Torah Study Blog

Murder is a terrible, terrible crime which has always been a part of the human condition. According to the Bible, it was just the 2nd generation of mankind when there was the first murder – the fratricide by Cain of Abel.

Cain is the oldest son of Adam and Eve. The name Cain means, “acquired” which is reflected in Genesis 4:1 when Eve says, “I have gained a male child with the help of the Lord.” Cain’s younger brother,...Read more...

Last week we looked at a passage in the Torah that identifies cult prostitutes. Prostitution was an acknowledged and accepted fact of biblical life, but we also saw that money earned by a prostitute while plying their trade cannot be used to fulfill a vow to God, because God would find that to be abhorrent.

Rabbi Jaech led us in a discussion of modern-day questions about money coming to a synagogue from, what some might call,...Read more...

According to Numbers 22, the prophet Balaam was called upon by the Moabite people to curse the Israelites. Balaam asked God if that was ok, but God said, “You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.” (Numbers 22:12)

Balaam is offered riches to ask again, and God tells Balaam to journey toward the Israelite enemy in Moab. However, after telling Balaam to make the journey, God sends an Adversary to block Balaam’s way....Read more...

Our session today started with a brief civics lessons: Jeff Sessions, Attorney General of the United States, cited a passage from Romans 13 of the Christian Bible to address the separation of parents from their children at the border between America and Mexico. Romans 13 says, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been...Read more...

Last week we looked at the nazirite vow in the Torah. As a reminder, we learned that when a person takes a nazirite vow they are becoming holy to God, in a similar fashion that a priest is holy to God. However, the restrictions on a nazirite are even more strict than on a priest: Nazirites must abstain from all grape products, they must not cut their hair, and they must not come close to a dead person. Also, at the end of the term of being a...Read more...

This year the holiday of Shavuot begins at sundown on May 19. The holiday is less familiar to American Reform Jews, but it was an important holiday in Biblical times. The holiday has its root in the Torah, where it is referred to as the Festival of Weeks, the Festival of Reaping, and the Day of First Fruits.

Biblical Israelites lived in an agrarian society and Shavuot was celebrated at the end of the grain harvest. According to...Read more...