Download a printer friendly version here. ***FOR AN EXPLANATION FROM RABBI DWECK ON THE SHEKALIM CLICK HERE*** Haftara for Shekalim (Mishpatim) 5777: The Pain of Surrender “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.” — Mark Twain  II Kings 11:17 – 12:17 (Sephardim) Synopsis  Yehoyada the Kohen…

The Torah contains laws that govern slavery, whether captured in war or enslaved to pay off debts. In fact, it is no secret that Sephardim owned slaves. This is particularly true of the Western Sephardim of the 17th and 18th centuries, including those of the Caribbean, New York, Amsterdam,…

To view the printer friendly version click here. “…She learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that he had been dead for a considerable long time; so then I…

In our discussions on the Book of Shemot thus far, we have examined the various elements of freedom that are expressed through its stories and commandments. Here, in Perashat Mishpatim, we come to the detailed, everyday issues that affect our lives as free human beings. The laws presented in…