CHOCHMAS NASHIM: OF METZORAH,  MISSILES AND MATZOH By: Suri Davis My aunt Marcia died last week, and I learned while paying a shiva visit, that she always stopped veterans when she saw them to thank them for their years of service to our country.  So, it was today, I was pulling out of the Woodmere…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM: SHEMINI: BILVAVI MISHKAN EVNEH: BRING THEM HOME By: Suri Davis   In last week’s Torah portion, Moshe was instructed to gather Aaron and his sons into the new mishkan/Tabernacle and show them how to erect it, perform the service, so that they would know how to perform this service in the future. On…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM: TZAV: BIDEN AD NAUSEUM By: Suri Davis   THANK YOU MR. BIDEN, the word went out when he sent aid to Israel, at a time, and still the time when American hostages are being held by Arabs who call themselves Palestinians.  I was nauseated when I saw, wave after wave of syrupy praise…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM: ZACHOR: WHO CAN FORGET? By: Suri Davis   It is not difficult for us to remember Amalek, we are experiencing it this very moment in the Gazan war. I saw two shows this year on Broadway, one was Leopoldstat and the other Lehman Brother Trilogy.  The basis of the Leopoldstat was a Jewish…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM:PIKUDEI :INTENTIONS By: Suri Davis     In this week’s Haftorah, it discusses King Solomon’s dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem and three points stand out to me.   When it was completed and the ark with the tablets of the ten commandments was placed in the holy of holies, the Temple was…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM: VAYAKHEL: ASSEMBLIES By: Suri Davis   There are numerous times throughout this torah portion where the term Chacham Lev Ladaat/wise of the heart, to know.  The term is jam packed with deep meaning of the world reality. We think of wisdom stemming from our minds and not our hearts.  A wise heart is…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM: A FEW THOUGHTS By: Suri Davis   This week’s torah portion discusses several interesting topics.  In a discussion of the kohanim/priests preparing for service, they had to wash their hands and feet.  The Ohr Hachaim comments that the way this is written in Hebrew, we interpret that they have to be washed at…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM: IF YOU BUILD IT… By: Suri Davis   Every year, when we approach the many Torah portions which discuss the building of the Tabernacle and its utensils and clothes of the priests, it means something else to me.  Last year, I had just seen the sophisticated relics of Mt. Vesuvius, an Italian volcano…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM: AFTER 127 DAYS, TWO HOSTAGES RELEASED By: Suri Davis   The month of Adar is the month of Purim.  It is not only rejoicing for the two or three days of Purim, but for the entire month.  We learn from the Torah that for Sukkoth, we are to be happy, but for the…

CHOCHMAS NASHIM: AD MASAI ADONAI? By: Suri Davis   The haftorah of this week’s Torah portion is an excerpt of Isaiah’s prophecy.  Isaiah and Moses both had language impediments and were reluctant leaders.  Let’s remember that Haftorahs came into our practice when it was impossible to read the Torah and is topically related to the…