Matir Asurim

Yesterday was the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av .   Traditionally , this fast commemorates the destruction of both the first and second ...

5774 What is Haftorah? Occasionally, the Sabbath falls on the first day of the Jewish month, and the Rosh Hodesh haftorah is substitute...

This parsha is read, not on Shabbat, but on Simchat Torah -- the "Great Rewind".  We finish reading the five books of Moses, and ...

As this Parsha is read during the 10 Days of Awe (between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur), the usual Haftorah is replaced with the Shabat Shuva...

Almost done with the cycle!  As in last year , this is a double parsha, but uses the Haftorah for Nitzavim . Finishing off the month of El...

The Torah portion is all about being aware of the blessings which surround us.  The Haftorah reading , likewise, is about vision: 1  Ari...

In comparison with the Torah portion , this Haftorah is simplicity itself:  It is G*d's proclamation of eternal love for the people of ...

This week's Torah portion is famous for the phrase  צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף  -  Justice, justice shalt thou  pursue.   This phrase , with...

After re-reading my drash of last year on the the Torah portion, the Haftorah seemed right on target.  The theme of prosperity as the rewa...

When I read the Haftorah for this week's reading at shul on Saturday, a theme that jumped out at me was Motherhood.  There are three r...

I really enjoyed re-reading my drash from last year for this Torah portion -- it felt so relevant for how I feel about my current project! ...

Where the  Torah portion  focused on the power of words, the  Haftorah reading  emphasizes actions.  Indeed, after a long diatribe denouncin...

The Haftorah for this Parshah (last year it was a double parsha, but this year Matot and Masei are separate) culminates the cycle of readi...

In the haftorah for this parsha , more insights into what makes a prophet: ו   וָאֹמַר, אֲהָהּ אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, הִנֵּה לֹא-יָדַעְתִּי, ד...

The Haftorah for this Parshah contains the famous "small still voice" passage: יא   וַיֹּאמֶר, צֵא וְעָמַדְתָּ בָהָר לִפְנֵי ...

In my reflections on the Torah portion last year, I asked, Is it G*d who is fickle, or is this an allegory of the uncertainty we feel ab...

Hah!  I get a free pass this week -- go ahead and read the regular Haftorah for this Parshah , but it's Rosh Hodesh again!  Happy Tamm...

Both the Torah portion and the Haftorah are concerned with the relationship of the people of Israel to government/authority figures.  In b...

Both the Torah and Haftorah readings for this week deal with "spies" -- reconnaissance missions into the land of Israel.  In the...

This Parsha - literally meaning "as you raise up" - is about redemption.  The Torah reading appears fraught with strife, but is u...