Sinai Temple - Thursday Torah Class Archives

Starting November 3rd, spend an hour every Thursday morning deepening your understanding of Judaism and our sacred text. Learn along with us as we go through the Torah together; no previous knowledge or Hebrew is required.

Dates: November 3, 2011– May 31, 2012*

Cost: There is no charge for this class.

2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005

02/02/2012
This class was about burying Jacob, but also included several personal stories about my father, and other life events.

01/31/2012
Special Torah Class with Leon Wieseltier: “God of the Hand and God of the Heart”

January 26, 2012
We concluded the blessings of Jacob, and talked about his death and request for burial in Israel.

January 19, 2012
We discussed whether there are twelve or thirteen tribes.

January 15, 2012
Why do we bless our sons by the names Ephraim and Menasseh? In this morning’s Torah class we examined many ideas on the subject.

January 08, 2012
In this class we talked about the ending of Jacob’s life and the concept of blessing. Why did he Jacob make Joseph swear to bring him back to Israel – why wasn’t Joseph’s word good enough?

December 15, 2011
Differences in culture and worship between ancient Egypt and Israelites

December 08, 2011
We continue with the story of Joseph and his brothers.

December 01, 2011
We continue with the story of Joseph and his brothers.

November 17, 2011
We continue with the story of Joseph and his brothers.

November 03, 2011
We discussed the resumption of the Torah study, as well as reviewing the recent Los Angeles trip to Israel and the current situation in Israel.

February 24, 2011
In this class we examine Joseph's entrance to Egypt. How did he succeed in Potiphar's house, and how did he resist succumbing to Potiphar's wife?
Here is a take of mirrors, seduction and piety, all through the lens of Torah.

February 17, 2011
Literary analysis of the Bible: in this class we understand how Robert Alter's book explains why chapter 38 is dropped in the middle of the Joseph story. In the process we get a real insight into how the Torah teaches, not only through stories but choice of words that teach us new meanings.

February 10, 2011
Special guest Leon Wieseltier
Leon Wieseltier speaks on some general thoughts about how to think about dor HaMidbar – the Jews who were taken out of Egypt and given the Torah and experienced all the adventures and misadventures in the desert.

February 03, 2011
Today we discussed the strange story of Judah and Tamar. Why this story of dying husbands and dangerous wives? What did Onan do and how does the tradition understand it?

January 27, 2011
In this class we wrap up the confusing sale of Joseph and begin the story of Judah and Tamar – the deaths of Judah's sons and the strange happenings that bring the Messiah.

January 20, 2011
In today's class we examined the motivation and action of the brothers of Joseph: did they really sell him into slavery? Perhaps they did not.

January 13, 2011
In this morning's Torah class we took a break from the Joseph story and I talked about my trip to Haiti. I told stories and showed slides which are posted at Sinaitemple.org.

January 06, 2011
In this class we talked about Jacob's intentions in sending Joseph to his brothers, whom Jacob knew resented him. Was it deliberate? Negligence? How do we understand this pivot of history?

December 16, 2010
We explored the meaning of Joseph's dreams.

December 9, 2010
We explored the beginning of the brothers' resentment toward Joseph. Was Joseph gifted, egotistical, both?

December 2, 2010
This morning's class took up the beginning of Joseph's story and discussed why Jacob had such a troubled life.

November 18, 2010
Having just returned from Puebla, in today's class I took a break to talk about the Mexican festival of ideas and answer questions about it. I recapped the debate about whether our universe has a purpose, and discussed personalities and conversations from the event.

November 04, 2010
In this class we began the story of Joseph and talked about how Joseph resembles and differs from Jacob, his father. What is the role that parents, father and mother, played for each of them?

October 28, 2010
a review of the tales and themes of Genesis from creation up to the beginning of chapter 37, the story of Joseph.

October 21, 2010
Introduction, part I: Torah study, in general.