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This week we begin reading Leviticus, the third book of the Torah. Leviticus contains detailed instructions regarding our ancient Temple ritual: animal sacrifice, priesthood, uncleanliness and purity, atonement and holiness. The Torah portion for this week is entirely devoted to animal sacrifices and they are: olah (burnt
Many people today reading this commandment might be shocked by the measures used to make people observe Shabbat – the death penalty. Are these measures truly appropriate for the failure in observing it? Is this an overreaction?
One thing is certain, if this law was truly and fully implemented within the tribal society of ancient Israelites the common
Thoughts on parashat Ki Tisa
The central event of this weekly portion of the Torah is the golden calf incident:
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened
Thoughts on Parashat Terumah
The Torah portion of this week is entirely devoted to the structure of Mishkan. Mishkan comes from the Hebrew root meaning shachan which means “to dwell”; the tabernacle was considered to be the earthly dwelling place or residence of God.
God instructs Moses with words: Tell the Israelite people to get me their contribution, from everyone whose
Thoughts on Parashat Mishpatim
The Torah portion for this week begins with a code of law which regulates social relations. The first part of this code (Ex 21:1-11) deals with slavery. As we know, this institution existed in ancient Israel, just like in other ancient states and cultures. However, slavery in Israel was not “absolute”. A slave had his inviolable rights.
Thoughts on Parashat Yitro
In this week’s Torah portion we find the story of Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro, who after having heard about everything that God has done for Moses and the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt decides to join Moses and the people of Israel. So he comes to the desert along with
Thoughts on Parasha Yitro
In this week’s Torah portion we find the story of Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro, who after having heard about everything that God has done for Moses and the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt decides to join Moses and the people of Israel. So he comes to the desert along with Moses’ wife and two sons whom Moses has previously sent away
About Rabbi Cantor Menachem Mirski, Ph.D.
Rabbi Menachem Mirski was born and raised in Poland, where he was a musician, a scholar, and active in helping revive the Jewish community in Poland. While still in Poland, he trained and worked as a hazzan, leading weekly services. He is an accomplished musician, performing in the klezmer scene in Europe and America for well over a decade. At the same time, he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. His dissertation was on Jewish Theological Responses to the Holocaust.
Rabbi Mirski’s scholarly pursuits inspire his congregation to delve deeper into Jewish religious concepts and their faith. His passion lies in unlocking the timeless wisdom of Torah and traditional rabbinic teachings to tackle today’s cultural, philosophical, and social challenges. With his gentle and welcoming demeanor, Rabbi Mirski embodies a deep commitment to fostering a tight-knit community and nurturing genuine bonds.
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