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Rabbi's Torah
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Rabbi Marc Kline’s thoughts and views on this week’s Parashah!
When approaching a religious ceremony, two schools of thought do battle. One argues that if you do the ritual and make it a habit, you will come to understand the value of the ritual. The “doing” creates and/or fosters the “understanding.” The other school argues that one must sense value in doing before participating or […]
My tradition teaches that there is no special task or rite in the religion that only a Rabbi can perform. We have made a profession out of the Jewish clergy (Rabbi and Cantor), but that is more to facilitate the operations of a synagogue in a world where our normal lives take us all over […]
Every year, as I approach this week’s Torah portion, I find myself embedded in an internal struggle. We call this portion the “holiness code” because it speaks to the ground rules for being holy. “Kedoshim ti’h’yu, ki kadosh Ani.” God says, “You shall be holy because I am holy.” I always thought I understood the […]
Acharae mot –After the death. The “name” of this week’s Torah portion – Acharae Mot. “After the Death of Aaron’s sons.” What follows has to be one of those places where Torah screams off its pages, “Debate me!” Rashi (medieval scholar) argued that places in Torah exist for the sole purpose of prompting a debate, and […]
The Seders are done. The holiday ends tonight (unless you add a second first day, at which point it ends tomorrow night – consider this a corollary to the “2 Jews 12 opinions” thing). I am glad that the Seders went well. I loved being with family, friends, congregation and community. I am glad that […]
If there is a paradigmatic holiday that speaks to the ultimate Jewish value of Justice, it is Passover. We read of the story throughout the Torah. We tell the tales (some Biblical and some commentary based) of the evil Pharaoh and the Egyptian taskmasters. We shout praises to Moses whose heroism helped deliver us from […]
Last week, we read about how to tell if someone bears a designated “skin disease.” This week, we learn the rules and processes as part of the afflicted person’s purification. Often last week’s portion and this one are joined in one week. You get the diagnosis and the purification all in one week. When, however, it […]
I love my faith tradition! Even while the Book of Ecclesiastes teaches us that there is nothing new under the Sun (1:9), we also know that each year, as we read the “same old” Torah, it has to speak with a brand spanking new voice. Religious people get lazy. We read a text and walk […]
I have a confession to share. I eat non-“kosher” meat. I don’t eat pork. Ok, by Biblical standards, I eat kosher; just not according to many who get paid to supervise the slaughter and preparation of meat. According to the Torah, though, I guess I am pretty strict; and, I believe that God has to […]
I went to the barbershop to get a haircut. It was good to see Gus, my barber. As is his routine, he asked me how I wanted my hair cut. I told him that I wanted him to make me pretty. With all candor he replied, “I’m not sure there’s much to work with.” Not […]