WELCOMING SHABBAT

CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND COMPILED EXCERPTS ON THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION  FROM THE TEACHINGS OF LEADING RABBIS AND JEWISH LEARNING INSTITUTIONS

  • By Parasha

  • By Tag

  • Reset all filters

Parashat Va’yeitzei: What is Jacob’s Ladder?

A solemn depiction of the back of Abraham, dressed in ancient Middle Eastern robes, standing and gazing out over empty, barren land.

Parashat Chayei Sarah: Abraham: A Life of Faith

Parashat Vayera – The Akeida: A Hero’s Journey

Detailed structure of Noah's ark

Parashat Noah: Holiness, and the Journey Toward Redemption – Insights from Aderet Eliyahu

Eretz Yisrael as God’s Designated Inheritance: Rashi’s Foundational Insight on Bereshit

one side is blooming and full of greenery and the other side is destruction

Parashat Ki Tavo: The Blessing and the Curse

Four open Jewish books on a table with men writing notes

Parashat Shofetim: Torah Study and Fear of Heaven: Connected?

Painting split between a green mountain full of flowers and the sun shining and a barren mountain with clouds above it

The Sefat Emet on Parashat Re’eh

Red cow sleeping all curled up with Chukat spelled in Hebrew in the center

Parashat Chukat: Descartes’ Error

Nazir staring out at a field with Naso written in hebrew

Parashat Naso: Death and Determination

Tents set up in the desert , facing each other surrounded by mountains

Parashat Bamidbar: Jewish Unity

Painting of the old city of Jerusalem

Parashat Bechukotai

Sun setting over a wheat field with the focus on a stalk of wheat

Parashat Behar

Abstract Art of Kever Rachel in blue with light shining through

Parashat Emor: Turning Gola into Geulah

Kedoshim written in Hebrew above the Jews together at Har Sinai

Parashat Kedoshim: You Shall Keep All My Status and All My Judgments

Yad on a Torah scroll

Parashat Acharei Mot – Rav Tzadok HaKohen on the Parsha

Nadav and Avihu getting burned by Hashem after putting foreign fire on the Mizbeach

Parashat Shemini – You Are What You Eight

Kohen fixing the fire by the golden alter painting

Making Connections: The Message of Mitzvos

Image of the Kohanim in the Mishkan preparing the Karbanot

PARASHAT VAYIKRA – LESSON IN BRINGING HOLINESS INTO OUR LIVES

Painting of the Mishkan completely built and the Jews Tents surrounding it

PARASHAT HA’SHAVUA PEKUDEI – Where does the Divine Presence live?

Abstract painting of shabbat candles by Alex Levine

The Fire of Shabbat

Jewish men in a room learning and studying together

The Bris HaTorah

Detailed wood model of the Tabernacle (Mishkan)

TERUMAH – The Sanctuary Within

Torah laws spinning around

Parshas Mishpatim

Sefer Torah in front of Har Sinai with the Luchot

Keeping In Touch – Vol. 1: Yisro

The Yam Suf splitting with lightening coming down from the sky

Meaning of Five

Moshe facing the burning bush

Bo – Thinking

Jewish Men praying as the sun is rising outside

The Place of Prayer

Group of Jews united waving Israeli flags

Turning Curses into Blessings

Vayechi written in Hebrew and English

A Small Glimpse of the Larger Picture

Man leading a group of people in the desert with pyramids and a camel

Illuminating the Darkest Moments of Your Life

Pharaoh and Joseph

Why Was Pharaoh Blown Away by Joseph

Yaakov lowering himself to Esav

Living Emunah on the Parashah

Ladder going up to the sky

Parashat Vayetze: Be Strong In The Way Of Awakening From Below

Sun setting over mountains in a desert with Toldot written in Hebrew and English

Parashat Toledot

Man on a hilltop looking out at a city

Parashat Chayei Sarah: Elevating the Land of Israel and the Entire World

IDF soldier in uniform davening with teffilin on

Parashat Vayera: Rav Asher Weiss: In Light of the War

Man sitting on a bench by the beach watching the waves

Parashat Lekh Lekha: At 90, A Man Turns Around His Life

Noach's boat in the water while it is raining

Parashat Noach: Living Emunah on the Parashah: Serenity and Faith in the Weekly Torah Reading

Sky with a shining sun and pink clouds, birds flying and a perfect view of green mountain tops

Parashat Haazinu: Heaven & Earth

Guy putting tefillin on someone else

Parashat Nitzavim: A Ba’al Teshuvah Is Greater Than a Tzaddik

Painting of people walking to the sunset

Parashat Nitzavim: Two Levels of Teshuvah

Pomegranates and figs painting

Parashat Ki Tavo: Keeping In Touch – Vol. 1

A scale pointing at 5 kg

Parashat Ki Tetze- A Measured Approach to Change

A gold scale on a table

Parashat Shoftim: The Wisdom in Civil Law

A blue eye surrounded by the world

Parashat Re’eh: The Power of Seeing: The Path to Blessing and Personal Growth

Green field with trees and houses and mountains

Parashat Ekev 5783

Man saying Shema and wearing Tefillin with Hebrew letters next to him

Parashat Va’etchanan – How can I love God?

Pink sky over a city with wind

Parashat Va’etchanan- Fully Alive

Yad on a Torah scroll

The Torah: With Or Hachaim’s Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated

Men crying out to Hashem as Jerusalem burns

Make It Real

Finger stoping dominos from continuing to fall

How to turn a crises or disaster to success

Pinchas holding a spear in his hand

Parashat Pinchas: Touching the Core

An orange and yellow snake on a stick

Can I See Anxiety as an Opportunity?

Man standing high on top of pile of failures

Parashat Korach: How to Measure a Person’s True Level

Man holding Tzitzit with Tekhelet on it

Parashat Shelach – What is the Tekhelet All About

Tallit, Siddur, and Lit candles on a table

Parashat Beha’alotecha: Rush and Return: The Anatomy of a Flame

Kohanim standing with their Tallit above them for Birkat Kohanim

The Priestly Blessing – Birkat Kohanim

Image of everyone looking the same and one out of place

Finding One’s Place in the World

Men learning Torah in a Beit Midrash

Keeping In Touch – Vol. 4: Bechukotai

Tzitzit and a tallit with the Hebrew Bracha

A Short Thought on Parshas Emor

Painting of the Kotel with lots of colors

Parashat Acharei Mot – Kedoshim: A Holy Life

Torah scroll slightly open

The Omer and Holiness Parshas Kedoshim

Abstract glass artwork with Tezaveh written in hebrew

Context and Perspective

Hands together holding a lit white candle

The Light We Make

Shabbat Candles and cloud with rays of sunshine coming down

Giving Thanks

Book with pages glowing

Hearing the Still Small Voice – Parshat Vayikra

Mishkan being built and people

Making Space: Vayakhel-Pekudei

Block with Hebrew letters written on each side

The Aleph Beit Of Creation – Ki Tissa

Oil flame surrounded by darkness

Oil, Wick, Vessel, Flame

A gift wrapped and topped with a bow being handed off from owner to child

The Gift of Giving

Lightening coming down from the sky and the words Na'aseh V'nishma written across

Doing and Hearing

10 commandments on top of Har Sinai with lightening coming down from the sky

The Ten Commandments and Creation

The Sea rising before a wave forms

Why the Sea Needed to Split

Full moon in the sky with wind blowing

The Mystery of the New Moon

Egyptian woman grossed out by frogs everywhere

A Short Thought on Parshat Va’eira

Moshe facing the burning bush with an orange background

Moses Confronts the Inner Human Struggle (The Burning Bush and the Tanya)

Jacob blessing Ephraim and Menashe with crossed arms

Parshas Vayechi

Hand reaching up to the sky

Parshas Vayigash

Pharaoh and Joseph

Why Was Pharaoh Blown Away by Joseph?

Crown laying on top of a big book

King David Strong In The Ways Of Judah’s Repentance

Yaakov fighting with the angel

Vayishlach

Rachel and Leah outside sitting under a tree

Parashat Vayetze: Did Jacob Really Hate His Wife?

Esau talking to Jacob

Parashat Toledot: The Other Face of Esau

Avraham Avinu in front of his tent welcoming guests

Parashat Chayei Sarah: The Influence of Abraham

Different mitzvoth- Torah, Shabbat, Chanukah, Shaking a lulav and etrog...

Parashat Vayera: Rav Tzadok HaKohen on the Parsha

One man riding a camel, with a man behind him walking with his camel in a desert with red background

Parashat Lekh Lekha: Ten Challenges

Noah in his ark out at sea

Parashat Noach (based on the teachings of the Sefat Emet)

The world with a black background

Or HaChaim – Vol. 1

Golden harp out on a stage

Parashat Haazinu: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony

Moshe stood before the Jewish nation telling them they are standing before Hashem

Post 2 – And You Are Standing Today All of You Before God

Moshe stood before the Jewish nation telling them they are standing before Hashem

Parashat Nitzavim: And You Are Standing Today All of You Before God

Jewush people walking on a dirt road with animals and kids

Parashat Ki Tavo: The Pursuit of Joy

Kohanim carrying the ark to battle

Parashat Ki Tetze – Davar Torah based on the Or HaChaim

Moshe about to break the Luchot with lightening coming down in black and white

Parashat Ekev: Broken: Why Breaking the Tablets Was Moses’ Greatest Accomplishment

Painting of a man wearing a Tallit looking at the light in front of him

Parashat Va’etchanan- The Soul Purpose

Moshe speaking to the Jewish people

Parshat Devarim

Desert with the words Matot- Masei written in the center

Parshat Matot-Masei: A Short Thought by Rabbi Asher Weiss

Man reading from an open Torah

Parashat Pinchas: Rav Tzadok HaKohen On the Parsha

Sun setting as there is a person riding his donkey in the desert

Parashat Balak: Donkey-Talk: Even great blessings can emerge from impure places

Painting of the Kotel during the day

Is Your Anxiety Killing You? Looking Up: The Meaning behind the Snake on the Pole

Painting of desert with light shining from the center

Understanding Am Yisrael’s Stubbornness in the Midbar – Post 2

Painting of desert with light shining from the center

Understanding Am Yisrael’s Stubbornness in the Midbar – Post 1

Korach gathering his crowd to protest the anointing of Aharon

Korach – Peaceful Disagreements

Moshe anointing Aharon Hakohen

The Quest – Post 2

Moshe anointing Aharon Hakohen

The Quest

The spies talking to Beni Yisraoel about what they saw and holding giant grapes

The Sin of the Spies

Two spies carrying a giant thing of grapes on a stick

Parashat Shelach: Human Effort vs. Faith

The spies carrying a giant thing of grapes on a stick

Parashat Shelach – I Spy With My Little Eye

Kohen lighting the Menorah in the Beit Hamikdash

Until the Flame Rises Up on its Own

Bircat Kohanim at the Beit Hamikdash

The Book of Numbers – Parshat Beha’alotcha – Post 2

Moshe taking to Hashem painting

The Book of Numbers – Parshat Beha’alotcha – Post 1

The number 8 in red and orange, with light focused on it, surrounded by flowers

Parshat Nasso 5773 – The Number 8

Painting of a lake surrounded by mountains and trees and an empty bench

The Sound of Silence – Bamidbar

IDF Tzanchan at the Kotel praying

The Promise Of The Land – Parshat Bechukotai

A mountain with the sun rising above it

A Mountain of Light

A Sukka made into a tent with colorful clothes, with sun setting

Radical Uncertainty – Parshat Emor

Abstract art of lit candles

The Omer and Holiness – Parshas Kedoshim

Man holding up a Sefer Torah at the Kotel

Living Torah – Parashas Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

A woman whispering into another woman's ear

Why Do We Love Gossip?

Hebrew text on a white page, focused on some words

Comfort In Times of Loss – Parshat Tazria

Lit blue and white Havdalah candle

The Light We Make

Kohen bringing Karbon at the Beit Hamikdash

Two-minute drill with Rabbi Dov Lipman: Parshat Tzav

The Hebrew Letter Aleph in Gold surrounded by a black background

Creation, Israel, and Humility

Two men carrying a table

Labor of Carrying

Woman lighting the Shabbat candles

The Fire of Shabbat

Moshe about to break the Luchot with lightening coming down in black and white

Broken: Why Breaking the Tablets Was Moses’ Greatest Accomplishment

Man figure standing between night and day with the world behind him

5 Powerful Insights from the Rebbe – Tetzaveh

Boy throwing his hands in the air whole staring at the sun set

Do You Believe In God? Parshat Teruma

Man staring at the sunset at the kotel while praying

An Eye for An Eye? Really?

Grandfather learning with his grandchildren outside on a picnic table

Why You Should Be a Proud Jew

Moshe splitting the dead sea, and the Jewish people crossing

Living on a Prayer – Parashas Beshalach

Moon in a star filled sky

The New Moon

Yad on a Torah scroll

Unifying the Physical and Spiritual

Jewish Father blessing his son at the Shabbat table

Two-minute drill – Parshat Vayechi

Painting of men davening in shul

What does “Jew” mean? – Parshat Vayigash

Lit Chanuka Menora by the window, next to an open sefer

Wake Up Calls

Tamar holding up a mask and a stick

The Heroism of Tamar (Vayeshev)

Painting of Jacon and the angel fighting

In the Merit of Esav

Jacob's ladder that he dreamed of- A lader going all the way to the heavens

Parashat Vayetze: Parshas Vayeitzei

A depiction of Yaakov and Esav from the biblical story, shown from behind with their backs facing the viewer. Yaakov is dressed in simple robes, holding a staff

Parashat Toledot: The Difference between Knowledge and Wisdom

Avraham's tent in the desert all set up for guests

Parashat Vayera: Why Believing in God Should Make You More Kind

Shabbat table with lit candles, a braided challah and a kiddush cup

Parashat Noach: The Purpose of My Soul

Brown Gavel on a desk with a scale and an open book in the background

The Genesis of Justice (Bereishit)

Painting of the seven days of creation in a circle

The Genesis of Justice (Bereishit)

Open Torah scroll with music notes coming out of it

Parashat Hazinu: Hide and Seek

Two men wearing Tallits blowing long Shofars on a hill above a town

Parashat Nitzavim: Sefat Emet Series on Parshat Nitzavim

Man writing with a feather on a scroll by candle light

Parashat Ki Tavo: A Nation of Storytellers

Flowers surrounding lit Shabbat candles, a kiddush cup and wine painting

Parashat Ki Tetze: Or HaChaim Retrieves Hidden Message from Mitzvah of Returning Lost Objects

David Citadel in Jerusalem. Old Jerusalem stone buildings in the old city

Parashat Shofetim: The Knock on the Door

The Kotel at sunset filled with people praying

Parashat Re’eh: How To Give to G-d

Parthenon remains on an almost clear sky day

Parashat Ekev: Why Civilisations Fail

Birchat Kohanim by the Beit Hamikdash painting

Parashat Devarim: The cumulative process of the Ge’ula.

Man and his son davening at the kotel painting

The Self Made Man

A gold compass with the word leadership written inside of it

Parashat Pinchas: Picture The Scene of The Petition of Tzelofchad’s Daughters

Open Chumash in the desert with Balek spelled on top

Parashat Balak: Leadership and Loyalty

Rock spit with water rushing down

Why Was Moses Denied The Promised Land?: I Am a Rock

The ground split open for Korach to swallow him up

The Color of Heaven – Parshat Korach

Man and his son looking at the Beit Hamikdash floating in the sky

Parashat Shelach – Commentary based on the Sefat Emet

Open Book with light coming out of it, brightening the sky

The Hidden Light – Be’halot’cha

Group of people wearing suits, with hands in for group all in

Parashat Naso: Our Collective Responsibility

Painting of Tents in the desert

Leading a Nation of Individuals (Bamidbar 5781)

Open Chumash with light shinning down on the Hebrew words

Parashat Behukotai: The Unparalleled Power of a Group

Holy of Holies with light shining down

Emor – The Heart in Which the Shechina Dwells

Abstract painting of Shabbat Candles with swirl around it

When G-d Becomes an Excuse for Fear

Kohen Gadol in a tent checking someone's Tzarat

Changing the “Eye” – Parshas Tazria

Men walking through the old city with mystical wind blowing

Reticence vs. Impetuosity (Shemini 5781)

The hebrew letter Aleph lit up by fire in a forest

The Diminutive Aleph

Lightening striking down from the sky to the Mishkan

The Human Miracle