Daniel M. Kimmel
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Tzav (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags:
God has some interesting instructions for Moses to convey to the Israelites in Parshah Tzav: "The offering to the Lord from a sacrifice of well-being must be presented by him who offers his sacrifice of well-being to the Lord." (Lev. 7:29) This is interesting because, as far as the average...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Vayikra (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Vayikra
Pity the rabbis who - Pesach aside - have to write sermons in the coming weeks. Parshah Va-Yikra, the start of the third book of the Torah, spends much time on sacrifices and priestly rituals, topics that don't immediately resonate for most congregants. Take chapter 4 of Leviticus which is about...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Pekudei
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Pekudei
The double portion of VaYakhel/P'Keudei is not the most exciting of material. P'Keudei begins with Moses's expense account, "These are the records of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Pact, which were drawn up at Moses' bidding..." (Exo. 38:21) Why should we care? While only the most obsessive...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Ki Tissa (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Ki Tisah
In Parshah Ki Tissa, Moses discovers that he’s not the only one with a hotline to the Almighty. “See, I have singled out by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft.” (Exo. 31:2,3) We...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Tetzaveh (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Tetzaveh
In Parshah Tetzaveh Aaron and his sons are selected as Cohanim (Exo. 28:1), "You shall bring forward your brother Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests.." The ancient world placed a lot of value on lineage, and we still do to some extent today. Yet even with...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Terumah (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Terumah
Parshah T'rumah is not the most exciting reading, focusing on the building of the Tabernacle, so the rabbis worked extra hard to derive lessons from it. "You shall make the planks for the Tabernacle of acacia wood, upright." (Exo 26:15). If you're not building a Tabernacle, what lessons could that...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Yitro (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Yitro
Parshah Yitro marks a turning point in our history as it recounts the encounter and covenant at Sinai. It opens, "On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai." (Exo. 19:1) Naturally the rabbis wondered why...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - B'shalach (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Beshalach
There's a bit of unexpected sarcasm in Parshah B'Shallach, which doesn't put the Israelites in the best of lights. Moses has led them out of Egypt but Pharaoh's army is in pursuit. When they're close enough to be seen, we're told the Israelites complained to Moses, "Was it for want of graves in...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Bo (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Bo
People in administrative positions get lots of advice and then have to make the hard decisions themselves. In Parshah Bo we get a good example of not heeding good advice when Pharaoh ignores his courtiers before the eighth plague. One would think the message got through by now, but Pharaoh's...
My Weekly Drash (a mini D'var Torah) - Va'era (2)
Posted by Daniel M. Kimmel | Tags: Va'era
“Let My people go!” is probably one of Moses’s most quoted statements but, like “Play it again, Sam” or “Come up and see me sometime,” it’s actually a misquote. When God instructs Moses what to say to Pharaoh, He actually does tell him to use that phrase, but never by itself. In Parshah Va-Era God...
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