Jewish Religion

By Rabbi Yaakov Marks  SAN DIEGO — Moshe faced a monumental and daunting task; the building of the Mishkan (the portable tabernacle). Enormous amounts of gold, silver, and bronze, had to be procured and fashioned. Many varieties of dyed wool, linen, goat hair and ram skins needed to be processed according to complicated and intricate

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — This week we read the first of four special maftir portions which are read leading up to Purim and Passover. The maftir is called Shekalim. It describes the half-shekel tribute every Israelite was to pay to the Temple in order to purchase the animals for public sacrifices. After

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal   SAN DIEGO –– Parashat Ki Tissa contains the story of the egel ha-zahav, the Golden Calf. After Moses ascended Mt. Sinai, he remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. It did not take long for the Children of Israel to become unsettled and anxious. They despaired of

By Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO — Worship a golden calf?! How could such a thing happen? After witnessing the ten plagues, the exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the sea, the war with Amalek, the Manna from heaven, and the giving of the Ten Commandments from G-d Himself, how, within twenty-four hours, could anyone witnessing

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Although God is the central “actor” in the Torah, Moses plays a significant supporting role. In fact, from the story of his birth on, there is not one parasha in the Torah that does not mention Moses by name…except parashat T’tzavveh. In parashat T’tzavveh, Moses’ name does not

By Rabbi Yaakov Marks SAN DIEGO — The Mishkan (the portable Tabernacle) was built to be a place where G-d could dwell, presenting a more concentrated manifestation of Himself than He emanated to the rest of the world. It was the place where the people could go, with the proper preparation, to communicate with G-d

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Tifereth Israel Synagogue owns twelve Torah Scrolls. Nine are in the Silverman Sanctuary, two are in the Goodman Chapel, and one is a Holocaust Memorial Scroll. Visitors to the synagogue are impressed by the number of Torah scrolls in our Arks. They are even more surprised to learn