Power Parsha

Ha’azinu: Enduring Truth

How do we respond when people distort the truth or create false narratives about the Jewish people? Surprisingly, the first Rashi on Parshat Ha’azinu speaks directly to this question and offers a reassuring answer. Moshe calls upon the heavens and earth: “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth hear the words…

Power Parsha

Nitzavim-Vayelech: Relationship Repair

Teshuva, one of the central mitzvot of Elul and the Yamim Noraim, has its biblical source in Parshat Nitzavim-Vayelech. The Torah portrays teshuva as a dynamic of return between Am Yisrael and God that can also serve as a model for repairing relationships and fostering positive change in our own lives. Ramban derives the mitzvah…

Power Parsha

Ki Tavo: How We Speak About Israel

Parshat Ki Tavo opens with the mitzvah of bikkurim, the offering of first fruits. This ceremony, echoing previous biblical stories, carries a relevant message for our generation’s relationship with the land of Israel. After settling the land, the people are commanded to bring their first fruits to the Beit Hamikdash and recite a declaration recounting…

Power Parsha

Ki Tetze: Fostering Compassion

Parshat Ki Tetze contains many mitzvot. One in particular relates to a central theme of Elul and Rosh Hashanah: fostering and praying for mercy and compassion. What is the purpose of the mitzvah of shiluach ha-ken, sending away the mother bird before taking her young or eggs? Mishna Berakhot teaches that one may not add…

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About Me

I’m Karen Miller Jackson, a certified Matan Morah l’Halakha, Jewish educator and writer. Welcome to my blog which provides Torah from a woman’s perspective for modern, busy people. To subscribe via email please sign up or by whatsapp here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKLpCygJaBf20sKbNmRV1u