Aaron Archives - Temple Sinai, Reno's Reform Congregation

Moses, dressed in green, with an angel above him and a donkey, a person and a city below him, and his hands out to give a blessing

Completion of the Work

Rabbi Myra led our Torah Study starting at Exodus 39:22. We discussed a number of details in the account of the robe of the ephod. We noted that the word “opening” for the opening of the robe actually is the Hebrew word for mouth, peh, and that it is like the opening of a corselet with a binding around it so it will not tear. We noted that a corselet covers the torso and that an example of one is a coat of armor. We noted that the pomegranates on the robe are at or within the hem and alternate with bells.

August 2, 2025 No Comments

A mountain with people below it, a fire above it, and Hebrew letters above the fire

The Mishkan and the Nature of Torah

We first discussed the effect of technology on worship, especially zoom, and the centralization, perhaps, of worship around the Central Synagogue in NYC where Rabbi Buchdahl presides.

Two questions were raised about the Mishkan: why does the text devote so much time to the Mishkan, an issue discussed in theTorah.com; and, secondly, why is there so much repetition regarding the construction of the Mishkan.

July 12, 2025 No Comments

Glory, Fear and Awe

Rabbi Ben led our study. We began by discussing Moses going up the mountain with Joshua. We noted that Joshua was not mentioned in the previous account of Moses going up in which it was Aaron and his two sons, Nadav and Abihu, who accompanied Moses. R. Ben recalled that Joshua had been one of the two who held up Moses’ hands during the battle with the Amalekites (the other being Hur) at Exodus 17:12. We discussed redaction (the putting together of different textual accounts to make one text). Dani G. discussed ethnographers he met when he lived on a Hopi reservation as a child who put together different versions of Hopi stories they learned.

July 13, 2024 No Comments

Seeing God?

Rabbi Ben led us in study. We discussed Exodus 24:9-12, beginning with different views of what Torah means by saying that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the seventy elders “saw the God of Israel.” Some think they actually saw God. Other interpreters suggest that they beheld God or envisioned God (in a prophetic vision). Chris suggested that they apprehended God. There is some reluctance to accept that they simply saw God—because of the later idea that no one can see God and live—but Duke suggested we keep it simple.

July 6, 2024 No Comments