Torah Commentary

Our Passover story is a complex tale that addresses over 400 years of history. There is one modern ritual that typically occurs during the middle of the seder that celebrates our freedom. Many Reform and liberal Jews pour water into a cup to remember Miriam, a prophet and leader of our community in her own right.

On my first Shabbat as the newest student rabbi at Temple Beth Ha-Shalom, a small Reform congregation in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, I introduced myself, began learning names, and met congregants for the very first time. As I was speaking with some members, I heard a young boy exclaim to his father: “Dad, the rabbi is a man!  I thought only women could be rabbis?”

It's so easy to ignore texts or let calls go to voicemail. Often, we're just too busy to answer the phone or we're focusing on an important task. Sometimes, though, it's someone important to us like a parent, child, significant other, or boss! How often can we ignore that call?

This week's Torah portion, while on its surface largely a reiteration of details of the construction of the Mishkan, is a tribute to public servants like these - -people who honor our trust by performing their jobs with care, transparency, and fear of God.