James Kennard
Vayishlach: Missing Person Alert
The parasha of Vayishlach opens with the long-awaited reunion of Ya’akov and Esav. To Ya’akov’s consternation, he learns that Esav is not...
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James Kennard
- Nov 24, 2020
- 5 min
Vayetze: of parents and grandparents
Ya’akov followed his father’s instruction and headed for the home of his uncle, Lavan. As he arrived in Haran, he asked the shepherds...
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James Kennard
- Nov 17, 2020
- 5 min
Toldot: Generations
With the parasha of Toldot, the second patriarch, Yitzhak, takes centre stage. This new phase of Jewish history is introduced with the...
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James Kennard
- Nov 10, 2020
- 6 min
Chayei Sarah: A Stranger and a Resident
Sarah has died. Avraham has to purchase an eternal resting place for her, which will become the first piece of the land of Israel to...
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James Kennard
- Nov 3, 2020
- 5 min
Vayera: Planting and Building
Towards the end of the parasha of Vayera, just prior to the drama of the akeida, Avraham settles in Beer Sheva. וַיִּטַּע אֶשֶׁל בִּבְאֵר...
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James Kennard
- Oct 27, 2020
- 5 min
Lech Lecha ~ Lot: Decline and Fall
Avraham’s early days in Israel are beset by challenges. After being forced to flee to Egypt in order to avoid a famine, he returns to an...
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James Kennard
- Oct 14, 2020
- 5 min
Bereishit: Creation in six or seven days?
And so the work of creation was completed. As we read from the parasha of Bereishit, in the words that are familiar from Friday night...
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James Kennard
- Oct 7, 2020
- 5 min
Vezot Habracha: Moshe and Idolatry - why put them together?
Vezot Habracha. The final Parasha. The last moment of Moshe’s life. יָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳ בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב עַל פִּי ה׳. וַיִּקְבֹּר...
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James Kennard
- Sep 7, 2020
- 4 min
Vayelech: Singing the Song of the Torah
The final mitzvah of the Torah is found in the parasha of Vayelech. Having introduced the “song” that will constitute nearly all of the...
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James Kennard
- Aug 31, 2020
- 5 min
Ki Tavo: Written in Stone
The parasha of Ki Tavo includes a detailed description of the first act that the Jewish people are to perform upon entering the land of...
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James Kennard
- Aug 25, 2020
- 6 min
Ki Tetze: What's so bad about not offering sandwiches?
Amongst the very many mitzvot found in the parasha of Ki Tetze, we find this (Devarim 23:4-5): (ד) לֹא יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי...
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James Kennard
- Aug 18, 2020
- 5 min
Shoftim: The king's second Torah
The parasha of Shoftim details many judicial institutions and practices that the Jewish people are commanded to establish on entering the...
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James Kennard
- Aug 12, 2020
- 5 min
Reeh: Seeking Hashem's Presence
This essay is dedicated in honour of the yahrzeit of my mother, Ann Kennard, Chanah bat Yosef, which falls this coming Wednesday night...
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James Kennard
- Aug 6, 2020
- 5 min
Ekev: Do mitzvoth apply outside of Israel?
The second paragraph of the Shema, which appears towards the end of the parasha of Ekev, describes the dangerous consequences of turning...
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James Kennard
- Jul 29, 2020
- 4 min
Ve'etchanan: The Response to Exile
As a critical part of preparing the people for entering the land of Israel. Moshe warns them that there will come a time of failure, or...
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James Kennard
- Jul 22, 2020
- 5 min
Devarim: Explaining the Torah
Parashat Devarim opens the new sefer, which is, in many respects, an elucidation of the mitzvot (some new, some previously listed in...
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James Kennard
- Jul 15, 2020
- 6 min
Mattot: Two tribes become two and a half
The last section of the parasha of Mattot describes how the tribes of Reuven and Gad asked Moshe for permission to settle on the...
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James Kennard
- Aug 4, 2018
- 2 min
Re’eh: The path to blessing
The Jewish people are presented with a stark choice – prosperity or destruction. In the opening words of the sedra of “Re’eh”, Moses...
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James Kennard
- Jul 22, 2018
- 2 min
Ve'etchanan: Making Jewish Education Real
The sedra of Va-etchanan continues the final speech that Moshe gave to the Jewish people prior to his death. In this section, he recalls...
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James Kennard
- Jun 17, 2018
- 2 min
Death and the Response
Chukat This week’s sedra describes some of the events of the fortieth and final year of the Israelites’ journeying through the desert....
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