Torah Portion

Parashat Vayakhel: A ‘kahal’ at war

As Israel faces its greatest challenges, the lessons of Vayakhel remind us of the power of unity in times of crisis.

ISRAELIS TEND to experience their identity more as members of a nation than as members of local congregations. Pictured: Celebrating Israel’s 77th Independence Day in central Jerusalem, May 1, 2025.

Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei: Wisdom of the wise

Purification by fire: The red heifer and Iran

Like the red heifer's ashes, the destruction of Iran's instruments of death can become the catalyst for cleansing. A woman walks on the street following an Israeli and U.S. strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026.

Parashat Ki Tisa: Fear and the choice of courage

Parashat Ki Tisa: Sin of the golden calf and the test of patience

Impatience at Sinai led to the golden calf, teaching that true faith and redemption demand patience, not glittering shortcuts.

MARCH 6, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

Impatience has led to many people losing their own private Garden of Eden.

Purim 2026: Celebrating with faith, fun, and resilience through the years

From childhood groggers to Israel today, Purim reminds us of courage, joy, and the enduring fight against life’s Hamans.

MARCH 3, 2026ByDAVID GEFFEN

Parashat Zachor: Remembering Amalek in every generation

Amalek exploits spiritual weakness; Parashat Zachor calls on us to strengthen our identity and faith in every generation.

FEBRUARY 27, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

Parashat Teruma: Sanctifying the heart

Each person is a walking Temple; each has the power to build a dwelling place for the Creator of the world within his or her heart.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

Stars bursting above the triangular peak of the mountain that may be Mount Sinai in the middle of the night, in Saudi Arabia.

Parashat Teruma: Religion in partial measures

Even the ark’s imperfect measurements teach a profound lesson: living God’s will is a human endeavor, full of effort, devotion, and partial success.

FEBRUARY 20, 2026ByMOSHE TARAGIN

Parashat Mishpatim: All or nothing

Loyalty to a path means saying, “I belong. Sometimes I will fail, sometimes I will err, but I am all in.” This is completely different from saying “I like this, but I don’t like that.”

FEBRUARY 13, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

Parashat Mishpatim: The long search for moral society

God’s will does more than guide individual behavior. It provides direction for building societies grounded in justice and compassion.

FEBRUARY 13, 2026ByMOSHE TARAGIN

Parashat Yitro: Illuminating the fog

Moses understood that genuine service of God is not found in thunder and lightning but rather in the place of fog, confusion, and lack of clarity.

FEBRUARY 6, 2026ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

The God one seeks is found precisely in the confusing, unclear place.

Parashat Yitro: Before the revelation at Sinai

Whenever people are convinced that they are acting in the name of higher goals – especially when they believe they are serving God – moral boundaries become fragile.

FEBRUARY 6, 2026ByMOSHE TARAGIN

What honoring our parents teaches us about faith, logic, and Judaism

The mitzvah of honoring one's parents is not a narrow religious demand but a foundational moral duty.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByMOSHE TARAGIN