Peace from the Inside Out

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Rabbi Gil Nativ finds in parashat ‘Teruma’ the way to make peace in the world. The month of Adar that begins on Friday, contains joy and a new message. Continue reading

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Limits on Masters and Control: Dvar Torah Parshat ‘Mishpatim’

Lincoln Memorial – interior – statue – 2011 | By dctim1 cc: flickr

Rabbi Mira Raz replaces the Master of Slaves with the real master – he who created us all.

She teaches us about Masters and the limits of power from this weeks parsha: Mishpatim Continue reading

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Meeting with non-Jews strengthens Judaism

Only after Moses listens to his father in law and absorbs his feedback and criticism, de-centralization is established, and the People of Israel can make the step that enabled them to grow and come to their constitutive event as a nation – the receiving of the 10 commandments at Mt. Sinai. cc: flickr by RivaJethroKyrill – Name Jitro/Yitro in Hebrew

Parashat Jethro is the fifth parasha in Exodus. This parasha is full of substance, thought-provoking suggestions, and invites us to review in order to renew and build a nation Continue reading

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It is forbidden to evacuate people in the winter – Parashat “Bo” – Weekly commentary by Rabbis for Human Rights

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Despite the evictions of homeless during the cold winter, we continue to strive for achievements in the parliamentary level (establishing a lobby for public housing), in addition, we are also looking for creative ways to stop the evacuations and help the homeless Continue reading

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Freedom from Corruption of Power

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This week’s Torah narrative completes the story of the ten plagues. It describes the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart as the story proceeds. It then introducesthe firstmitzvot given to the Jewish people as a nation – the twenty mitzvot which create the holiday observances of Pesach, the festival of Freedom. To this day this educational construct serves to create and recreate the Jewish people and is a cornerstone of our collective identity. Continue reading

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The Lying Connection

cc: flicker by cogdogblog 2009/365/309 Snake on a Stick

Rabbi Mira Raz explains what is the connection of lie in Parashat Chukat. Continue reading

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Shabbat HaGadol and Pesach

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None of these victories are the cataclysmic act of salvation recounted in the exodus story. (And it is not enough to remove drops of wine from our seder cups when recounting the plagues, or to recite the midrash from Shir HaShirim Rabah containing God’s rebuke to the angels, “My children are drowning and you sing praises.” We truly do not want to see those with whom we are in conflict suffer anything close to the suffering of the Egyptians, not among our fellow Israelis and not among those beyond our borders.) Continue reading

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