Mishpatim – 29th January 2022 – Franz Fuerst
Today’s Torah portion Mishpatim with its rather stern list of divine statutes, ordinances and potential punishments may seem slightly at odds with a simcha, the joyous occasion of celebrating a…
B’shallach, 15th January 2022 – Did The Exodus Happen? – Leslie Wheeler
The vision that most of us have of the Exodus is typified by a quote from General Sir Richard Gale’s Great Battles of Biblical History (1): “The long trek over…
Bo, 8th January 2022 – Mike Frankl
Those of you who have heard me speak before will know that if at all possible I like to put myself in the shoes of the characters involved. Today’s Sedra…
Vayechi, 18th December 2021 – Fred Diamond
This week’s portion, Vayechi, is the last one in Genesis/B’reishit – it so happens I gave a sermon on it just 2 years ago, right before Covid began affecting all…
Behar-Bechukotail, Sabbatical and Jubilee, 8th May 2021 – Fred Diamond
One of the main features of this week’s portion – a double portion – Behar-Bechukotai is to present the laws of Shmita and Yovel: Sabbatical and Jubilee. I naturally associate…
Parashah Va-yishlach, 19th November 2021 – Leslie Wheeler
Old Moishe Applebaum arrived at the post office with a post card in his hand. He approached the young counter assistant and said, “I’m sorry to bother you but could…
Parashat Nitzavim, 4th September 2021 – Leslie Wheeler
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the Five Books of Moses. By the time Deuteronomy starts, the Children of Israel have already left Egypt, stood…
Lights and Lamps of the Torah, 29th May 2021 – Leslie Wheeler
Introduction The importance of light and lamps mentioned in the Torah cannot be over emphasised. At the very beginning of Torah we are told: “And God said: ‘Let there be…
Be-Midbar – Hosea 2, 15 May 2021 – Marc Saperstein
On Thursday evening, our Torah Study group met as we have done every Thursday evening for the past two or three years. Each week between 10 and 15 members of…
The Haggadah and the Purpose of Questions – Simon Eder
Redemption in Catalonia and Bosnia, The Sarajevo HaggadahWarren Berger, author of A More Beautiful Question, found that kids ask an average of 40,000 questions between the ages of 2 and…
