by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Mar 27, 2024 | Leviticus
A Torah scroll is written by a Sofer, or scribe. The scribe must follow a lot of rules that govern how a Torah is written, on what, with which ink, and with which tools. Torah scrolls must be meticulously copied and not written by memory to ensure that each is...
by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Mar 14, 2024 | Exodus
“For over the Tabernacle a cloud of G-d rested by day, and fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys.” Thus ends the book of Exodus, and our Torah portion, Parshat P’kudei. Cloud and fire are powerful symbols...
by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Mar 5, 2024 | D'var Torah, Exodus, Knitting
“G-d formed the human from the dust of the earth. Blowing into his nostrils the breath of life, the human became a living being.” (Gen 2:7). The soul, given by G-d, animates the human, which is nothing but dust until awakened with feeling and color, and something...
by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Feb 27, 2024 | D'var Torah, Exodus
וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם בְּרִית עוֹלָם Every week, we sing these words from Parshat Ki Tisa: “V’shamru v’nei Yisrael et hashabbat.” The people of Israel shall keep Shabbat, observing Shabbat throughout the ages...
by Cantor Sally L. Neff | Jan 22, 2023 | D'var Torah, Exodus
Below is the sermon that I delivered at The Reform Temple of Rockland on 1/20/23 on Parshat Va’Eira: “But the Eternal stiffened the heart of Pharoah, and he would not heed them.” Parshat Va’Eira brings up for me year after year the question of free-will. ...