Tag Archives: Torah

That Too –

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

On a bus the other day in Israel. The usual crowd. The usual route. Then someone notices something suspicious. “An Arab!”, he yells out “Get the police!” The dark skinned young man looks around and realizes he’s the one. He … Continue reading →

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On Seeing, Flow and More

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

We open our eyes each morning, and see. But then, if it was so simple, there would be no need to actually command us to do so. Re’e, see, says the Torah in its first word of this week’s section … Continue reading →

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Shabbat before Shavu’ot – זמן מתן תורה

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

It’s a few minutes to Shabbat which will run into a holiday. The cashier at the grocery store wonders if we’re getting extra challah for Memorial Day weekend. We tell her, it happens to also be – Chag Shavuot. Shavuot … Continue reading →

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Pesach: A Love Story

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

“A love story”, this is how a friend of mine defines her journey, and not as many would call her, a “chozeret bitshuva” חוזרת בתשובה, or as I tease, a “born again Jew”. A love story. Pesach perhaps is one … Continue reading →

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Shabbat Shira, Shabbat Shalom

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

When people would approach Abraham Joshua Heschel and ask, how to start “doing more Jewish”, he would say, light Shabbat candles. This was just one the moving anecdotes shared by his daughter, Susana Heschel, a professor of Jewish Studies in … Continue reading →

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Why Moses?

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Maybe it’s the Torah’s way of warning us how easy it is to go “down”, for within just a few verses, life has changed very dramatically! No longer in the Land of Israel, we’re living in Egypt; no longer a … Continue reading →

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Light One Candle II: The Blinding Power of Hatred

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

How come the brothers didn’t recognize Joseph? On occasion I run into a past student of mine, then in grade school and now a young adult. They obviously have changed, and yet, it doesn’t take long before we go, ‘Oh … Continue reading →

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katonti – קטונתי – and Jacob’s split life

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

A couple of years ago, Israeli dance choreographer Oren Ashkenazi choreographed the beautiful and by now famous dance “Katonti”. The words for the song, sung by Yonatan Raz’el are said to be “from the sources”, min hamekorot. Those “sources” happen … Continue reading →

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On Jacob’s Journey, Thanksgiving & Black Friday

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Like his grandfather, like his great-great-grandchildren, and like us too, Jacob set on a journey, and so, the opening word – and the name – of this week’s reading is vayetze, “and (he) exited”. Rashi points to us the fact … Continue reading →

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Isaac: not the usual strength

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Isaac and Rebecca are only with us for one, not-too-long Torah portion. We already met them last week: him in his walking, silent meditation; her, working hard at the well to water the servant’s camels, chatting happily, making bold decisions. … Continue reading →

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