In the final parsha of the book of Leviticus, in the midst of one of the most searing curses ever to have been uttered to a nation by way of warning, the Sages found a fleck of pure gold. Moses is describing a nation in flight from its enemies: Just the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to…
…on earth.’ When one sins, all are punished … When one is injured, all feel the pain. Sifra Bechukotai 2:7 ‘They shall stumble over one another’—one because of another. This teaches that all Israel are sureties for one another. Core Questions What makes the Jewish people a people? What is the difference between a people and a religion? How do…
…to that terrible passage in the Torah portion of Bechukotai, in the 26th chapter of the book of Leviticus known as the Tochacha, the passage that describes the curses that will, God forbid, befall Israel as a people if they disobey God. It is such a traumatic, terrifying passage that when we read it in the synagogue, we read it in an…
Share Link copied! LESSON PLAN A suggested lesson plan outline for incorporating these resources into a single 60-minute class. Download PDF Summary In this unit you can find resources and texts which explore the values of responsibility and activism in Jewish thought, and specifically the thought of Rabbi Sacks. As well as texts from the writings of Rabbi Sacks,…
…Conversation, Bechukotai) On Judaism and Islam (Covenant & Conversation, Chayei Sarah) Particular Paths to a Universal God (Covenant & Conversation, Yitro) Loving the Stranger (Covenant & Conversation, Mishpatim) The Universal and the Particular (Covenant & Conversation, Mikketz) Minority Rights (Covenant & Conversation, Behar) The Home We Build Together (Covenant & Conversation, Terumah) Short Quotes from Rabbi Sacks on Interfaith Dialogue…
…within our sphere of influence – be it within the family, the community, the organisation, or a larger grouping still. Bechukotai: “We the People” A Jewish leader has to respect individuals. They must “lift their heads.” However large the group you lead, you must always communicate the value you place on everyone, including those others exclude: the widow, the orphan,…
…meaning. BEHAR: In life, ask not, what can I gain?” But “what can I give?” Be a blessing to others and you will find that life has been a blessing to you. BECHUKOTAI: Search for meaning and you will discover strength, fulfilment and peace. FROM THE BOOK OF BAMIDBAR: BAMIDBAR: Remember your destination. This will help you to distinguish between…
…word of its Creator. Vayikra Tzav Shemini Tazria Metzora Acharei Mot Kedoshim Emor Behar Bechukotai Bamidbar (Numbers) The central theme of Bamidbar, the book of Numbers, is the second stage of the Israelites’ journey: physically from Egypt to the Promised Land, mentally from slavery to freedom. It is among the most searching, self-critical books in all of literature about what…
…an aleph that was smaller than the other alephs in the Torah, and he did indeed write it small. Something of great significance is being hinted at here, but before taking it further, let us turn to the end of the book. Just before the end, in the sedra of Bechukotai, there occurs one of the two most terrifying passages…
…keep the brit and the chessed …” This suggests that we will be shown chessed if we deserve it, but if not, not. But it isn’t so. At the end of the curses in Bechukotai, God says: “Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to…