Category: Uncategorized

Korah (קֹרַח – Korah)
^{Numbers 16:1 – 18:32 & I Samuel 11:14 – 12:22}

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are swallowed up for challenging the legitimacy of Moses and Aaron, while the 250 other rebels, who offered unauthorized incense, are consumed by divine fire. To prevent further dissent, Moses asks each tribal leader to place his staff in the sanctuary; only Aaron’s staff buds, blossoms, and produces almonds — an unmistakable sign of divine choice. In the haftarah, the prophet Samuel, who is also challenged, reminds the people that God is Israel’s only true leader.

Numbers 17:23
וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת, וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אֹהֶל הָעֵדוּת, וְהִנֵּה פָּרַח מַטֵּה-אַהֲרֹן, לְבֵית לֵוִי; וַיֹּצֵא פֶרַח וַיָּצֵץ צִיץ, וַיִּגְמֹל שְׁקֵדִים
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

In the time of the Second Temple, Magdala — or in Aramaic Migdal Nunaya, “Tower of the Fish” — was a prosperous Jewish city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had up to 40,000 inhabitants, with a market, ritual baths, a fish-salting industry, and several synagogues. One of these yielded the famous Magdala Stone, adorned with symbols of the Jerusalem Temple: a menorah, jars, columns… and, on its upper face, a floral arrangement that some archaeologists interpret as stylized almond blossoms.

The modern locality of Migdal was founded in 1910 by Russian Jewish pioneers from the Hovevei Tsion movement^[1]. Among the founders were notable figures such as Joseph Trumpeldor^[2] and Yossef Haim Brenner^[3]. They established an agricultural training farm called Ahuzat Moskva – “Moscow Estate” – to train Jewish farmers.

^[1] Hovevei Tsion – Lovers of Zion: a proto-Zionist movement founded in 1881 in Russia, aimed at promoting Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel.
^[2] Joseph Trumpeldor (1880–1920): Zionist hero, Russian army veteran, co-founder with Ze’ev Jabotinsky (1880–1940, militant Zionist leader advocating for a strong Jewish state in the Land of Israel) and Nahum Sokolow (1859–1936, writer, politician, and Zionist diplomat) of the Zion Mule Corps (a voluntary Jewish muleteer unit that supported the British Army during the 1915 Gallipoli campaign, seen as a precursor to the Jewish Legion). He died defending Tel Hai, a Jewish outpost in Mandatory Palestine, during an Arab tribal attack in 1920.
^[3] Yossef Haim Brenner (1881–1921): major Hebrew writer and pioneer of modern Hebrew literature, assassinated on May 2, 1921, in Jaffa during anti-Jewish riots by Arab assailants, alongside Zionist activists Dr. Yitzhak Vitkin, Dr. Yosef Luria, Avraham Yesod, and Moshe Feinstein, a prominent community leader. They were all buried together in the Trumpeldor Cemetery in Tel Aviv.

Shelach Lekha (שלח לך – Send for yourself)
^{Numbers 13:1–15:41 and Joshua 2:1–24}

Moses sends twelve explorers into Canaan; upon their return, ten of them deliver an alarming report. Frightened, the people refuse to take possession of the land and are consequently condemned to forty years of wandering in the desert. Forty years later, Joshua in turn sends two spies to Jericho, the key to entering Eretz Israel (Talmud, Sotah 34b). Their successful mission leads to the conquest of Canaan. In both narratives, one motif recurs: the cord^[¹]. The blue thread of the tsitsit, and the scarlet cord hung by Rahav at her window.

Numbers 15:38
דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל… פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת
Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them to make fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a thread of blue on each corner fringe.

The method for producing the tekhelet (תְּכֵלֶת – indigo blue) was lost over the centuries. In the 19th century, Mediterranean fishermen reported that their garments turned blue after handling certain sea snails. In 1882, intrigued by these accounts, Rabbi Gershon Hanokh Henikh Leiner^[²] applied his dual expertise in Torah and natural sciences in an attempt to identify the animal used for dyeing the tsitsit. His investigation — mistakenly — led him to identify the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) as the ḥilazon (חילזון – the biblical snail).

In 1968, Israeli chemist Otto Elsner (1936–2022) demonstrated experimentally that the Hexaplex trunculus produces a blue dye through a photochemical reaction. In 1980, the Ptil Tekhelet team in Israel, led by Rabbi Eliezer Yosef Tavger^[³], succeeded in reproducing this process. The method was validated, and a breeding farm for Hexaplex trunculus^[⁴] was established in Haifa.

Today, several halakhic authorities^[⁵] recognize the validity of modern tekhelet. Figures such as Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, and Rabbi Shlomo Machpud consider the accumulated evidence⁶ strong enough to restore this forgotten mitzvah.

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^[¹] Joshua 2:18 mentions a “cord of scarlet thread” (תִּקְוַת חוּט הַשָּׁנִי); Joshua 2:21 repeats “the scarlet cord” (תִּקְוַת הַשָּׁנִי).
The word תִּקְוָה (tikvah), from the root ק–ו–ה (“to hope” or “to stretch a line”), conveys a sense of active, tension-filled anticipation. In kabbalistic tradition, this thread is associated with protection against the evil eye. Two words, two registers: the text could have chosen the generic hevel (חֶבֶל – simple rope), yet deliberately selects ptil (פְּתִיל) — a twisted, ritualized thread — a sacred reminder of the covenant. And on the other hand, tikvah bears the full weight of longing and redemptive hope.
^[²] Rebbe Gershon Hanokh Henikh Leiner (1839–1891), Hassidic master of Radzin and a pioneer in reviving the search for tekhelet in the 19th century.
^[³] Rabbi Eliezer Yosef Tavger (1948–2022), physicist and Torah teacher. In 1988, he performed the first halakhic tekhelet dyeing in over 1,300 years.
^[⁴] Hexaplex trunculus (also known as Murex trunculus): a marine gastropod identified as the biblical ḥilazon. The Talmud (Menachot 42b–44a) provides clues: “its body resembles the sea” — it lives in the Mediterranean and has an iridescent shell; “it resembles a fish” — it has a coiled, fishlike form; and “its blood is used for dye” — its glandular secretion turns blue under sunlight. About 30 snails are required to dye a full set of tsitsit.
^[⁵] Halakhic authorities:
– Rabbi Tsvi Hershel Schachter (b. 1941), leading Orthodox halakhic authority in the U.S., heads the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (Yeshiva University), author of Guinat Egoz (2007), which discusses tekhelet.
– Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg (1931–2020), former head of the rabbinical court in Jerusalem and director of the Talmudic Encyclopedia.
– Rabbi Shlomo Machpud (b. 1946), prominent Sephardic decisor of Yemenite origin, heads the Yoreh Deah kashrut agency in Bnei Brak, and actively advocates for reintroducing tekhelet as an authentic mitzvah.
^[⁶] Accumulated evidence: Fragments of textiles dyed with tekhelet and argaman (crimson dye from Bolinus brandaris) have been found at Masada and in the Judean Desert. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses confirmed the use of Hexaplex trunculus as a dye source. Phoenician dye workshops have yielded thousands of broken shells. Pliny the Elder (Natural History, Book IX) names eight types of mollusks used for purple or blue dyes and details the manufacturing process.

Beha’alotekha (בהעלותך – when you raise up)
^{Numbers 8:1–12:16 and Zechariah 2:14–4:7}

The parashah begins with the command given to Aaron to light the menorah and the consecration of the Levites. In the haftarah, the prophet Zechariah describes the vision of the menorah and the consecration of the High Priest Jeshua.

Psalm 29:2 (Kabbalat Shabbat ^[1])
הָבוּ לַה’, כְּבוֹד שְׁמוֹ; הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַה’, בְּהַדְרַת-קֹדֶשׁ
Give the Lord the glory due His name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

Built in 1964, the Maguen David Synagogue in Mexico is an architectural work designed by Mathias Goeritz ^[2], blending modernism with Jewish tradition. Its imposing Star of David, supported by two monumental columns, immediately catches the eye. Inside, the inscription of Psalm 29:2 on the women’s balcony faces a large menorah placed near a semicircular hekhal. Natural light and colorful stained glass windows create an atmosphere conducive to prayer.

Present since the 16^th century with the conversos ^[3] fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, the Mexican Jewish community grew stronger through 20^th century waves of migration ^[4]. Today, it has around 40,000 members and boasts educational, religious, and cultural institutions that reflect its diversity.

^[1] Kabbalat Shabbat: Ritual for welcoming the Sabbath, introduced by the Kabbalists of Safed in the 16th century.
^[2] Werner Mathias Goeritz Brunner (1915–1990), German-Mexican artist and architect, pioneer of emotional architecture, known for emblematic projects like the Torres de Satélite.
^[3] Conversos: Spanish Jews forcibly converted to Christianity under the threat of the Inquisition.
^[4] Two major waves of migration: The first in the early 20th century from Muslim countries, the second between the World Wars from Eastern Europe.

Nasso (נשא – Elevate)
^{Numbers 4:21–7:89 and Judges 13:2–25}

The parasha Nasso addresses the role of the Levites, the Sotah, the purity laws, and the Nazirite vow. It invokes peace and protection upon Israel and concludes with the tribal offerings for the dedication of the Tabernacle. In the haftara, an angel announces the birth of Samson, who is consecrated as a Nazirite from birth.

Numbers 6:24-26 (Priestly Blessing)
יְבָרֶכְךָ ה’ וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
יָאֵר ה’ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
יִשָּׂא ה’ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
May the Eternal bless you and keep you!
May the Eternal make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Eternal turn His face toward you and grant you peace!q

In 1979, archaeologist Gabriel Barkay ^[1] led excavations at the site where the Repha’im and Hinnom valleys converge in Jerusalem. During the dig, a young participant uncovered a hidden burial chamber containing more than 1,000 artifacts, including silverware, gold, bones, precious stones, arrowheads, and, most notably, two tiny silver scrolls measuring 2.5 cm long, dating to the late 7th century BCE, during the First Temple period, before the Babylonian exile. These scrolls, known as the Ketef Hinnom amulets, are the oldest known fragments of biblical texts, predating the famous Dead Sea Scrolls by several centuries. They contain an inscription in ancient Hebrew, featuring the Priestly Blessing from parasha Nasso.
Due to their extreme fragility, it took three years of meticulous work to unroll them without causing damage. Their content demonstrates that biblical passages were not only written but actively used in a liturgical and apotropaic (protective) context as early as the time of the prophet Jeremiah.
Today, they are preserved and exhibited in the archaeological wing of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

^[1] Gabriel Barkay (born in 1944 in Hungary) is an Israeli archaeologist specializing in biblical archaeology and the history of Jerusalem. In 1999, the Islamic Waqf, the administrator of the Temple Mount, carried out large-scale construction work without authorization or archaeological oversight, including the expansion of an underground mosque beneath the Temple Mount. These works led to the deliberate and illegal destruction of unique archaeological remains. To salvage what could be recovered, Barkay co-founded the Temple Mount Sifting Project with Zachi Dvira, aiming to sift and study the 9,000 tons of debris removed from the site. This project has led to the recovery of thousands of artifacts covering nearly 3,000 years of history, despite the irreversible losses to archaeological heritage.

Bamidbar (במדבר – In the Wilderness)
^{Numbers 1:1–4:20 and Hosea 2:1–22}

In the wilderness of Sinai, God commands Moses to take a census of the children of Israel and establish an organized structure for the people, defining the arrangement of the camps, the order of march, and the distribution of tasks. The prophet Hosea discusses Israel’s destiny through a symbolic perspective, comparing the people to the sand of the sea, illustrating their growth and continuity.

Hosea 2:1
וְהָיָה, מִסְפַּר בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּחוֹל הַיָּם, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יִמַּד, וְלֹא יִסָּפֵר
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor counted.

Hosea uses this powerful image to recall the original covenant ^[1] with the patriarchs and highlight the continuity of the divine promise across generations.

Jewish presence in Jamaica dates back to the mid-17th century, when Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition ^[2] sought refuge on the island under British rule. The Kahal Kadosh Sha’are Shalom Synagogue in Kingston stands as a testament to the local Jewish history. Built in 1885, it was destroyed in 1907 by a devastating earthquake that struck much of the city. In the aftermath, the six Henriques brothers united to help rebuild both the synagogue and Kingston itself. Completed in 1912 in a British colonial style, the synagogue is distinguished by its 52-stop pipe organ. However, what makes it particularly remarkable is its white sand-covered floor ^[3]—a tradition inherited from the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula, used to muffle the sound of their prayers.

Adjacent to the synagogue, the Museum of Jamaican Jewish History is renowned for its rich Judaic collection, one of the most remarkable in the Caribbean.

[1] Biblical promise: “I will bestow my blessings upon you; I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore, and your offspring shall possess the gates of their enemies.” (Genesis 22:17)
[2] Spanish Inquisition: Established in 1478, it led to the persecution of Jews, notably through the expulsion decrees of Spain in 1492 and Portugal in 1497. Some Jews sought refuge in the colonies as early as the 16th century, but since Jamaica was under Spanish rule until 1655, Jewish presence remained limited until the English conquest.
[3] Sand: Besides discretion and the covenant, another explanation is that it symbolizes the Sinai wilderness.
[4] Jolly Roger: The famous pirate flag depicting a skull and crossed bones—a Memento Mori (“Remember that you will die”)—used by some Jewish corsairs and privateers.
[5] Notable Jewish figures in piracy in Jamaica and the Caribbean:
– Moses Cohen Henriques (1595–after 1681) – A Sephardic Jew who fled the Spanish Inquisition, he made history in 1628 by helping Dutch admiral Piet Pieterszoon Hein (1577–1629) capture a Spanish fleet carrying gold and silver, a loot estimated today at one billion dollars. After the Portuguese reconquest of Brazil in 1654, he sought refuge in Jamaica, where he contributed to the establishment of the Jewish community and is believed to have advised the famous privateer Captain Morgan (Sir Henry Morgan, 1635–1688) in Port Royal.
– David Abrabanel (17th century) – Known as “Captain Davis,” this Jewish privateer commanded the ship “Jerusalem” and carried out independent raids (without official commission) against the Spanish in retaliation for the persecution suffered by his family.
– Yaacov Kuriel (17th century) – A former Spanish captain, captured by the Inquisition, he was freed by his own sailors, most of whom were Marranos. He then took to the seas with three ships and led attacks against the Spanish in the Caribbean.

Behar-Bechukotai (בְּהַר – “on the mountain”, בְּחֻקֹּתַי – “in My laws”)
^{Leviticus 25:1 – 27:34 and Jeremiah 16:19-17:14}

The parashah Behar-Bechukotai teaches the laws of Yovel ^[1] and Shemitah ^[2], reminding that the land belongs to God and must be cultivated with respect. It speaks of blessings linked to obedience and curses in case of transgression, reaffirming constant faithfulness to His covenant. The Haftarah of Jeremiah emphasizes the importance of trusting in God rather than wealth or power. Man, as the guardian of the land, must use it with wisdom, faith, and fairness.

Jeremiah 17:7
בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר, אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּה’; וְהָיָה ה’, מִבְטַחוֹ.
Blessed is the man who trusts in God, and whose hope is in Him.

This trust is reflected in the way the land is cultivated at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu. This kibbutz practices organic farming and uses insects ^[3] to control pests and ensure pollination in greenhouses and open fields.
In this religious kibbutz, a synagogue, a beit midrash, a regional religious school, an ulpan, and a volunteer program provide a setting for life and learning based on Jewish traditions. Students alternate between three days of work and three days of study, benefiting from dormitories, break rooms, and dedicated living spaces.

Sde Eliyahu, located 5 kilometers south of Beit She’an in the Valley of Springs, 200 meters below sea level, was founded in May 1938 by a group of young German Jews following the Choma U’Migdal model (חומה ומגדל – palisade and tower). This method, used under the British Mandate, allowed rapid establishment of secure agricultural settlements by erecting a watchtower and wooden palisade overnight. The name of the kibbutz honors Rabbi Eliyahu Guttmacher ^[4], a 19th-century figure who supported religious Zionism.

^[1] Yovel (Jubilee): planned for 5802 (2041-2042), a jubilee year celebrated every 50 years with the release of lands and slaves.
^[2] Shemitah (sabbatical year): planned for 5789 (2028-2029) and 5796 (2035-2036), observed every 7 years with land rest and debt cancellation.
^[3] In 1983, the kibbutz created the company Sde Eliyahu Biological Control Insectaries, now BioBee, which distributes its products internationally. This company develops biological pest control techniques, uses sterile insect technology, and provides bumblebees for pollination.
^[4] Originally from Poland, Eliyahu Guttmacher (1795-1874) was a rabbi and kabbalist, a precursor of religious Zionism. He encouraged Jewish agricultural settlement in the Land of Israel as a path to redemption.

Emor (Hebrew: אמור – dis)
^{Leviticus 21:1–24:23 and Ezekiel 44:15–31}

The parashah Emor and its haftarah highlight the importance of purity in divine service. While the Torah establishes the purification rules applicable in the Mishkan (the Tabernacle), the prophet Ezekiel announces continuity and fulfillment in the future Temple.

Ezekiel 44:23
וְאֶת-עַמִּי יוֹרוּ, בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחֹל; וּבֵין-טָמֵא לְטָהוֹר, יוֹדִעֻם.
They will instruct my people to distinguish between what is holy and what is profane; they will make known to them the difference between what is impure and what is pure.

Mikveh of the Ari HaKadosh
This verse reveals the role of the priests as a source of transmitting purity and holiness to the people—a spiritual dimension that is manifested in purification sites such as the Mikveh of the Ari HaKadosh in Safed. Located near the upper entrance of the town’s cemetery, this basin holds deep spiritual and mystical significance. According to tradition, Ari HaKadosh ^[1] immersed himself there daily. Fed directly by an aquifer, the mikveh offers water that is pure and cool (between 10°C and 15°C / approximately 50°F to 59°F). Today, this site welcomes visitors from around the world in search of purification and spiritual elevation. Further down the hill rest Ari HaKadosh and his son, Rabbi Moses Luria.

The Kabbalists of Safed
In Safed, before the arrival of Ari HaKadosh, the Ramak ^[2] led a kabbalistic school. He structured mystical teachings through his work Pardes Rimonim ^[3]. Upon his death, Ari HaKadosh continued his teaching by introducing major concepts ^[4]. Although he wrote little, his teachings were collected and disseminated by Rabbi Chaim Vital ^[5], his principal disciple.

Notes and References
^[1] Rabbi Isaac Luria Ashkenazi (1534–1572) was known as “Ashkenazi” because of his father’s Ashkenazi origins. He grew up in Cairo in a Sephardic environment and later settled in Safed, which, in the 16^th century, was a major center of Sephardic Jewish mysticism. He prayed and lived according to the Sephardic rite, and most of his disciples were also Sephardic.
The acronym Ari (האר״י) is derived from האלוקי רב יצחק (Ha-Eloqi Rav Yitzhak), meaning “The Divine Rabbi Yitzhak.” This acronym is also interpreted as Ashkenazi Rabbi Yitzhak or Adoneinu Rabbeinou Yitzhak (“Our Master, Our Rabbi Yitzhak”). It is also known by the names Ari Zal (Ari, his memory is a blessing) and Ari HaKadosh (Ari, the Holy).
^[2] Rabbi Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (1522–1570) was a major figure in Kabbalah. He structured the kabbalistic teachings and profoundly influenced the development of Jewish mysticism in Safed. He is also known by the acronym רמ״ק (Ramak).
^[3] Pardes Rimonim (פרדס רימונים), meaning “The Orchard of Pomegranates,” is a major work of Kabbalah. Its title refers to two symbolic elements:
– Pardes (פרדס), an acronym for the four levels of Torah interpretation—Pshat (פשט) for the literal sense, Remez (רמז) for the allegorical, Derash (דרש) for the homiletical, and Sod (סוד) for the mystical.
– Rimonim (רימונים), meaning “pomegranates,” is a symbol of wisdom, and the fruit’s seed count alludes to the 613 mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah.
^[4] Kabbalistic concepts introduced by Ari HaKadosh include:
– Tzimtzum: The contraction or withdrawal of the divine presence in order to create space for creation.
– Chevirat Ha-Kelim: “Breaking of the Vessels,” a cosmic event that is the origin of primordial disorder.
– Tikkun Olam: “Repairing the World” through acts of kindness and holiness.
^[5] Rabbi Chaim Vital (1542–1620), the principal disciple of the Ari, fixed his teachings in fundamental texts including Etz Ha’Hayim (The Tree of Life) and Cha’ar HaGilgulim (The Gate of Reincarnations). His son, Rabbi Samuel Vital (1598–1677), ensured the transmission of these teachings throughout the Eastern Jewish world.

A’haré Mot (אחרי מות – After [the death]) – Qédochim (קדושים – Holy)
^{Leviticus 16:1–20:27 and Amos 9:7–15}

These verses gather laws related to holiness, ritual purity, forbidden relationships, justice, and charity.

Leviticus 19:18
וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

This verse^[1] is engraved above the large rose window adorned with a Star of David on the main façade of the synagogue of Versailles. Built between 1884 and 1886 in a Neo-Byzantine style, the building stands out for its symmetrical composition, rounded arches, Hebrew inscriptions, and stone gables carved to represent the Torah scrolls.

The structure was designed by architect Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe^[2], a major figure in Jewish religious architecture in France at the end of the 19th century. Its realization was made possible thanks to the financial support of philanthropist Cécile Furtado-Heine^[3], during a time marked by the massive arrival of Alsatian and Lorraine Jewish families after the 1870 war^[4].

Listed as a historic monument since 2010, the synagogue remains an active place of worship, serving a predominantly Sephardic community. Before its construction, the Jews of Versailles, present since the 18th century, practiced their faith in modest prayer rooms, notably on Rue de Saint-Cloud.

^[1] The inscription above the rose window combines two verses:
וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ You shall love the Lord, your God (Deuteronomy 6:5).
לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).
Above the central portal, another verse is inscribed:
“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.” (Deuteronomy 28:6).
^[2] Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe (1834–1895), French architect, is notably the designer of the synagogue on Rue de la Victoire in Paris, a landmark of French Judaism.
^[3] Cécile Charlotte Furtado-Heine (1821–1896), a major Jewish patron, supported numerous social and religious initiatives, including the construction of hospitals and synagogues.
^[4] After the defeat of Napoleon III at Sedan, the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine by the German Empire in 1871 led to the exile of many French-speaking Jewish families. Some sought refuge in France and Algeria, while others settled in Switzerland or the United States, particularly in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and New York. A few families also emigrated to Argentina and Brazil, while others opted for the Ottoman Empire.

Tazria (תזריע – she will conceive) & Metsora (מצורע – a person afflicted with tzaraat ^[1])
^{Leviticus 12:1-15:33 and 2 Kings 7:3-20}

The sections of Tazria-Metsora deal with the laws of ritual purity and purification rites, where water symbolizes renewal and spiritual transition.

Leviticus 14:8
וְכִבֶּס אֶת-בְּגָדָיו, וְרָחַץ אֶת-בְּשָׂרוֹ בַּמַּיִם–וְטָהֵר.
He shall wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and become pure.

In 1828, a fire pump^[2] was installed between Quai d’Auteuil and the Route de Versailles to draw water from the Seine and supply the Passy reservoirs, ensuring the storage and distribution of drinking water. Between 1900 and 1925, the company Pacotte & Co replaced this pump with a modern water-lifting plant^[3]. The facility consisted of five buildings combining millstone, light and red bricks, and metal elements characteristic of the industrial style of the time. The plant ceased operations in 1955.

The City of Paris initiated a site redevelopment project, and in 2001, it made one of the buildings available to the Grand Rabbi of Paris, David Messas^[4], who founded the Maguen David – Ahavat Shalom Community Center. In 2019, Rabbi Ariel Messas, continuing his father’s work, signed a 50-year lease with the City of Paris and reached an agreement with the management company of the Water Pavilion^[5] to also host Shabbat meals, bar mitzvahs, and other celebrations there.

^[1] Tzara’at: Ritual skin, garment, or wall afflictions characterized by white patches, spots, or specific eruptions.
^[2] Fire pump: Technology based on wood or coal boilers to power pumping mechanisms.
^[3] Water-lifting plant: A structure designed to raise water to sufficient heights to supply reservoirs, using pumps and a basic filtration system.
^[4] Rabbi David Messas: Born in 1934 in Meknes (Morocco), he studied at the Keter Torah Yeshiva in Casablanca, Aix-les-Bains, and Grenoble. Grand Rabbi of Geneva (1989-1995), then Paris (1995-2011), he left a lasting mark on the Jewish community with his scholarship and dedication. He was awarded the Légion d’Honneur and its Moroccan equivalent, the Ouissam Alaouite.
^[5] Water Pavilion (Pavillon de l’Eau): In 2007, under the auspices of Eau de Paris, architect Vincent Brossy transformed one of the buildings into a center dedicated to resource conservation and access to drinking water.

Shemini (שְׁמִינִי – Eighth)
^{Leviticus 9:1 – 11:46 and 2 Samuel 6:1-19}

The parashah Shemini⁽¹⁾ deals with the inauguration of the Tabernacle, while the haftarah recounts the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem—two stories interweaving intense joy and tragedy⁽²⁾.

Leviticus 10:16
ואת שעיר החטאת דרש דרש משה
And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering…

In the Torah, the word דרש (darash, meaning “to seek” or “to study”) is at the center⁽³⁾. This teaches us that study should hold a central and foundational place in our lives. This word appears in the central verse, which Rashi⁽⁴⁾ interprets as the necessity of balancing the observance of divine commandments with human realities. It was in Troyes that Rashi wrote his commentaries after studying in Mainz and then in Worms.

Worms, nicknamed the “Little Jerusalem of the Rhine Valley”, is a major historical center of European Judaism. The Jewish community there has been documented since the early Middle Ages. The Jewish quarter of Worms, reconstructed in 1961, is home to a Romanesque-Gothic synagogue founded in 1034, the Rashi House which became a museum in 1982, a mikveh (ritual bath) dating from the 12^th century, and the Heilige Sand⁽⁵⁾.

⁽¹⁾ Shemini: The number eight represents transcendence beyond the natural and cyclical—an elevation toward the infinite.
⁽²⁾ In the parashah, the joy of the Tabernacle’s inauguration is overshadowed by the death of Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s sons. In the haftarah, the transfer of the Ark to Jerusalem is marked by the death of Uzzah, one of Abinadab’s sons.
⁽³⁾ Shemini contains: the central verse of the Torah (the 2,923rd), the central word דרש (the 39,924th), linked to seeking and study (from the root ד-ר-ש come the words: דרש darash – “he studied”, מדרש midrash – “interpretation” or “exegesis”, דורש doresh – “seeker”, דרשה derasha – “sermon”, דרישות drishot – “requirements”). The central letter is the ו (vav) in the word גחון (gachon – “belly”, Leviticus 11:42), a letter whose shape symbolizes connection between the lower and the higher, the material and the spiritual, or the human and the divine.
⁽⁴⁾ Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak (רש״י – Rashi) was born in 1040 in Troyes. At age 15, he studied in Mainz under Rabbi Yaakov ben Yakar. After the latter’s death in 1064, he continued his studies in Worms under Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi HaQadosh. At age 30, in 1070, he returned to Troyes, where he founded a school, married, worked in his vineyard, and wrote his famous commentaries. He died in Troyes in 1105.
⁽⁵⁾ Heilige Sand is the German name for the oldest preserved Jewish cemetery in Europe. It literally means “holy sand.” Over 2,000 graves are recorded there, including that of Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg (1215–1293), known as the Maharam, a major figure in medieval Ashkenazi Judaism. Maharam is an acronym for Morenu HaRav Rabbi Meir (מוהר״ם), meaning “Our teacher, Rabbi Meir”.