... more insight on the High Holy Days and this week’s Torah portion, visit  urj.org/torah . Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Annie (Reference) ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 10/19/2009 - 9:38am - 0 attachments

Torah Portion:  Vayeishev ;  Genesis 37:1 - 40:23 Hanukkah is ... quite miraculously), the message of this week’s Torah portion is exactly the same.  In this week’s portion, ... to imagine that he gives up on everything. But instead the Torah tells us something amazing: “God was with him.”  ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 02/14/2010 - 7:40pm - 0 attachments

Torah Portion: Va’etchanan; Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11 D’var Torah This week’s Torah portion contains one of the most well-known sections of the ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 08/28/2009 - 10:32am - 0 attachments

Torah Portion:  Emor ; Leviticus 21:1-24:23 There is a great ... tools we have in life. That is why this week's Torah portion contains a troubling story about a man who blasphemes the name of ... at first glance, to be an overreaction.  Yet the Torah portion is teaching us in a graphic way that our words are incredibly ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 04/28/2010 - 11:15pm - 0 attachments

Special Simchat Torah Reading;  Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12 and Genesis 1:1-2:3 Rabbi ... achieve, but one I think we can all aspire to. Simchat Torah, in a sense, teaches the same lesson as these two pieces of paper in Rabbi Bunim's pocket.  We finish reading the Torah, read all about the death of Moses and his importance to us as a people; ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 12/05/2009 - 10:43pm - 0 attachments

Torah Portion:  Va-y’chi;  Genesis 47:28–50:26 Every time we finish reading a book of Torah , we arise and recite as a congregation the words, “ Hazak, ... as ways to respond. For more insight on this week's Torah portion, visit urj.org/torah . Shabbat Shalom! Rabbi Annie ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 04/28/2010 - 11:17pm - 0 attachments

Torah Portion: Shof'tim ; Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9 D’var Torah:   This week begins the Hebrew month of Elul, the last month of the ... can improve in the year to come.  I found a beautiful Torah commentary on this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim , that points ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 09/18/2009 - 11:52am - 0 attachments

Torah Portion: Naso , Numbers 4:21-7:89 This week's Torah portion, Naso, contains the obscure story of the " sotah ... a woman who has been accused of committing adultery. The Torah describes the arcane test that the accused woman must undergo to either ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 05/21/2010 - 12:29am - 0 attachments

Torah Portion:  Noach; Genesis 6:9-11:32 The story of Noah and the ark ... with how humans have turned out (violent and evil by the Torah’s account), God decides to destroy not only the majority of the ... for God, and for us. For more insight on this week's torah portion and the holiday of Simchat Torah, visit  ...

Blog entry - Rabbi Annie Belford - 12/05/2009 - 10:45pm - 0 attachments