Ki Tavo 5771: Blessings, Thanksgiving and New Beginnings

Please see the photos at http://www.pressconnects.com/ for the devastation suffered by thousands of residents of the Binghtamton Southern Tier area.  Fortunately our farm was well outside of the flooded area.  However, many of our neighbors suffered lots of damage to their farms from the waters as well as from oil tanks that leaked etc.  There are many relief projects going on in the area.  Please consider giving to: Hay for Holly (see the facebook page).  It is a group of people helping raise money to feed the alpaca and sheep this winter for our neighbors Holly and Todd whose farm was flooded and then contaminated by leaky oil tanks and other debris that fell into their land during the flood.  

For more information on tithing or the "maasar" in the Bible see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maaser_Rishon, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maaser_Sheni.  An interesting view on tithing can be found here:  http://www.pidyon.com/latest-writings/halacha/10-maaser/48-computing-maaser-how-much-tzedakah-charity-do-i-owe.html. 

Reeh 5771: Blessings, Curses, Blessings

Thanks to The Clothed in the Lamb podcast for mentioning me and for sending listeners my way.  Please do visit Itunes and put in a review (a good one I hope) to help others find Torah Threads.  

The image below is based on this week's parasha.  Please read the artist's statement as it beautifully conveys a special part of the Torah portion.  

Andi Arnovitz, USA/Israel

Parshat Re'eh

Parshat Re'eh

Artist Statement

I have always loved this parsha because the fundamentals of the Jewish concept of tzedakah are carefully explained here. Although there are many blessings and curses given, as an artist searching for the most graphic statement in the parsha, I found the "If there shall be a destitute person among you, any of your brethren in any of your cities, in the land that Hashem your G-d gives you, you shall not harden your heart or close your hand against your destitute brother. Rather, you shall open your hand to him; you shall lend him his requirement, whatever is lacking to him."

In this piece I worked in layers, symbolizing the many layers of understanding and interpretation that exist in the Torah. I have used the image of the hamsa, so prevalent here in Jerusalem, to represent the hand open in giving. I have sewn them, but left the tops open so they could actually hold money. Hanging from these hands are all the categories of obligation to which an individual is required to give charity. (From the Kitzer Shuchan Aruch. These include the orphan and widow, the poor of Jerusalem, the captive and the schools. All require our attention.

Ekev 5771: Fertility and Fidelity

This is the Parsha Cake Blogs' Ekev cake showing the all the good things with which the Israelites will be blessed when they enter the promised land.  2 questions:  Which verse does this refer to?  What are the species depicted?



We send our condolence to the families of those killed at the Indiana State Fair and prayers of healing to those who were injured.

Devarim 5771: Moses' First Speech--Historical Review and Revisionism

Wikipedia gives a general introduction to the background and the structure of the Book of Deuteronomy.  It is well worth reading it or the introduction to the book from any of the major Jewish commentaries such as the Plaut, Eitz Hayyim, the JPS or the Hertz Pentateuch to keep track of the themes and content as this sometimes gets lost in some of the details given. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Deuteronomy

You will also notice a different tone in the language.  We will talk about that more when we get to the poetic sections.