Josh Scharff
Parashat Eikev - Why We Pray
Shabbat Shalom. I wanted to first share the context in which I am speaking tonight. My rabbinical thesis work - that will be submitted...
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Josh Scharff
- Aug 23
- 7 min
Vaetchanan - Comfort in Suspension
This past Monday evening, the 9th of Av, Jews all over the world gathered as we remembered the destruction of the two great Temples in...
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Josh Scharff
- Aug 23
- 5 min
Devarim - Boundless Empathy
I love the book of Deuteronomy. When I read the fifth and final book of the Torah, I imagine Moses as the old professor. I even have the...
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Josh Scharff
- Aug 23
- 5 min
Matot-Masei - Power and Righteousness
In Parashat Matot-Masei we are told that Moses himself takes the time to record the journeys of the Israelites from their days in slavery...
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Josh Scharff
- Aug 1
- 7 min
Parashat Pinchas - Passing Along Leadership
In my writings this year I have mostly commented on events happening in Israel and the Jewish world. That is the spirit of this project...
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Josh Scharff
- Aug 1
- 8 min
Parashat Balak - Seeing Intention
“Mah tovu ohalecha Ya’akov, mishkenotecha Yisrael - how beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, oh Israel!” (Numbers 24:5)...
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Josh Scharff
- Jul 12
- 6 min
Parashat Chukat - The Limits of Reason
This week’s portion opens with, and derives its name from, these words: “zot chukat haTorah asher tzivah Adonai lemor - this is the...
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Josh Scharff
- Jul 12
- 4 min
Parashat Korah - Choosing Wisely
n Korach, the portion’s namesake leads an uprising against Moses’ leadership of the Israelites. He is unsuccessful and he, along with the...
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Josh Scharff
- Jun 30
- 3 min
Parashat Sh'lach - Grasshoppers or Giants?
This week's portion, Shelach, contains one of the best known stories in the Torah, the saga of the 12 spies. God commands Moses to send...
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Josh Scharff
- Jun 30
- 4 min
Parashat Beha'alotcha - Using our Words for Good
Parashat Beha’alotecha is full of action. The levites are ordained and prepared for their role as attendants in the mishkan; the...
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Josh Scharff
- Jun 28
- 6 min
Parashat Naso - Rebuilding Trust
Parashat Nasso is a personally very significant portion for me, as it is what I read 21 (goodness that is a large number) years ago at my...
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Josh Scharff
- Jun 28
- 3 min
Parashat BaMidbar - The Portability of Holiness
The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar (in the wilderness) in Hebrew, opens with God commanding Moses to take a census, assessing the numbers of...
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Josh Scharff
- Jun 27
- 3 min
Parashat Bechukotai - Opting In
Im b’chukotai telechu. The last portion of the book of Leviticus opens with these words: If you follow my laws and faithfully observe my...
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Josh Scharff
- Jun 27
- 3 min
Parashat Behar - Speaking for the Land
While much of the Levitical law focuses on the work of the priests or on the moral code that we must keep between one another, Parashat...
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Josh Scharff
- Jun 27
- 4 min
Parashat Emor - The Voice of the Mothers
In this week’s portion, we read about the only woman mentioned by name in the book of Leviticus, Shelomit bat Divri from the tribe of...
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Josh Scharff
- May 12
- 3 min
Yom HaZikaron
In just about an hour, Israelis around the nation will rise and stand at attention as they hear the minute-long blast of the siren...
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Josh Scharff
- May 10
- 4 min
Parashat Kedoshim - Loving Others
Parashat Kedoshim opens with the commandment kedoshim te’hiyu ki kadosh ani - you shall be holy for I (God) am holy. God, we read, is...
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Josh Scharff
- May 3
- 6 min
Acharei Mot - Celebrating Difference
This week’s Torah portion Achrei Mot presents a timeless question: how are we as Jews meant to differentiate ourselves from the nations...
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Josh Scharff
- Apr 27
- 5 min
Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach - Belief in Crisis
This week we take a step away from our yearly, chronological journey through the Torah. We are in the midst of the period we call chol...
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Josh Scharff
- Apr 22
- 4 min
Passover, 5784
Passover is probably my favorite holiday. I love the foods, the songs, the idea that the greatest meals are accompanied by a wonderful...
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הִגִּיד לְךָ אָדָם מַה־טּוֹב וּמָה־יְהֹוָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ כִּי אִם־עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶיךָ׃ - מיכה ו׳ ז׳
He has told you, O man, what is good, And what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice, and to love goodness, and to walk modestly with your God - Micah 6:8
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