Since the times of Ezra and the Scribes, in the period of returning to Palestine after the Babylonian Exile (586 BCE), Jews have been united by the shared experience of reading the weekly Torah portion. Of course, Torah-reading practices have changed and evolved since Babylon. For example, in Babylonia (today’s Iraq), the entire Torah was read in one year. In Palestine during the rabbinic period, a custom evolved to divide the traditional parashiot into three shorter segments, with the entire Torah being read once every three years – the so-called triennial cycle. At TBZ, we are experimenting with both customs, and this year 5766 (2005-2006), we are in the second year of the triennial.

More importantly, for millenia Jews have calibrated their personal calendar-time with a deep connection to the order of the Pentateuch – the Torah; the Five Books of Moshe. For instance, it wouldn't have been unusual to date one’s correspondence with the day of the week of the coming Shabbat Torah portion: "I’m writing you today, the third day of Parshat Noah."

At TBZ, we try very hard to have all who attend our services make the weekly portion part of their collective consciousness. One of our most popular classes is Shabbat Morning Torah Study, at 9:00 AM. As an "unorthodox" and independent congregation, we seek to learn from diverse (sometimes contradictory, or problematic, or even objectionable) sources and perspectives, including the voluminous variety of commentaries available on the Internet. Join us for Torah study! We hope that you, too, will add your commentary to our growing respository of Community D'vrei Torah.

MORE INFORMATION

This Week's Parashat from DarimOnline.org

Comparative Commentaries —