Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence

Chukkat

“Moses raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, when an abundance of water gushed forth, and the congregation and their livestock drank” Numbers 20:11

Bemidbar

“You shall count them according to their legions” Numbers 1:3

Acharei Mot

“With this shall Aaron enter the holy place” Leviticus 16:3

Leave meant leave - but the Exodus took more than one step

The four cups of wine represent different stages in the journey out of Egypt

Shemini

“I am Hashem who elevates you from the land of Egypt to be your Hashem. You shall be holy because I am holy” Leviticus 11:45

Ki Tissa

“Now the Lord said to Moses, ‘Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered’” Exodus 34:1

Beshallach

“And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarrelled and because they tested the Lord saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” Exodus 17:7

Vayiggash

“How can I go to my father and the child not be with me?” Genesis 44:34

Toldot

“Isaac loved Esau because the hunt was in his mouth and Rebecca loved Jacob” Genesis 25:28

Bereshit

“And the Lord set a sign for Cain” Genesis 4:15

The universalist theme of our festivals

The High Holy Days ask us to look beyond ourselves

Ruth, the outsider who became a role model of redemption