Ki Tissa 5771: Of Golden Calves and Glowing Presences

Sorry I am so late this week!

For more on Michaelangelo's depiction of horns based on the mis-translation of the Hebrew word referring to "rays" of light rather than "horns of light" see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_%28Michelangelo%29
For more detailed discussion on the origins of the golden calf see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_calf.

Yitro 5771: Conversion, Courts and Commandments

Please see the "extras" for the PDF of the 10 commandments in Hebrew and English as they appear in this week's parasha.

"Nedarim" is the Hebrew word for vows and is a tractate of the Talmud.  For more information on the importance of vows see: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ethics/Talk_and_Gossip/Types_of_Speech/Vows_and_Oaths.shtml.

For more information about seeing the text through a feminist lens consider these books:

New Jewish Feminism
Probing the Past, Forging the Future

Edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
Foreword by Anita Diamant, author of The Red Tent

ReVisions
Seeing Torah through a Feminist Lens

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein

The Women's Haftarah Commentary
New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Haftarah Portions, the 5 Megillot & Special Shabbatot

Edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein

The Women's Torah Commentary
New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions

Edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein

Standing Again at Sinai:  Judaism from a Feminist Perspective Judith Plaskow