Weekly Words of Torah

Parashat Vayeshev 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields Parashat Vayeshev is full of dreams. It begins with Joseph’s dreams and ends with the dreams of the chief baker and chief cupbearer. Dreams are not only what we have...
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Parashat Vayishlach 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields In his week’s Torah reading, Parashat Vayishlach, Jacob receives his new name, Israel, after wrestling with an angel or person, depending on interpretation. The explanation...
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Parashat Vayetzei 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields Parashat Vayetzei has the wonderful moment of Jacob waking up from his dream, and realizing that God was in the place where he slept. My wish for all of us is that we create...
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Parashat Toldot 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields Parashat Toldot sees the birth of the twins Jacob and Esau. From conception they fought; in the womb they made their presence known. God warned Rebecca that inside her...
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Parashat Chayyei Sarah 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields Ironically the name of this week’s Torah reading, Chayyei Sarah, means the life of Sarah, yet it does not discuss Sarah’s life, but rather her death and the plans for her...
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Parashat Lekh-Lekha 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields Parashat Lekh-Lekha begins Avram’s journey to being the father of the Jewish people, as God commands him to leave his home, his father’s home, and go to the place that...
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Parashat Noach 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields This week’s Torah Reading, Parashat Noach, has some of the most well known stories in the Torah: the story of Noach building the ark, and the flood; and also the story...
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Parashat Bereshit 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields This week we conclude our cycle of reading the Torah and begin again. Although we read the same words each year, they mean something very different each time we read them....
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Chol HaMoed Sukkot 5785

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields The fulfillment of the mitzvah of the four species of Sukkot requires us to hold together either fruit or branches from four different species of trees – the date...
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Yom Kippur 5784

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, we are supposed to be engaging in self reflection – cheshbon hanefesh – and analyzing how we want to change....
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