Voices of WRJ

This weekly blog series, published on Fridays, features insights from WRJ leaders on the Torah portions from a women's perspective. Enhance your Torah learning and understanding by adding Voices to your reading list.

A woman in a white tank top with short gray hair hold her hands up in prayer position while facing a sunny sky and blurred green mountains/hill.
B'midbar

Parashat B'midbar

Deb Radin, Temple Beth Am Los Altos Hills, CA
This parashah reminds us that each of us holds a Tabernacle inside us. Our interoceptive thoughts protect this holy vessel, like the Levites, keeping our most precious feelings safe and available to us when needed. Our exteroceptive thoughts, like the vast tribes of Israel, keep us rooted in our world, striving for a better future. We are not always organized or aware as we toil each day, so reminders to take a census of ourselves and reflect on our strengths, challenges, and opportunities are vital.
A green field with five beige dandelions/weeds and trees and a mountain in the backdrop
Voices of WRJ

Parashat B’har-B’chukotai

Susan Singer

This week, we conclude the book of Leviticus with the double Parashat B’har-B’chukotai. It begins with a discussion of shmita, a practice of letting the land rest between harvests.

seder plate with silver kiddush cup
Voices of WRJ

Chol HaMo-eid Pesach

Karen Sim, WRJ First Vice President, Isaac M. Wise Temple, Cincinnati, OH

When I was asked to write a D’var Torah for Chol Ha-Moed Pesach, I, of course, accepted this honor. When I went to prepare, to my surprise, I  found that Chol Ha-Moed was not the name of a Torah portion.

Torah Commentary
Voices of WRJ

Parashat Ki Tisa

Lindie Henderson
We know in our own lives the importance of leadership, collaboration, and structure, and what occurs when these essentials fall apart. There is distrust, crisis, and failure to communicate from the top down. Dealing with multiple changes and insecurity is exceedingly difficult, especially in new circumstances with little stability or predictability for the future. Self-government is a new concept that creates uncertainty, insecurity, and vulnerability. Leadership is a challenge. Responsibility suffers. Yet, Parashat Ki Tisa is a story of evolution.
This Week's Torah Portion
Voices of WRJ

Parashat T’tzaveh

Dr. Madelyn Katz
Parashat T’tzaveh is not terribly well-known and is filled with details about which most people have little interest. It is a portion that requires a lot of slow, careful reading, which ultimately leads to some fascinating and fulfilling insights. But one must read carefully to find those insights and see their connection to our lives as Reform Jews.