Tag: Torah
Parashat Emor: On Bodies, Leadership, and the Public Sphere
Parashat Emor opens with a description of right priestly conduct. In Leviticus 21:17-23, we find a lengthy list of those Kohenim who have a mum—often translated as blemish which disqualifies them fr... Read More
Will They Serve the Fatted Calf on Sabbath? Or, the Prodigal Daughter Returns
The last time I went to synagogue was hell. I had just moved to Jerusalem to do a year long fellowship in Jewish Texts at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and I had never in my life felt so much am... Read More
Dangerous Division – Torah and Nature in Pirqei Avot
There’s a famous mishna in the ethical tractate called Pirqei Avot (Chapters on Fundamentals), which says the following: Rabbi Ya’aqov said: One who is reviewing their Torah study while w... Read More
A Torah of Moving
Over the past few years I’ve become an unwilling expert in moving – a process that previously made me want to tear my hair out – and somehow managed to come out with my spirit intact, maybe even... Read More
First Fruits: A Theology of Privilege
Temple service once included the practice of bringing bikkurim to the temple—the first fruits that grow from the land of Israel, the land that the Holy One promised our ancestors. These bikkurim are... Read More
Parashat Emor: On Reading Leviticus 21 and the Problematics of Embodied Leadership
This piece first appeared here. Parashat Emor (Leviticus 21-24), read this week in synagogues outside of Israel, opens with a passage describing limitations placed on individuals whom a Kohen (priest)... Read More
On Bringing Sacred Gifts and Our Sacred Selves
Last week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel, opens with Moses’ gathering the entirety of the Jewish people together. After reiterating the singular importance of Shabbat observance, specifically focusing ... Read More
A Drash on Parashat Noach
This drash (commentary on the weekly Torah portion) was delivered at JTS on October 5, 2013. Shabbat shalom! In reading and rereading this week’s parsha (portion), I was struck by what our parsha ca... Read More