July 29, 2010 | Ekev

Re'eh

My Weekly Drash (a mini D'Var Torah) -- Re'eh

Parshah Re'eh opens with what may be the most important verse in the Torah for modern Jews: "See, this day I set before you blessing and curse." (Deut. 11:26). Moses is trying to persuade the Israelites to do the right thing (i.e., follow God's commands) and to warn them of the consequence if they...

Temporary Housing

As I prepare for the holiday of Sukkot, and I prepare to tell managers & coworkers why I'm taking yet another two days off in the middle of the week, and then another two days a week later, I have been trying to come up with a good explanation for the thing I've been building in my backyard. The...

A Need-To-Know Basis

Parshat Re'eh starts out with a brief description of a strange ceremony we'll encounter later in Devarim: The blessings and the curses atop Mount Gerizim and Mount Eval, respectively. (The latter's English homophone, "Evil", is probably unrelated). But having whetted our apetite with a preview,...

Unity in the Face of Tragedy

There was one picture that did it for me this week; one scene which moved me the most. It was the picture on the front page of some of our local papers. It was the picture of a young girl being carried to safety by a rescue worker, and while she is being carried away, the young girl is reaching...

About Ekev

Parshat Ekev

The concept of teshuvah, repentance, is a given in traditional Jewish circles: One who sins before God has the inalienable right to repent and to be absolved. Nevertheless, an analysis of the Torah indicates that such a theology might be absent from the text. In this week’s portion, Ekev, Moses...read more

About Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld
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Joined: 08/08/2007

Shmuel is Rabbi of Ohev Sholom -- The National...

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My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Ekev

"Love, therefore, the Lord your God, and always keep His charge, His laws, His rules, and His commandments." (Deut. 11:1) This passage from Parshah Ekev is not unique. It is one of many places we are told to "love" God. But what does that mean? Rabbi Jakob Petuchowski wrote, "Jews study Torah...read more

About Daniel M. Kimmel
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Joined: 10/02/2007

Daniel M. Kimmel is a Boston area film critic,...

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Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld

Joined: August 8, 2007

Shmuel is Rabbi of Ohev Sholom -- The National Synagogue, the oldest Orthodox synagogue in Washington, DC. His communal responsibilities include teaching classes, coordinating adult education, creating programs for the elderly,the youth, and the sick, and ministering to the pastoral needs of the...

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rabbiflam

Joined: September 26, 2007

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danielbu

Joined: May 16, 2008

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