Remembering Amalek
The Torah commands us to “wipe out the memory of Amalek…do not forget!” (Deut. 25) What exactly does “Amalek” represent, and what might it mean to remember (or blot out) that memory?
Rabbi Toba Spitzer has served Congregation Dorshei Tzedek in West Newton, Mass. since 1997. She served as president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Assocation from 2007-2009.
The Torah commands us to “wipe out the memory of Amalek…do not forget!” (Deut. 25) What exactly does “Amalek” represent, and what might it mean to remember (or blot out) that memory?
A civil-rights era song proclaimed, “No easy walk to freedom.” In this text study based on Parashat Behukotay, we examine what it means to “walk upright.”
Study sheet on the different interpretations of “sin” throughout Jewish history.
Study sheet on the relationship between Parashat Nitzavim and themes of teshuvah.
A text study from the midrashic literature on the creation of humanity
The ritual of counting the Omer takes place between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot. This study sheet explores the deeper meaning of this commandment.
Study sheet on the significance of having received the Torah at Mt. Sinai, in the wilderness.
What is the meaning of the fringes (tzitzit) on a Jewish prayer shawl (tallit)? Rabbi Toba Spitzer examines the sources.
What does it mean to be commanded to be joyful? Rabbi Toba Spitzer unpacks this imperative from Parashat Ki Tavo.