Beshalach - (Shemos/Exodus 13:17-17:16)
When G-d parted the waters of the Sea of Reeds He also parted for Israel the curtains of illusion allowing them to see the true reality - a timeless moment of recognition of the Divine light surrounding and permeating our world.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Bo - (Shemos/Exodus 10:1-13:16)
Plague after devastating plague, G-d wreaks unspeakable havoc upon Egypt, leaving no stone unturned as He shows Pharaoh who's the boss. In the midst of this unravelling of the warp and woof of creation, why does G-d give to Israel the sighting of the new moon as the first commandment for them to perform?

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Va'eira - (Shemos/Exodus 6:2-9:35)
G-d will not be denied. He will redeem His people and His voice will be heard, even in the cacophony of the frogs croaking from inside the bellies of Pharaoh and his crew.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Shemos - (Shemos/Exodus 1:1-6:1)
Pharaoh employed sundry stratagems to uproot and destroy the children of Israel, chillingly reminiscent of recent and contemporary programs to annihilate Israel. Yet, despite it all, Israel abides. But why did G-d put Israel in Egypt? What was the Egyptian exile all about?

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Vayechi - (Bereishis/Genesis 47:28-50:26)
When Yaakov asks of Yosef "Who are these?" it is not because his eyes are dim or that he does not know Yosef's sons intimately. It is because in his prophetic mind's eye he see the boys' greatness in the future redemption of Israel, which is taking place today. His words are not a question but an exclamation of sublime joy and approval.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Vayigash - (Bereishis/Genesis 44:18-47:27)
His brothers were in shock when Yosef said "I am Yosef," thereby removing from their eyes the blinders preventing them from seeing G-d's presence in every moment and in every action. So startled were they that they could not respond, they could not comprehend. Their souls left them. How much greater would be the shock were G-d to reveal His presence to us in one single moment. Therefore He reveals His great light one glimpse at a time, even as the Geula redemption marches ever forward.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Mikeitz - (Bereishis/Genesis 41:1-44:17)
How strong is the bond between a parent and a child? A father and a son? Ya'akov could not be comforted by Yosef's loss. Just what did Ya'akov know concerning Yosef's apparent demise? Why was there a "conspiracy of silence" surrounding Yosef's disappearance?

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Vayeishev - (Bereishis/Genesis 37:1-40:23)
The high drama of parashat Vayeshev comes to teach us two things, which are really only one: We must be ever ready to take upon ourselves the task that G-d has chosen for us, and our time on this earth is not for our own leisure, but to realize the role that G-d has intended for us.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Vayishlach - (Bereishis/Genesis 32:4-36:43)
Yaakov avinu's (our forefather Jacob's) midnight encounter with a mysterious angel: Who was this angel, what was his purpose, and by what name was he known? Yaakov overcomes the angel, and by doing so gains insight into all these questions. He also acquires for himself a new name, a new identity, and a new role to play in establishing the Divine presence here on this earth.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Vayeitzei - (Bereishis/Genesis 28:10-32:3)
Avraham saw his appointed meeting place with G-d as a distant and foreboding mountain, (Mount Moriah), and Yitzchak envisioned the Holy Temple to be a field, accessible and alive. But it was Yaakov who understood the Holy Temple to be a home, a nurturing, loving center in which G-d and all mankind can embrace.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Toldos - (Bereishis/Genesis 25:19-28:9)
The classic tale of deception and intrigue. But who is deceiving who? and who is really being fooled? Ya'akov dons precious garments and goat skins, but by doing so is he deceiving his father Yitzchak, or is he opening Yitzchak's eyes for the first time to a lifetime of deception he has suffered at the hands of Esau, the real master of the bluff?

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Chayei Sarah - (Bereishis/Genesis 23:1-25:18)
Sara imenu -- our matriarch Sara -- was a woman of unparalleled beauty and spiritual strength, whose power of prophecy was greater, our sages teach us, than that of her husband Avraham. Yet, according to Midrash, she was ultimately felled by an enemy common to us all: the satan who feeds on our own fears and casts stumbling blocks along our way.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Vayeira - (Bereishis/Genesis 18:1-22:24)
Why was Avraham avinu interceding on behalf of the wicked people of the decadent city of Sodom? Was he your typical bleeding-heart liberal who can't distinguish between right and wrong? On the contrary, Avraham was showing his faith to the one true G-d and to the role that G-d granted him as guarantor of humanity.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Lech Lecha - (Bereishis/Genesis 12:1-17:27)
Avraham Avinu bursts upon the scene of world history, fighting for G-d's name. Self-titled kings band together to try to take Avraham out and to rid the world of G-d once and for all. But you cannot defeat the King of kings, and being allied to the one true G-d puts our father Avraham in the proverbial catbird seat.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Noach - (Bereishis/Genesis 6:9-11:32)
Noach, the innovator, the preacher, the builder, the savior of mankind, was, indeed, a vast and complex personality. In both his strengths and his tragic foibles, he proved very much to be a figure recognizable in our day. While he may have been a righteous man in his generation alone, the breadth and depth of his character make him a giant for all times.

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Sukkot 5772
The holy Sukkahs that we build on our terraces and in our backyards each year are nothing more and nothing less than a temporary Holy Temple, filled with the light of the ein sof -- the infinite light. This same light which fills our Sukkah was expressed during the seven days of Sukkot in the Holy Temple through the joyful music of the Water Libation Celebration, and the exuberant spontaneity of the music inspired prophecy among those who heard it.

Filmed in the Richman family Sukkah with special honored guests, professional musician and musicologist Rabbi David Louis and his Mikdash All-Stars!

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.

Yom Kippur 5772
Yom Kippur is about making amends and cleaning up our personal acts. But even beyond that, Yom Kippur is about being there for one another and standing united as a people, bearing and sharing responsibility.

Shana Tova uMetuka - a Good and Sweet New Year - Gmar Chatima Tova - May We All be Inscribed in the Book of Life!

by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel.