Our guest this week is Rabbi Joel Zeff, leader of the Knesset Israel Torah Center in Sacramento. Rabbi Zeff holds a BA from UCLA in Hebrew Language, an MS in Jewish History from Yeshiva University, and received Rabbinic Ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. He served as the spiritual leader of the Westwood Kehilla Congregation in Los Angeles for seven years before moving to Israel in 1994. For the decade after his aliyah to Israel he held the position of Senior Lecturer at the David Shapell College of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Subsequently to his tenure at Shapell College Rabbi Zeff served as Dean of Yeshivat Torat Yosef-Hamivtar, an affiliate of Ohr Torah Stone Institutions under the direction of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.
This week's Torah portion – Parashat Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16) – features the final three plagues of Egypt, the People of Israel's departure from Egypt, and the first Passover celebration. Our discussion focuses on the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh (Head of the Month), the first mitzvah to be given collectively to the Jewish Nation as a whole.
To learn some more about Parashat Bo, check out our discussion with Rabbi Zvi Grumet.
