by Kim Troup | May 25, 2023 | Shabbat Shalom
The Aaronic Blessing This week’s portion includes the laws regarding the “Nazirite” who takes an oath of abstention from wine, refrains from coming into contact with a dead body, and grows his hair wild. The Nazirite is a sort of ascetic who seeks to withdraw...
by Kim Troup | May 22, 2023 | Reflections from Israel
Facing the Divide: Shavuot and Pentecost Pentecost is a little-known holiday in many Christian denominations. Its connection to the founding of the church from the Book of Acts is well-known but in fact, Pentecost is rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is a holiday,...
by Kim Troup | May 18, 2023 | Shabbat Shalom
The Redemption of the First-Born The Hebrew word for the Book of Numbers is ‘Bamidbar,’ which means ‘desert’ for it narrates the events that occurred while the people of Israel were wandering in the wilderness. In fact, it is in this book of the Bible that we learn of...
by Kim Troup | May 4, 2023 | Shabbat Shalom
Interfaith Marriage Creates Confusion for the Children This week’s portion includes laws regarding the holidays as well as restrictions and instructions to the priests. The final section of the portion, however, begins with a rather unusual story:Now an Israelite...
by Kim Troup | Apr 27, 2023 | Shabbat Shalom
This week, we read a double portion, Achrei Mot/Kedoshim! I share a thought with you about the first part of the double portion below but if you would like an additional thought about the second part of the double portion, just scroll down. Biblical Values keep...
