A major portion of Parashat Beha’alotkha devotes itself to the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness dictated by the movement of the Clouds of Glory hovering above the Tabernacle to guide and protect the Israelites along the way. Chapter 11 covers the departure from Mount Sinai, the first stage of the march being a three-day journey to Taberah in the wilderness of Paran. The...

Dear Jewish Community in the GTA,Antisemitism is UnacceptableAs Christian ministers in the Greater Toronto Area, we are deeply troubled by the recent events of hatred and mistreatment towards the Jewish community. We want to express our deep concern and unequivocal condemnation of antisemitism in its various forms. We believe that every person, including the Jewish community should be treated...

Dear Friends,  A few years back, a friend and colleague Rabbi Daniel Greyber wrote a rabbinic responsa, about the community’s obligations to provide comfort to an individual whose shiva is canceled by the festival. This is how his teshuvah/responsa began:  It is established halakhah that if an individual suffers a loss and the burial takes place in the days before a...

This summer, I am completing a 400-hour unit of clinical pastoral education, or spiritual care, as the Chesed Intern at Beth Tzedec. In this role, I have the privilege of offering my presence to members of our community. We spend our visits together getting to know each other, and I listen to the stories, often full of both struggles and triumphs, of the unique lives of each person. At the...

Parashat Bechukotai provides the capstone covenant to the Book of Leviticus. Having shared so many rules and laws, the book ends with God sharing what rewards the people will receive should they adhere, and what curses and difficulties they will encounter if they don’t. The curses section is much longer and more detailed than the blessings section. Perhaps this is because our behaviour...

This evening begins the 32nd day of the Omer, Lev B’Omer - לב בעומר. Each evening, we add another to the count of the Omer, culminating in the 49th day and the celebration of the giving of the Torah on Shavuot. Each day the total count of the Omer increases just like how each night of Chanukah we add one more candle to the Chanukiyah. Rabbis Hillel and Shammai debated how to count...

"And when you will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it that it may be accepted (lirtzonchem)"(22:29).Rashi, the 11th century sage interprets the word "lirtzonchem" for our Torah portion Emor as having a double meaning. He explains, God will only accept our offering/gratitude if we offer it with full "knowledge and intention".While habit (keva) is central to Jewish practice and...

This week’s Parashah is Kedoshim. Rashi comments that this parashah holds the keys to the holiness of the Torah. It begins, “You shall be holy, for I, A-donai your God am Holy.”In the Parasha, several commandments are given for actions that one should take to maintain the functioning of society within the new land of Israel. They include everything from rules for justice in mediating...

Every year, Beth Tzedec undertakes a poignant tradition to commemorate Yom HaShoah through its annual Shoah Yellow Candle initiative. This deeply meaningful project, a collaborative effort of the entire congregation, involves volunteers in a hands-on initiative that reaches every corner of the Beth Tzedec community. Led by Beth Tzedec member, Adam Rachlin, Chair of the program, and...

Every year, but particularly in a Jewish leap-year, I am struck by the confluence of reading the Torah portions of Acharei Mot (this Shabbat) and Kedoshim (next Shabbat) in the period that we mark and then celebrate the three modern “Yoms” – Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers)...

Our Purim celebrations this year were nothing short of spectacular, with over 1,000 community members gathering at Beth Tzedec to join the festivities. From spirited Megillah readings to lively festivities, our community truly embraced the essence of unity and celebration, demonstrating the vibrancy and spirit that defines our Congregation. Here's a glimpse into the memorable programs that...

Beth Tzedec continues to solidify its reputation as a hub for community gatherings, and the recent Unplugged with Alex Edelman event was no exception. On Sunday, April 14th, our community had the privilege of hosting a special evening with Alex Edelman, a renowned comedian, writer, and producer fresh off his Broadway tour for 'Just For Us.' The event was a resounding success, drawing...

From the second night of Pesach until Shavuot, we count the forty-nine days of the Omer, the seven-week period known as S’firah. Leviticus 23:15 outlines the instructions emphasizing that the seven weeks must be תְּמִימֹת “complete.” There is a midrash which challenges the translation of “complete” and replaces it with “perfect”: “Rabbi Chiya taught: ‘Seven perfect...

The Haggadah teaches us that the great rabbi Hillel combined the three key symbols of Passover—the paschal sacrifice, the matzah, and the maror (bitter herbs)—into one bite, a “sandwich” if you will, in order to fulfill the commandment, “They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs” (Numbers 9:11). Since the destruction of the Temple, the practice of...

I am blessed to be a frequent traveler to Israel. When I visited in December, the experience was challenging. That rabbinic mission was mostly what is being called disaster tourism. I can’t unsee the destruction on the kibbutzim and while they are less frequent, I still get nightmares. Back then, many Israelis were still paralyzed and so many men and women had been called up to their military...