The twenty-sixth portion of Torah is a forward looking and remarkably insightful piece of text, a set of instructions that echoes modern best practice in terms of managing infectious diseases and securing the wellbeing of the community. In an era when medicine was non-existent, and most cultures practices cult rituals to deal with outbreaks of disease, the early Israelites recieved word from G-d that gave them a unique insight and capacity to secure the general health of the nation. In the...

The Twenty-fifth porthion of Torah tells three separate, but probably related stories. Aaron and his sons are ordained as priests for the Tabernacle, and G-d appears to bring holiness to the occasion. Then, two of Aaron's sons, with good intention but bad execution, bring an offering of incence that G-d did not instruct, and they are swept away by Divine fire. Finally, G-d gives instructions to the Israelite people about which animals they may eat, and which ones must be avoided at all costs....

The twenty-fourth portion of Torah takes us on a a journey into ritual and custom. These are very different things, even when they are framed as being one and the same. The Parasha begins with a description of how the priests (Aaron and his family) should approach the sacrifices brought to the MIshkan, and also lays out rules for what portion should be set aside for their upkeep. But then, in an odd turn of events, G-d decrees that fat, blood and certain organs were henceforth to be rejected...

The twenty-third portion of Torah begins our journey into the book of Leviticus. Where Genesis was a grand narrative about where we come from, and Exodus is a grand narrative about how our Jewish nation came to be, Leviticus is, well, a bit of a rule book. But just because it doesn't have the literary flourishes that we find in some of the other books, that doesn't stop it from being remarkably important, especially when we try to work out how we, as Jews in a far more modern age, should...

The twenty-second and twenty-third portions of Torah are read in a single week as part of our need to compress an occasionally cumbersome Bible into a calendar year. This won't be last time we have to make this accomodation, but fortunately most are pairs that work as menaingful and insightful couples. Here at the end of Exodus, Torah is mostly concerned with the final stages of completing the Tabernacle. The fixtures and fittings, the construction and overlays, the garments and decorations,...

The twenty-first portion of Torah contains one of Judaism's most iconic moments - the sin of the Golden Calf. Despite the work of the Divine, the salvation and the promise that G-d has made, they fall prey to their own fears of abandonment, and turn to the pagan ideas which they had known while in slavery. As a part of the Torah narrative this passage is both intriguing and important, while as a clever encapsulation of what lies at the heart of the Jewish ideal it is essential, and worthy of...

The twentieth portion of Torah is largely focussed on how Aaron and his sons (the High Priest and Priests respectively) should be prepared for their roles. These instructions are wide-ranging, covering clothing and ornamentation, posture and attitude, and ritual ceremonies required to bring about the appropriate decorum and religious connection to the Divine. Along the way the passage does also dive into the complex and somewhat troubling  practices of ritual slaughter, an idea that has...

The nineteenth portion of Torah is a monologue from G-d about how the Mishkan, that precursor to the Temple should be constructed. Given that this is a place for people to come (through the priests) to conect with the Divine, it seems strange that there should be such intricate detail about materials, building techniques and layout. But hidden within this outline is a series of far more important gems that we can learn about what G-d has in mind for us, how our relationship to the Divine...

Th eighteenth portion of Torah takes us on a journey into the possible, the difficult and the concerning. At Mt Sinai, G-d dictates to Moses a further tranche of comandments, and we are led into some of the most important instutcions and prohibitions in both our Torah, and our community reliatiobnships. It's hard to imagine how we might engage with one another, in rich and rewarding ways, without the basic architecture of shared values described in Mishpatim. But alongside bans on murder,...

The seventeenth portion of Torah might be shorter than some, but its ideas and impact changed the world. Jethro helps Moses to organise the Israelite people's affairs so that their concerns, problems and disputes could be settled. But if that seemed like a significant intervention, G-d wasn't going to be outdone. After a brief, fiery and smoky conversation on the top of Mt Sinai, Moses returned with the core rules, the socio-legal architecture that would bind Jews and gentiles throughout the...

The sixteenth portion of Torah is the grand moment when the biggest story you've heard about the Bible comes to pass. In an effort to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses confronts his own doubts and splits the Sea of Reeds, providing dry land upon which the Hebrews could pass. It is a courtesy he does not extend to the Egyptians who were pursuing them. Moreoever, central biblical images like manna from heaven, water from a rock, and deliverance are all found in this one exciting section....

The fifteenth portion of Torah is a heady mix of violence, inspiration and opportunity. G-d is not yet done punishing Pharoah for his stubbornness and the systemic subjugation of the Israelites, Moses is getting ever more confident in the role given to him by G-d, and the Israelites are about to discover that a new world of opportunities will come their way. If you had never read Torah and you were told that an elderly man would threaten the king of Egypt for the freedom of his people, you’d...

The fourteenth portion of Torah is a story we tend to misunderstand. Usually imagined as a righteous and powerful Moses holding Pharoah to account, there is a secondary message sitting under that blanket of meaning that requires a closer look from all of us. The crippling interventions from G-d, expressed through the persons of Moses and Aaron, are compelling, and they will (though not this week) eventually have their desired effect. But along the way, G-d has brought power to bear on Egypt...

The thirteenth portion of Torah contains one of those stories almost everyone hears as a schoolkid, regardless if you're Jewish, not Jewish, or have no religion at all. The idea of a small baby boy, placed in a reed basket, floating down the river, only to be rescued by a princess has all the storytelling elements a great tale needs to capture our imagination. That boy, as you probably know, is Moses, who would grow up to become the man who led his enslaved Israelite people out of Egypt...

The twelfth portion of Torah is our final episode of the book of Genesis. Not only does the story itself conclude, and quite masterfully at thhat, but so do the lives of two of its chief protagonists - Jacob asnd Joseph. It's a fitting end to what has been a complicated and occasionally confusing story in the back end of Genesis, teaching us so much about the way our obligations, opportunities and ownership collide. Oh, and obstibnacy, may as well complete the alliteration. The way the...

The eleventh portion of Torah reveals to us much of what Torah has in mind when it comes to how we approach the solution to, and resolution of, conflicts. While we may expect that in the case of Genesis G-d might be in the driving seat when the narrative draws itself towards a better place, in fact G-d is cuiously absent, instead these issues are left to humans to solve, notwithstanding their pre-existing connection to the divine. As Joseph, Jacob, Judah and the rest of the family discover,...

The ninth portion of Torah brings a whirlwind of emotions to its protagonists, not to mention to us, as readers. The long-awaited resolution of the profound family divide that has existed since the story of the pit seems to evaporate as Joseph reveals himself and the men are reconciled. There is, of course, one man who is not yet in Egypt for this reunion, but it will not be long until Jacob, their father and our patriarch, arrives. But, in near perfect contrast, the gruelling famine that...

The ninth portion of Torah may leave you shaking your head from time to time, wondering how it is that families can get it so very wrong, choosing betrayal instead of love, cruelty instead of compassion, and lust instead of honour. Joseph will fall into a pit, then into Egypt and then into a cell; Judah teaches us why integrity maters, by failing himself, yet having the grace to acknowldge as much; and let's just say, you wouldn't want to be Pharoah's cupbearer. In fact, the idea of human...

The eighth portion of Torah begins a pair of complex confrontations - Jacob reunites with his brother Esau after their acrimonious separation in last week's Parasha, while a more mysterious encounter forces Jacob to wrestle, literally, with his relationship with the divine. Jacob is renamed 'Israel', and a series of births and deaths remind us that this family is evolving. But it is a terrible encounter at Shechem that may change this family and its future for ever. What does it take to be...

The seventh Parasha of Torah follows Jacob's journey away from his father's home, to Haran, where his grandfather Abraham lived and the city his uncle Laban still calls home. Marrying both of Laban's daughters, Jacob soon begins to build the family that will eventually become the twelve tribes of Israel, although the tensions that build up between Jacob and his uncle are beyond simple repair, and yet another familial bond breaks. This Parasha also contains one of the most culturally...

The sixth Parashah of Torah is a fork in the road for Abraham's legacy. Things could have gone very differently, and possibly they were supposed to. In spite of what can only be seen as some really poor behaviour all around, our story will make its way forward, leading towards the tribes of Israel and the next stage of the book of Genesis. As you listen to the Parashah, remember to think critically about both Jacob and Esau. Simple solutions to complex problems may sound inviting, but most...

The fifth parashah of Torah is, upon reflection, an uplifting and inspiring passage. Though the first great matriarch and patriarch of the Jewish people each pass away, this moment also defines the beginning of the pre-Israelite people's physical connection to the land promised to them by G-d. And, in a portion that ensures the continuation of the Jewish idea, their son Isaac finds a partner with whom to continue that legacy. We learn that in times of grief hope emerges, a profound metaphor...

The fourth parashah of Torah is heavy reading. From the destruction of an entire city and its people, to immoral sexual acts, to the unfair condemnation of a woman and her child to death, and the willingness of a man to kill his own child. It's tough going. But G-d wants us to read, or listen, and understand this content for two reasons, and those are perhaps the most important lessons we will learn throughout the whole of Torah - what do you do when you are called, and what do you o when the...

The third parashah of Torah tells us of the moment when the Jewish people began their long journey into nationhood. Though this would take many generations, and require skill, luck and faith along the way, that origin is found in Abraham's decision to 'go forth'. Though the way was uncertain, and Abraham contended with doubt, the hope of a bountiful future emerged despite those concerns. Would Abraham truly be the father of a great nation? He wasn't at all convinced, even if G-d was sure....