This week’s Torah portion brings some warmth during these exceedingly cold days with the story of “The Burning Bush.”
This is my very first video podcast. I am honored to be part of Shmuel Rosner’s ‘Rosner’s Domain Torah Talks’ for the Jewish Journal.
Shmuel is a highly esteemed journalist (NYTimes, Ha’aretz, Ma’ariv and the political editor of the Jewish Journal). For the past five years he has interviewed rabbis of all denominations every week about the weekly Torah portion over Skype for a seven-minute video podcast.
This week we begin reading the book of Exodus (the book of Shemot in Hebrew). The word “shemot” in Hebrew does not mean “exodus” – it means “names.” And this Torah portion has a lot to teach about the importance of names.
We cannot be truly engaged in a relationship with someone unless we know his or her name. For some of us, that includes our relationship with God.
The Israeli poet Zelda says that each of us has three names: the name our parents give us, the name others call us, and the name we make for ourselves.
| Zelda
Everyone Has a Name Everyone has a name Everyone has a name Everyone has a name Everyone has a name Everyone has a name Everyone has a name Everyone has a name Everyone has a name Everyone has a name (Translated from Hebrew by Marcia Falk, quoted from “Generations of the Holocaust” by Bergmann and Jugovy) |
זלדה
לכל איש יש שם
לכל איש יש שם לכל איש יש שם לכל איש יש שם לכל איש יש שם לכל איש יש שם לכל איש יש שם לכל איש יש שם לכל איש יש שם לכל איש יש שם |
But what do we call God? How do we come to know God? Let’s explore the Torah portion for this week in more depth to learn more.
Click the link below to view my podcast for Parshat Shemot on Rosners Domain. Shabbat Shalom!