On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah

Constructing the Miskhan brings us to ask - how can we build our communities? What do we need besides a synagogue space in order to engender a communal environment? Even something as simple as seating makes all the difference.

Stand up and be counted! In this parashah, a census is taken. To be counted, you must give half a shekel. From this, we learn that while all must contribute to the community, each and every one of us is also individually important, both alone and as a member of the Jewish people. Rabbi Rick Jacobs focuses on this message, specifically discussing the importance of the diversity of the Jewish community.

Parashat T'tzaveh goes into the elaborate sacred garments worn by kohanim, the priestly class. Ritual and sacred garb in faith communities - Jewish as well as other faiths - can be a source of identity and inspiration, as well as a link to our shared past. But sometimes, the rules and restrictions of religious garb can clash with expectations and experiences in modern life. Rabbi Rick Jacobs asks us to consider: what is it we wear that expresses who we are?

Parashat T'rumah describes building a mishkan, a sacred space, and the first central praying place in Jewish life. People were asked to give both their skills and their material possessions to build it, and together they created something both beautiful and portable. Rabbi Rick Jacobs asks us to consider: how do we learn how to build our own sacred spaces? What makes a space sacred? How do we balance the tensions between a modest, spiritual space and humbling grandeur? How do we define the heart of a community? How do we define what's real?

Parashat Mishpatim presents a full catalog of laws, rituals, observance, and obligations that guide us in living a Jewish life of moral depth and courage. But, Rabbi Rick Jacobs asks, how do we, as liberal Jews regard these laws – which of them are we obligated to observe, and how? And how do we apply these teachings to urgent issues we face in today's world?

This week's Torah portion, Parashat Yitro, is named for the Midianite Priest, Jethro, and depicts his first encounter with Moses in the desert. The two forge a relationship despite their different faiths and ethnicities, and Moses ends up marrying his daughter, Tziporah. Rabbi Rick Jacobs recounts theirs as well as other interreligious relationships that are depicted in Jewish texts, and he asks us, what can we do to break down ethnic (and other) labels, and build even deeper connections.

This week's Torah portion, Parashat B'shalach, is read on Shabbat Shira, the Shabbat of Song. Music is highlighted on this particular Shabbat: In this portion, the prophetess Miriam leads the other women in playing their timbrels, and the accompanying Haftarah reading features the Song of Deborah. Rabbi Rick Jacobs discusses these texts and remembers Debbie Friedman z"l, the legendary Jewish songwriter, as her yahrzeit approaches. He shares his personal memories of Debbie, paying tribute to her profound gifts and their lasting effect on the Jewish world.

In Parashat Bo, we learn about the last three of the plagues that are visited upon the Pharaoh of Egypt. Rabbi Rick Jacobs focuses on the plague of darkness, and examines how the translations of the ancient Hebrew by Robert Alter allow us to glean new meanings from this portion.

In the opening lines of this week's Torah portion, Parashat Va-eira of the Book of Exodus, Moses meets God for the first time. Rabbi Rick Jacobs points out the specific name God uses, and discusses the many different ways God is named and described throughout the Torah and other texts, and what hints they give us to understand the elusive nature of God.

The first portion of the Book of Exodus, Parashat Sh'mot, introduces the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob. Citing other Jewish texts as well as examples throughout Jewish history that highlight the significance and pride associated with names, Rabbi Rick Jacobs considers why some people keep their Jewish names, and others change them.