Hospitality to strangers is a great mitzvah in the Torah. We recently read of Abraham abruptly cutting off a conversation with no less than God because three messengers appeared, and he hastened to offer them food and shelter. In Parshah Chaye Sarah we get another example. Abraham's servant has been sent to find a wife for Isaac. When he sees Rebecca at the well he asks for a sip of water from her jar. She not only provides it, but then adds, "I will also draw for your camels, until they finish drinking." (Gen. read more »
Divrei TorahMy Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Chaye Sarah
Submitted by Daniel M. Kimmel [Brookline, MA] on Fri, Nov 21, 2008
I'm a film critic in Boston (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Variety, Jewish Advocate), lecturer (Suffolk University, private groups) and MC for the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. My one paragraph drashes are for my brotherhood newsletter. You may use them for your own.
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VaYeira 5769/2008: “Which Fire?”
Submitted by Rabbi Menachem Creditor [Berkeley, CA] on Mon, Nov 17, 2008
© Rabbi Menachem Creditor When we tell the story of the Akeidah, the Binding of Isaac, how do we tell it? read more »
Rabbi Menachem Creditor is rabbi of Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley, CA. He is also founder of ShefaNetwork: (The Conservative Movement Dreaming from Within), co-founder of KeshetRabbis (The Alliance of Gay-Friendly Conservative and Masorti Rabbis), and author of TheTisch, an electronic commentary on Jewish Spirituality. He is a popular speaker at synagogues, college campuses, and various communities on questions of Jewish Identity, Leadership, and Spirituality. As one half of Shirav, a Jewish folk-music group, he has spread passion, comfort, and joy to audiences around North America and Israel.
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My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Vayera (2)
Submitted by Daniel M. Kimmel [Brookline, MA] on Thu, Nov 13, 2008
When Sarah is told she will have a child in her old age she laughs and says, “Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment – with my husband so old?” (Gen 18:12). When God quotes this to Abraham, He puts it this way, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?’” (18:13) Since God does not work for (insert cable news channel you wish to demonize here) why does He misquote Sarah? read more »
I'm a film critic in Boston (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Variety, Jewish Advocate), lecturer (Suffolk University, private groups) and MC for the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. My one paragraph drashes are for my brotherhood newsletter. You may use them for your own.
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My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Lech Lecha (2)
Submitted by Daniel M. Kimmel [Brookline, MA] on Wed, Nov 5, 2008
There's no doubt the story of Abram and Sarai's sojourn in Egypt is an odd one. "As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, 'I know what a beautiful woman you are. If the Egyptians see you, and think, 'She is his wife,' they will kill me and let you live.'" (Gen. 12:11-12). Instead they pretend to be siblings. Now maybe you picture them as a Biblical version of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but at the time Abram is 75 and Sarai is 65. Even if she's a very well-preserved 65, it makes you stop and think. read more »
I'm a film critic in Boston (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Variety, Jewish Advocate), lecturer (Suffolk University, private groups) and MC for the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. My one paragraph drashes are for my brotherhood newsletter. You may use them for your own.
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Noach 5769/2008: "Are We What We Need?"
Submitted by Rabbi Menachem Creditor [Berkeley, CA] on Sun, Nov 2, 2008
The Noach epic births ever-more pressing questions as story-teller and reader grow in life experience. Beyond "why did God destroy the earth?" and "what about the animals who weren't in the ark?" and "why doesn't Noach's wife have a name?" and countless other reactions to the narrative, beyond the comparisons (and significant differences) between Noach and Utnapishtim (the ancient Mesopotamian flood hero) we would do well to spend a moment on the following question: What might Noach have done differently? read more »
Rabbi Menachem Creditor is rabbi of Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley, CA. He is also founder of ShefaNetwork: (The Conservative Movement Dreaming from Within), co-founder of KeshetRabbis (The Alliance of Gay-Friendly Conservative and Masorti Rabbis), and author of TheTisch, an electronic commentary on Jewish Spirituality. He is a popular speaker at synagogues, college campuses, and various communities on questions of Jewish Identity, Leadership, and Spirituality. As one half of Shirav, a Jewish folk-music group, he has spread passion, comfort, and joy to audiences around North America and Israel.
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My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Noach (2)
Submitted by Daniel M. Kimmel [Brookline, MA] on Fri, Oct 31, 2008
The stories in Parshah Noach - the Flood, the Tower of Babel - may seem remote to us, but there are lessons there with practical value for us today. Take the fantastic Babel story. While we remember the tower and the creation of numerous languages so the people could not speak to each other, Rashi notes something unusual in Gen. 11:5: "The Lord came down to look at the city and tower that man had built." For Rashi, the notion that God would have to "come down" to check things out seems quite absurd. Wouldn't He already know? read more »
I'm a film critic in Boston (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Variety, Jewish Advocate), lecturer (Suffolk University, private groups) and MC for the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. My one paragraph drashes are for my brotherhood newsletter. You may use them for your own.
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My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Bereshit (2)
Submitted by Daniel M. Kimmel [Brookline, MA] on Wed, Oct 22, 2008
We start the Torah anew with Parshah Bereshit. At the climax of the creation story we get this curious statement: “And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’” (Gen. 1:26) “Us?” Who’s “us?” God is One, and the rabbis are clear that no one was helping Him in the creation, so where did this plural come from? read more »
I'm a film critic in Boston (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Variety, Jewish Advocate), lecturer (Suffolk University, private groups) and MC for the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. My one paragraph drashes are for my brotherhood newsletter. You may use them for your own.
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My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) -- Chol Chamoed Sukkot
Submitted by Daniel M. Kimmel [Brookline, MA] on Thu, Oct 16, 2008
We're a Parshah away from concluding the Torah but we take a break from the normal schedule this Shabbat for Chol Hamoed Sukkot. Instead we read parts of chapters 33 and 34 of the book of Exodus. Why was this selected for our Shabbat reading? read more »
I'm a film critic in Boston (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Variety, Jewish Advocate), lecturer (Suffolk University, private groups) and MC for the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. My one paragraph drashes are for my brotherhood newsletter. You may use them for your own.
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My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Ha'azinu
Submitted by Daniel M. Kimmel [Brookline, MA] on Fri, Oct 10, 2008
Just a little politics – and non-partisan at that. Have you ever noticed how politicians only want to talk about the past if it makes them look good (or their opponents bad)? read more »
I'm a film critic in Boston (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Variety, Jewish Advocate), lecturer (Suffolk University, private groups) and MC for the New England Region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. My one paragraph drashes are for my brotherhood newsletter. You may use them for your own.
My Tools
Yom Kippur 5769: "Eyes on the Prize"
Submitted by Rabbi Menachem Creditor [Berkeley, CA] on Fri, Oct 10, 2008
© Rabbi Menachem Creditor Last night I had a dream about a home that was so bright. We have so much work to do. So much work to do. read more »
Rabbi Menachem Creditor is rabbi of Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley, CA. He is also founder of ShefaNetwork: (The Conservative Movement Dreaming from Within), co-founder of KeshetRabbis (The Alliance of Gay-Friendly Conservative and Masorti Rabbis), and author of TheTisch, an electronic commentary on Jewish Spirituality. He is a popular speaker at synagogues, college campuses, and various communities on questions of Jewish Identity, Leadership, and Spirituality. As one half of Shirav, a Jewish folk-music group, he has spread passion, comfort, and joy to audiences around North America and Israel.
My Tools
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