Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr.

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Two biblical Torah portions are read this week. The portion of Vayakhel, Exodus 35:1-38:20, contains the Sabbath law, which the rabbis translated as “You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day,” which the Sadducees translated as “You shall have no fire throughout […]

By Rabbi Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The weekly portion of Ki Thissa begins with counting the adult male Israelites from age twenty, by each giving a half shekel so “that there not be a plague among them when you count them,” and raises the question if this is superstition. This is followed by

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The current practice is that Purim is celebrated as a one-day holiday. Cities that were walled at the time of Joshua’s conquest of Israel – most notably Jerusalem – celebrate Purim on the 15th of Adar to recall the end of hostilities in the walled city

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin   BOCA RATON, Florida — The weekly portion of Tetzaveh begins and ends in the middle of chapters, showing once again that the rabbinic division of the Torah differs from the division of chapters that originated by Christians. We read about the oil for the Tabernacle lamp maintained by Aaron

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The weekly portion of Terumah discusses some matters involving the portable Tabernacle the Israelites used for sacrifices while they were in the desert. We read the command that the Israelites must bring material to construct the Tabernacle and its contents, and build an ark that will

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The weekly Torah portion of Mishpatim begins with laws concerning an eved ivri, translated “Hebrew Slave.” But the term is not explained. It continues with laws when a man sells his daughter as a slave, a death sentence to a person who kills another, the law

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — As usual, the biblical portion Yitro is named after the first significant word in the portion, the name of Moses’ father-in-law Yitro. His name in English is Jethro with a J. German scholars began to transliterate some, but not all, names that start with the Hebrew

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The third parasha in Exodus, Bo, frequently mistranslated as “go,” despite meaning “come,” tell the last three of the 10 plagues, God gives the Israelites the first of the 613 commandments concerning the Jewish calendar, a law that seems to be crystal clear, but Jewish tradition

The Bible commentator Don Isaac Abarbanel (1437-1508) suggests that God wanted the Israelites to borrow objects from Egyptians to give the Egyptians an additional reason to pursue the Israelites when they realized they were trying to escape. God, according to Abarbanel, wanted the Egyptians to rush into the water to catch the Israelites, where they would be punished by drowning. They killed Israelite male children and tossed the carcasses in the river. Now they will be thrown. Is this how we want to picture God acting? [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Exodus begins to relate the events that followed Joseph’s death. He was second in power to Pharaoh and could protect his family while alive. A new Pharaoh assumes the throne and enslaves the Israelites. We read of Moses’ birth and early life, that the new Pharaoh

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The book Job is composed of three parts: a prologue, an epilogue, and the body of the tale. Many scholars are convinced that the prologue and epilogue are additions to the story’s original body. The two are different in tone and portray God in a radically

Maggid Books just published Days are Coming by Sivan Rahav-Meir, an easy-to-read, enjoyable, and inspiring book translated from Hebrew by Yehoshua Siskin. The book has many insightful ideas from sages, Bible commentators, and others regarding Jewish holidays, days following the holidays, and times when we remember people who taught us significant lessons that can improve our lives and make them enjoyable, such as the biblical matriarch Rachel and the philosopher Maimonides. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]