Rosner’s Torah-Talk: Parashat Va’etchanan with Rabbi Terry Bookman

Our guest this week is Rabbi Terry Bookman of the Temple Beth Am congregation in Pincrest, FL. Rabbi Bookman was ordained rabbi by the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1984. He holds a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters (H.U.C.), a Master of Arts in Systematic Theology (Marquette University), and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities (C.U.N.Y.). Bookman, who has served at Temple Beth Am since 1994, is the author of several books and a co-founder of Eitzah/The Center for Congregational Leadership, whose mission is to strengthen the capacities of congregational leaders, lay and professional, to create effective, vibrant synagogues through education, training, coaching, research, and organizational development.

This Week's Torah Portion- Parashat Va'etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11)- continues to present Moses' review of the Torah. Moses tells how he implored God to let him into the Promised Land and how God refused. He recounts the story of the Exodus from Egypt, declaring it an unprecedented event in human history. He predicts how in the future the people of Israel will sin, worship other gods, get exiled, and return to obey the lord outside the Promised Land. The portion also includes a repetition of the Ten Commandments and of the verses of the Shema. Our discussion focuses on Moses’ plea to God and on the idea of not getting what we want despite our earnest prayers.

If you would like to learn some more about Parashat Va’etchanan, check out our conversation with Rabbi Julie Schonfeld.