Posts by Peter Shir

Deuteronomy 16:13 says, “You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths for seven days when you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; and you shall rejoice be feasting…” Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, is a seven-day holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ 40-year journey through the desert, during which…

Beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month… celebrate the festival to ADONAI for seven days… On the first day, you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows, and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. (Lev 23:39-40) Shaking the Lulav during Sukkot and dwelling in a…

In many religions, certain places hold special significance and are considered holy. In Judaism, time is also considered holy. Our sacred times and holidays are precisely fixed to align with their past occurrences, meaning they occur at specific times, even if it is in the middle of the week. This year, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New…

People had no specific complaints against Samuel, but in their minds, facing an enemy, they needed an impressive Hero to lead them, a King. In 1 Samuel 12:12, people said, Ki melekh yimloch aleinu “If only a king would reign over us!” Samuel’s response to this was, vAdonai Elocheykhem Malcheychem “Hashem Your God is Your…

In Isaiah Chapter 50, the prophet describes God’s relationship with Israel in a very pictorial and poetic language, typical of the prophets. The words that spoke loudly to me as I was studying the chapter began in verse 23. They describe how God aims to restore the dignity of his people who were oppressed and…

Would it be helpful if we knew exactly what God wants from us? In Balak Haftatrah, in Chapter 6, Prophet Mikhah asks a question… How should one come before Hashem? Should one come with an olah, a burnt offering, yearling calves? Does God want thousands of rams? Ten thousand rivers of oil? Do I offer…

For some people, communal prayer means coming together as a group, with someone standing up front to pray out loud, representing everyone else’s prayers. For others, communal prayer means taking turns praying with others in the room, with the majority listening and agreeing. And for some, it’s more about everyone being in the same physical…

Connection with a greater community is essential in Judaism. Some religious activities can be solitary yet other worshippers have always played a crucial role in Jewish spirituality. An overwhelming number of commandments in Torah instruct us about our relationships with others. And there is a reason why many Jewish prayers are usually written in plural.…