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The Meaning of Aaron’s Holy Garments
Mar 3, 2023 By Robert Harris | Tetzavveh | Shabbat Zakhor
In this commentary, I would like to focus on some of the vestments of Aaron that he wore in his capacity as kohen gadol (High Priest). At the beginning of Exodus 28, the Torah commands that the Israelites who are skilled artisans should prepare a specific list of items for Aaron and the priests to wear. These include the breastpiece, ephod, robe, fringed tunic, headdress, and sash.
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Why God Needs a Dwelling Place
Feb 8, 2019 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Terumah
Recent portions of the Torah have dealt with the arrival of the Israelites at Mount Sinai; the great theophany of God, in which God spoke the Ten Words, or Decalogue; the revelation of the Book of the Covenant, containing the first extended legal section of the Torah; and the covenantal ceremony sealing the everlasting special relationship between God and the people of Israel (Exod. 19–24). Our portion this week turns to the subject of proper worship of God (a subject with which the Torah will be concerned formally for the next eight portions), and opens with a command from God that Moses organize the people to build God a sanctuary in the wilderness: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the Israelites that they may take for me a contribution; from everyone whose heart so moves him, take my contribution . . . and let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them’” (Exod. 25:1–2,8).
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Exodus 18: The Proverbial Visit of the In-Laws
Jan 15, 2014 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Yitro
“Come and listen to my story ’bout a man named . . . Jethro!”
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The Fruits of Close Reading
Sep 16, 2013 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Sukkot
“In order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Lev. 23:43).
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Who Is Getting Stoned?
May 29, 2013 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Shelah Lekha
Among other subjects, the parashah narrates the story of the spies, one from each tribe, whom Moses sends to scout out the Land. Specifically, let us join the narrative at the point that Joshua and Caleb (the two good or “heroic” spies) attempt to encourage the community—largely ineffectively—after the People express their fears that any effort to conquer the Promised Land will not be successful.
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“Truthiness” in the Bible
Feb 7, 2013 By Robert Harris | Video Lecture
What the Bible Means, What it Meant, and Why the Difference Matters: A recorded live stream lunch and learn
“He Taught Him a Tree” (?!)
Jan 23, 2013 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Beshallah
This week’s parashah contains some of the most memorable narratives in the entire Torah: the splitting of the Reed Sea, the miracle of the manna, the battle with Amalek. In the midst of all these narratives comes a pithily told “little tale.”
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“Alas, Poor Yorick”: A Grave Affair
Aug 25, 2012 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Shofetim
I wish to call your attention specifically to the Torah’s prohibition of “inquiring of the dead.” Rashi seems to adumbrate Shakespeare, when he includes “one who asks questions of a skull” among the possible actions that would represent a violation of the biblical commandment. But the Torah is not imagining a philosophical discourse about life when it prohibits “inquiring of the dead,” but rather, in what is likely its original context, necromancy.
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I Stayed with Laban
Dec 10, 2011 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Vayishlah
The opening verses of this week’s parashah recount Jacob’s decision, upon returning home after 20 years of “living abroad,” to get in touch with his brother, Esau. You may remember that they—ahem!—had not parted on the best of terms (see Gen. 25:27-34 and especially Gen. 27:1-41 for the gritty details). At the beginning of the parashah, it is not yet clear to what extent Jacob is motivated by fear, by friendliness, by craftiness—or by some combination of these and potentially other concerns.
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Shabbat in the Bible – and Not in the Bible Part 1
Oct 30, 2010 By Robert Harris | Video Lecture
A surprising look at the description of Shabbat in the Hebrew Bible
Part one of the six-part series, “Shabbat: From Here to Eternity”
Shabbat in the Bible – and Not in the Bible Part 2
Oct 29, 2010 By Robert Harris | Video Lecture
A surprising look at the description of Shabbat in the Hebrew Bible
Part two of the six-part series, “Shabbat: From Here to Eternity”
Shabbat: Mountains Hanging by a Thread
Oct 28, 2010 By Robert Harris | Video Lecture
Shabbat in Midrash and Talmud
Part three of the six-part series, “Shabbat: From Here to Eternity”
Hitchcock and the Sages: The 39 Steps
Oct 27, 2010 By Robert Harris | Video Lecture
Part four of the six-part series, “Shabbat: From Here to Eternity”
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You Are One and Your Name Is One
Oct 26, 2010 By Robert Harris | Video Lecture
Part five of the six-part series, “Shabbat: From Here to Eternity”
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Mizmor Shir Leyom HaShabbat: Shabbat in Liturgy and Song
Oct 25, 2010 By Robert Harris | Video Lecture
Part six of the six-part series, “Shabbat: From Here to Eternity”
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Teach Us to Number, O God!
May 15, 2010 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Bemidbar
Our Torah portion this week begins the fourth book of the Torah (see? I’m numbering already!), B’midbar. This Hebrew name of the book comes from one of the first significant words in the book, and means “in the wilderness of . . . ” (see below). But in rabbinic antiquity, another name of the book circulated, and that was humash (orsefer) Ha-piqqudim, which essentially means “Book of Counting” (see, e.g., Mishnah Yoma 7:1). This name corresponds to the ancient Jewish Greek version, Arithmoi, which was rendered by the Latin Vulgate Numeri, from which comes our current English title, “Numbers.
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The Meaning of Aaron’s Holy Garments
Feb 27, 2010 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Tetzavveh
The Torah portion of T’tzavveh continues God’s instructions to the Israelites for building the Tabernacle in the Wilderness—the central concern of the previous week’s Torah portion (T’rumah) and the next three portions as well (Ki Tissa, Va-yakhel, and P’kudei). Altogether, the Tabernacle and its accoutrements are the most prominent subject matter of the entire last section of the book of Exodus, comprising chapters 25 through 40. These portions cover many details, the precise explanation for many of which remains somewhat uncertain to this very day.
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The Torah and Its Clearly Ambiguous Message
Oct 17, 2009 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Bereishit | Simhat Torah
There is a verse that I love to invoke whenever I teach about “the poetics of biblical narrative,” and it doesn’t come from this week’s portion (but who’s keeping score, anyway?). Instead, it is found in the first extended legal section, Parashat Mishpatim (Exod. 21–24). Loosely translated, this is the text: “In all charges of misunderstanding . . . whereof one party alleges, ‘This is it!’—the case of both parties shall come before God” (Exod. 22:8); the Hebrew phrase underlying the words “this is it!” is: כי הוא זה (ki hu zeh). The verse seems to be addressing a case in which no one side has a total claim on the truth; in such a case, then, one is bidden to consider both possibilities.
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“The More the Merrier?”
Feb 24, 2007 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Terumah
We have all heard and used the expression, “the more the merrier.”
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A Question of Translation
Dec 30, 2006 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Vayiggash
Parashat Vayiggash (or, as it is sometimes known in Hebrew school circles, “parashat omigosh”) serves as the denouement of the “Tale of Joseph and His Brothers.”
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