yiqra [Leviticus 1–5] begins the Book of Levitcus. However, it is quite possible, as we discuss, to read Leviticus as a seamless continuation of the end of Exodus. These first 5 chapters take up the description of the 5 principal sacrifices in ancient Israel. While sacrifice is quite foreign to most of us, and I suspect not many among us are eager to see the building of the Third Temple in our lifetime so we can reinstitute animal sacrifice, the chapters can still be read for profit in our own day. We spend sometime on the opening verses, and not just the first verse, and discuss the meaning of sacrifice both then and now. We hope you enjoy! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yaqhel-P’qudai [Exodus 35–40], a double portion, concludes the reading of the Book of Exodus in the synagogue. This year it coincides with Shabbat Ha-Hodesh, observed on Shabbat Rosh Hodesh Nisan, or on the Shabbat when the new month of Nisan is announced, as is the case this year. The month of Nisan officially begins on Wednesday night, March 22, so that Passover, and the first seder, begins two weeks later on April 5. Shabbat Ha-Hodesh has a special maftir [Exodus 12:1–20] and haftarah [Ezekiel 45:16–46:18]. The Torah reading primarily concerns itself with the execution of the mishkan, or Tabernacle. Whereas T’rumah and T’tzavveh concern themselves with the description of how the mishkan will be built, this week’s parashiyot concern themselves with the actual building. Last week’s parashah, Ki Tissa, features the tragedy of the Golden Calf. In our conversation this week we seek to understand the precise nature of the tragedy, and what it might mean to be placed, quite deliberately, between the description of how to build the mishkan and its actual building. We also discuss the significance of the maftir, a description of Pesach mitzrayim, the observance on that fateful night in Egypt, as opposed to Pesach le-dorot, Pesach as it is supposed to be observed in subsequent years. As always, comments, critiques, and questions are welcome here and at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Ki Tissa [Exodus 30:11–34:35] this year coincides with Shabbat Parah, the third special Shabbat before Passover, with a special maftir [Numbers 19] and haftarah [Ezekiel 36:16–38]. The parashah is perhaps best known for the episode of the Golden Calf, perhaps the greatest sin in the history of the Israelite people, and its aftermath. It is part of a larger them on the presence and absence of God, and how we live in a world where God’s presence is not guaranteed. We gave a shout-out to Purim, since that is when we recorded, and we may have touched on some other things as well. As always, comments and criticisms are welcome here and at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat T’tzavveh [Exodus 27:20–30:10] coincides this year with Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat before Purim [observed Monday night and Tuesday, March 6 & 7], which takes its name from the first word of the special maftir [Deuteronomy 25:17-19], with its call to remember what Amalek did to the Israelites when they left Egypt, and to blot them out once safely ensconced in the borders ot the Land of Israel. The parashah itself continues the description of the plans for the Ohel Mo’ed [Tent of Meeting]. We discussed some of the parashah and some relatively randomly chosen verses from the Book of Esther, in anticipation of Purim! We hope you enjoy. Shabbat Shalom and Hag Purim Same’ach!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat T’rumah [Exodus 25:1–27:19] begins the lengthy description of the plans for and building of the mishkan [tabernacle, or dwelling-place for God], which will take up most of the rest of the Book of Exodus. We focused on a few verses, in particular 25:8 [And let them make Me a sanctuary that I many dwell among them] and 25:22 [There I will meet with you, and I will impart to you—from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on the top of the Ark of the Pact—all that I will command you concerning the Israelite people], as well as discussing the purpose of the structure itself in the religious life of the people, then and now. As always, comments are welcome here or at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Welcome to Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. It is an early edition of Parashah Talk, since Eliot is flying to Israel today. Parashat Mishpatim [Exodus 21-24] features the Covenant Code, the first major law code embedded in the Torah. Its literary style, nearly all law, represents a major break from the previous 20 chapters, which have been largely narrative. This enabled us to discuss law in general as well as some specific laws. This week is also Parashat Sheqalim [Exodus 30:11–16], the first fo the 4 special shabbatot before Passover, each with its own maftir [additional reading] and haftarah [prophetic reading]. We did not have time to discuss it, but be forewarned, Passover will be here before you know it. Start cleaning! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parsha Talk, with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Yitro [Exodus 18-20] is the fifth weekly reading of the Book of Exodus. It features the dramatic revelation at Mt. Sinai and the text of the Ten Commandments. Chapter 18, however, has to do with the organization of the judiciary suggested by Yitro, priest of Midian, whom the chapter identifies no less than 13 times as the father-in-law of Moses. In fact, most of the people, whether individuals or nation, are identified in Chapter 18 in relation to Moses. This provides the beginning of our conversation, in which we discuss Yitro himself, and how we might understand his role in Israel’s history, and the Ten Commandments, always a fascinating text. Give a listen and let us know what you think! Shabbat Shalom!!

Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky with Parsha Talk. Parashat B’shallach [Exodus 13:17–17:16] features the Song of the Sea [15:1–19], the magnificent poem the Torah records as the Israselites’ response to their successful crossing of the Sea of Reeds, allowing them to put their Egyptian experience behind them once and for all. But, there is so much more in the parashah, including the actual splitting of the sea, given both a natural and miraculous explanation, the introduction of manna as the staple of the Israelites’ diet for the next forty years, various complaints, the 1st hitting of the Rock [17:1–7] and the attack of Amalek. 17:8–16]. While we do not cover everything, we hope we do the parashah justice, and that everyone finds something worth hearing. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk-with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Bo [Exodus 10:1–13:16] is the third parashah in Sefer Sh’mot [the Book of Exodus]. In it is recounted the last 3 plagues and the preparations for and celebration of Pesach Mitzrayim, the observance of Passover in Egypt, which will differ from Pesach Le-dorot, the Passover commemorated by future generations. We have the long chapter 12, one of my favorites in the Torah, and the passage at the end [13:1–16], divided by the rabbis into two [13:1-10 and 11–16], which together with the 1st 2 paragraphs of the Sh’ma [Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13–21 will make up the texts of the t’fillin. We also have the prompts for two of the sons of the Passover Haggadah. It is particularly rich, as I hope you will find our conversation. Comments and criticisms are welcome! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-era [Exodus 6:2–9:35] begins with verses [6{2–3] that feature prominently in modern biblical criticism. “Elohim spoke to Moshe, and He said to him, I am YHVH. And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob by El Shaddai, and my name YHVH I did not make known to them”. At the very least, God did not appear to the patriarchs in the same way that He appeared to Moshe. For those critically minded, these verses indicate a change in worship. The verses are followed by 3 verses [6–8] which feature in the determination of cups of wine at the Seder. But the parashah is perhaps best known for the 1st seven plagues. Our conversation meandered, sometimes touching on verses, sometimes on comparisons between God and Pharaoh, Moshe and Pharaoh, Moshe and Aaron, sometimes on other topics. We hope you find it rewarding. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Sh’mot [Exodus 1:1–6:1] begins a new Book of the Torah, the Book of Exodus. As Eliot mentions, we move very quickly, in just a few verses, from ish [man] to bayyit [house] to shevet [tribe], to am [nation]. In the opening verses, the family story that concluded the Book of Genesis becomes the national story that will lead, eventually, to the Jewish people. Since we were recording just after the 50th yahrtzeit [anniversary of death] of the late Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel this past Wednesday [18 Tevet, this year 1/11/23], our conversation is peppered with references to Heschel’s teachings. We hope some of you will share yours with us! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yechi [Genesis 47:28–50:26] concludes Book of Genesis. Among the other things that come to an end are the lives of Jacob and then of Joseph. It is, perhaps, a dark ending. A book that begins with the Creation of the world ends with Joseph embalmed and placed in an aron, a box, waiting until his descendants will take his bones up out of Egypt with them when they are redeemed by the mighty hand and outstretched arm of God. The parashah gives us the opportunity to evaluate the life of Joseph, and of Jacob. And, as is the case, it gives us the opportunity to say a few words about the Book of Genesis, and its context within the Torah. Comments and criticisms are welcome at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yiggash [Genesis 44:18-47:27] is the third installment of the Joseph saga. Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers and arrangments are made for the entire family to come to Egypt, to take up residence in the Land of Goshen, where they can live apart from the Egyptians but still benefit from Joseph’s position in that society. There are a number of odd comments made by both Jacob and Joseph about the other; we tend to forget that 22 years has elapsed, and neither side has made, apparently, any attempt to find out about the other. And there is the curious genealogy of Jacob’s family who went down to Egypt. This provided us with more than enough to talk about! This is our last Parashat Talk for 2022! We look forward to 2023 as another year of conversation about the weekly Torah Reading Shabbat Shalom!!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Miqqetz [Genesis 41:1-44:17] is the second of the four parashiyot which tell the story of Joseph. It begins in the court of Pharaoh, with the third set of 2 dreams. The butler now remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh there is a Hebrew slave who can interpret his dreams. This sets in motion a chain of events which leads to Joseph’s release from prison, the correct interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, and the appointment of Joseph as second in command to Pharaoh. In the meanwhile, Jacob’s family is in need of more food, so the sons get Jacob to acquiesce to sending Benjamin. As the story unfolds, Benjamin is accused of stealing Joseph’s goblet. They return to Joseph, where Judah makes an impassioned plea on behalf of Benjamin to return to Jacob, and for Joseph to take Judah in his stead. As the rabbis have programmed the cycle of Torah readings, we are meant to brood upon this sad state of events for the week. While on one hand, we, who have gone through the Torah reading cycle before, know the denouement, the rabbis intend that we mull it over as if we do not know, while we wait for next Shabbat to come to find out what happens. While you are mulling it over, you might listen to our conversation for our take! Shabbat Shalom!!

Earlier this month we lost a dear friend and unique talent, Pete Sokolow. Enjoy this 2011 Radio Klezkamp interview with Mitch Mernick. Recorded at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa, Kerhokson NY.

Parsha Talk Vayeshev with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yeshev [Genesis 37-40] is the beginning of the Joseph story, the longest extended narrative in the Book of Genesis. So even though, properly speaking, Joseph is not a patriarch, he is not a recipient of the covenant with its twofold promise of land and numerous descendants conveyed directly by God, he is the subject of the longest story in the Book. Chapter 37 introduces us to an adolescent or young adult Joseph, who at 17 is the favorite of his father, Jacob, the recipient of what has come to be known as the Coat of Many Colors, and a noted dreamer and interpreter of dreams, all of which will conspire, together with his brothers, to land him in Egypt as a slave. Chapter 38 is an interlude of sorts, the story of Judah and Tamar, whereby Tamar is widowed twice, by Judah’s two oldest sons, and then will become, through Judah, the ancestress of King David. Chapter 39 resumes the Joseph story, this time in Egypt, where he will serve in Potiphar’s house, land in prison, and there interpret the dreams of the butler and baker. Both before our recording and during the show, Eliot made a great case for the literary art in the Joseph story, which is, first and last, a great story. Give a listen, and send comments and criticisms to parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yishlach [Genesis 32:4-36:43] is, as the French might say, an embarrassment of riches. There are Jacob’s plans for seeing his brother again after 20 years, the mysterious encounter with the malakh, often translated as angel, which will acquire for Jacob a new name and a physical disability which will everafter affect the way his descendants eat, the meeting with Esau, the rape of Dinah, the putting away of the idols at Beit El, and the detailed genealogy of Esau, inclusing the list of 12 successive kings, which exposes perhaps as well as any Torah text, the limitations of Mosaic authorship of the Torah. Along the way is the the death of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, the birth of Benjamin and the death of Rachel [which occasions its own name change], and the death of Isaac. And even this list is incomplete! As befitting such a rich parashah, our conversation was free-wheeling, skipping from topic to topic, seamlessly we hope! Let us know your thoughts and reactions at parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Va-yetze [Genesis 28:10–32:3] has long been my (BC) favorite, since it was the one to which I was called up to the Torah as Bar Mitzvah many years ago. As it turns out, it is also the Bat Mitzvah parashah of my wife, Carol, though not quite so many years ago. In our discussion this week we did go much beyond the opening verses, the notice that Jacob left Beersheva and went to Haran, and the encounter at Beit El, formerly known as Luz. Perhaps we gained in depth what we sacrificed in breadth. In any event, it was a lot of fun to do! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parsha Talk; with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Toldot [Genesis 25:19-28:9] begins with a flurry of activity, with 60 years summarized in 8 verses: there is a birth notice of Isaac, the marriage of Isaac at 40, the barrenness of Rebekah for 20 years, the entreaty on her behalf by Isaac, the difficult pregnancy, the consulation with the oracle, and finally the birth of Esau and Jacob, complete with a physical description which will give each of the twins his name. And then the parashah slows down with a story about the selling of the birthright, a series of episodes in the life of Isaac, a notice about Esau’s two wives and then an extendeded narrative about the stealing of the blessing. At the end, Jacob will flee for his life to the ancestral homeland back east, and Esau will marry a descendant of Ishmael. All in all, it is quite packed with material to talk about, which, of course, is what we do! We hope you enjoy this early edition of Parashah Talk, made necessary by the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Happy Thanksgiving! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Chayyai Sarah [Genesis 23:1-25:18] opens with a summary of the years of Sarah’s life: These were the lives of Sarah, a hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the lives of Sarah. It is interesting that in Hebrew “life” is a plural noun, whereas in English it is singular. Perhaps related to this is that the Hebrew uses the singular “year” for 100 and 20, but the plural “years” for 7. So much for Hebrew style! Sarah’s death is now reported, in Kiryat Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. The rest of the parashah unfolds as a response to Sarah’s death: Chapter 23 relates the negotiations which lead to the purchase of the Cave of Machpelah as a burial cave for Abraham’s family, chapter 24 [the longest chapter in Genesis at 67 verses] the process by which Rebecca is secured as a wife for Isaac, and chapter 25, Abraham’s remarriage, the births of six more sons, the dismissal of the children of the concubines, the death of Abraham, the genealogy of Ishmael, and his death. Next week the torch is passed to Isaac. Shabbat Shalom!