Making Every Stop Count People are planning their summer holidays. Students are looking forward to a gap year of travel. Others are preparing to settle into a new university. Life itself is a journey, filled with different stages, destinations, and experiences. But wherever we travel, physically or emotionally, how grounded are we in each stop along the way? In this week’s Torah portion, the Jewish people journey through the wilderness, travelling from one encampment to the next according to G-d’s command. The Torah tells us: “At the command of G-d they encamped, and at the command of G-d they journeyed.”...
I feel so sentenced by your words. I feel so judged and sent away. Before I go, I’ve got to know— is that what you mean to say? Words are windows, or they’re walls; they sentence us, or set us free. When I speak and when I hear, let the love-light shine through me. These lines by the poet Ruth Bebermeyer, brought to prominence by the psychologist Marshall Rosenberg in his work on Nonviolent Communication, capture something profoundly human: at the heart of every interaction are our needs, our feelings, and the way we express them. His teaching invites us...
Medics have coined the term “itch-scratch cycle”—a self-perpetuating loop in which skin irritation (the itch) leads to scratching. Scratching provides temporary relief by triggering pain signals that override the itch, but it also releases chemicals that increase inflammation. This, in turn, damages the skin barrier, leading to even greater irritation and stronger itching. Rabbi Elimelech Biderman uses this concept to illustrate the skin afflictions described in this week’s Torah portion: “When a person will have on the skin of his flesh a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot…” (Leviticus 13:2) Why these specific afflictions? The Talmud (Arachin 16a) teaches that they result from...
Some of you would have heard the blessing of HaGomel, perhaps after surgery, a long flight, or a frightening experience. It is a blessing of thanks, recited publicly, acknowledging that we have safely emerged from danger. Its roots lie in this week’s parashah, and its message resonates powerfully at our Seder table. In the Torah we read (Vayikra 7:12): “If one brings it as a thanksgiving offering.” The offering included three types of Matzot, unleavened bread. Rashi explains that this refers to four categories of people who offer thanks for a miracle that happened to them: 1. those who travel...
When a Soul Makes a Mistake In his bestselling book Atomic Habits, James Clear writes: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” What does that mean? It means that our actions do not only affect the world around us — they shape the person we are becoming inside, our very soul. Each decision, even small ones, leaves an imprint on our character and our inner life. This idea resonates with a verse in this week’s parashah, Vayikra. When the Torah introduces the laws of the offering brought for an unintentional transgression,...
Who owns your time? At first the answer seems obvious: I do. Yet in a world of constant notifications, endless responsibilities, and 24/7 connectivity, many of us feel that our time is rarely our own. Between emails, messages, and the constant pull of our phones, it can sometimes feel as though everyone owns a piece of our time except us. We pick up our phone for a moment and suddenly ten minutes have disappeared. By the end of the day we may find ourselves wondering: what happened to the time? We often say, “time ran away from me.” But time...
Recognising the Gifts We Carry “If you need something done, give it to a busy person.” This idea is captured in a striking verse in this week’s Torah portion: “And into the heart of every wise-hearted person I have placed wisdom.” (Exodus 31:6) The Talmud explains why the “wise-hearted” are given wisdom: “The Holy One, blessed be He, gives wisdom only to one who already has wisdom.” (Berachot 55a) At first glance, this is puzzling. If a person already has wisdom, why is more needed? What does it mean that G-d grants wisdom only to those who already possess it?...
REMEMBERING ST. JOHN’S WOOD Many nations have attacked the Jewish people throughout history, but only one is commanded to be remembered as a permanent archetype of evil. The special Maftir for this Shabbat recalls Amalek – not merely as another historical enemy, but as a symbol of something far deeper. His attack was not only physical; it was ideological. It challenged our understanding of history, destiny, and Divine purpose. That is why the command to remember him is eternal, and why this Shabbat refreshes that memory once again. Amalek’s attack is described using the Hebrew word karcha, which normally means...
