Velveteen Rabbi: Velveteen Rabbi's Torah Commentary

This page contains a link to every d'var Torah I've written since 2003 (at least, every one to which I can currently dig up a working link), sorted by parsha.

As an FYI: many of the Torah poems which I originally posted here (and to which you can find links below) have been revised and edited into a book-length collection of poems: 70 faces, published by Phoenicia Publishing (Montreal) in 2011. If you click through to the publisher's website, you can read a preview of the book & hear me reading some of the poems aloud; I hope you'll consider picking up a copy if these Torah poems are your kind of thing!

For commentary arising out of the later books of the Tanakh, scroll down to the bottom of the page; for commentary on the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), read on.

BERESHIT / GENESIS

Parashat Bereshit

2006: Speaking from our soft places (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Postpartum [Torah poem]
2009: Likeness [Torah poem]
2012: Signs [Torah poem]

Parashat Noach

2005: On stories and floods
2006: Leaving the ark (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Integration [Torah poem]
2009: Blameless [Torah poem]
2012: Insights on Babel: how groupthink damages our relationship with God

Parashat Lech-Lecha

2006: Going forth into something new (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: First step [Torah poem]
2010: On going forth

Parashat Vayera

2006: Radical Hospitality (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Silence [Torah poem]
2009: Aftermath [Torah poem]
2010: The Akedah Cycle [ten linked Torah poems]
2010: The entrance to holiness
2012: Sodom and Gomorrah, Hurricane Sandy, and God

Parashat Chayei Sara

2005: Chayyei Sarah: the meaning of ownership
2008: In the same key [Torah poem]
2009: Departure [Torah poem]
2010: The years of my life

Parashat Toldot

2006: Rivka's question, our answers (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Pulling the strings [Torah poem]
2009: Birthings [Torah poem]
2009: A Torah journey with Rebecca
2012: The Blessing [Torah poem]

Parashat Vayetzei

2006: Dreams, vows, and changes (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: Wellsprings and dreams
2008: Dream [Torah poem]
2009: Hatch [Torah poem]

Parashat Vayishlach

2006: Beyond binaries: Jacob and Israel (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: The meaning of the kiss
2008: Encounter [Torah poem]
2010: Blessing myself
2012: On names and naming
2012: The Face of God

Parashat Vayeshev

2005: The strange soap opera of Vayeshev
Vayeshev and couture
2006: In dreams begin responsibility (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: In the dark [Torah poem]
2012: For a reason [Torah poem]
2012: Drawing (on) our dreams [Torah poem]

Parashat Miketz

2006: The treasure of teshuvah (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Unrecognizable [Torah poem]
2012: S'fat Emet on Chanukah and on light
2012: On abundance and dreams

Parashat Vayigash

2006: And God descended (Originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Kin [Torah poem]

Parashat Vayechi

2007: Carrying our bones (originally published at Radical Torah)
2009: Instead of sons [Torah poem]
2010: The blessings of Ephraim and Menashe
2012: For a reason [Torah poem]

SHEMOT / EXODUS

Parashat Shemot

2007: Opening our hearts and our eyes (originally published at Radical Torah)
2009: Becoming [Torah poem]
2010: Labor [Torah poem]
2010: Seven Miriam Stories [Torah poems] - linked here because Miriam first appears in parashat Shemot, though she is not named until later in the story
2012: Names, and opening our eyes
2013: Choosing to be Ivrim

Parashat Vaera

2007: Plagued (originally published at Radical Torah)
2009: Charge [Torah poem]
2012: On plagues and hardened hearts

Parashat Bo

2006: Seeking compassion (originally published at Radical Torah
2007: Ready or not (originally published at Radical Torah)
2009: Offering [Torah poem]
2011: Light and Ready [Torah poems]

Parashat Beshalach

2006: Reading the song and singing our own (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: Water from the rock (originally published at Radical Torah)
2009: The psalm I sing [Torah poem]
2010: Seven Miriam Stories [Torah poems] - linked here because the Song of the Sea, whch is in this week's Torah portion, figures prominently in this series of poems
2011: Enough [Torah poem]

Parashat Yitro

2006: Earth and whole stones (originally published at Radical Torah)
2006: Birthday d'var
2007: What is revealed (originally published at Radical Torah)
2009: The Deal [Torah poem]
2011: Coming Back Down [Torah poem]
2012: Caring for others, caring for ourselves
2013: A Special Transmission at Sinai

Parashat Mishpatim

2006: Choosing liberation (originally published at Radical Torah)
2009: Like a feast [Torah poem]

Parashat Terumah

2006: Weaving parashat Terumah into our lives (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: The place we build for God (originally published at Radical Torah)
2009: The gifts [Torah poem]
2011: Home [Torah poem]
2012: On gifts, sanctuaries, & hearts
2013: God Dwelling in Us

Parashat Tetzaveh

2006: Holy garments (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: Eternal light (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Vestments of beauty
2009: High priest [Torah poem]
2011: A sweet scent before God
2011: Kedushat Levi on Aaron's clothes

Parashat Ki Tisa

2006: A mishkan in time (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: The people, the calf, and Moshe
2009: Re-entry [Torah poem]
2011: God's afterimage, and letting our light shine
2011: The other side of the story [Torah poem]

Parashat Vayakhel

2006: Perceiving God (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: A home for God among us (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Collaboration [Torah poem]

Parashat Pekudei

2006 and 2007: Vayekhel-Pekudei was a joint portion (so: see entries for Vayekhel!)
2008: Only connect
2009: Instruction [Torah poem]

VAYIKRA / LEVITICUS

Parashat Vayikra

2006: Unleavened offerings of our hearts (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: The heart of things (originally published at Radical Torah.)
2008: Korban [Torah poem]
2011: Thinking about sacrifice
2013: A sweet scent

Parashat Tzav

2006: Priestly ordination: hearing, doing, walking (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Tzav, "Command" [Torah poem]
2009: Red [Torah poem]

Parashat Shmini

2006: Why innovative prayer isn't strange fire (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: Holiness, wildlife, keeping awake (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Vessel [Torah poem] and Brokenness and purity
2009: Clear [Torah poem]

Parashat Tazria

2005: Tricky Torah: taharah and tumah
2006: Meeting impurity, and being changed (originally published at Radical Torah.)
2007: Health -- and connection with God (originally published at Radical Torah.)
2008: Clean [Torah poem]
2009: Like God [Torah poem]
2012: Revisiting Tazria-Metzorah, after death and after birth

Parashat Metzora

In 2006 and 2007 and 2009 and 2012, Tazria-Metzora was a double portion, so: see the listing for Tazria!
2008: On your house [Torah poem]

Parashat Acharei Mot

2004: Rereading Leviticus 18:22
2006: Ways to redeem one problematic line (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Naked [Torah poem] and Returning to Mitzrayim (part of the Torah Queeries series at Jewish Mosaic)
2009: You shall be holy [Torah poem]
2010: On holy community
2012: On loving our neighbors

Parashat Kedoshim

In 2006 and 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012 Acharei Mot-Kedoshim was a double portion, so: see the listing for Acharei Mot!
2008: Gevurah [Torah poem]

Parashat Emor

2006: Making our offerings count (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: The bodies we are (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Shall [Torah poem]
2009: Fix [Torah poem]
2013: Holy [Torah poem]

Parashat Behar

2005: Land, labor, liberty
2006: The importance of tending the earth (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: Caretaker [Torah poem]
2009: Borrowed [Torah poem]

Parashat Bechukotai

In 2006 and 2007 and 2009, Behar-Bechukotai was a double portion, so: see the listing for Behar!
2008: Either/Or [Torah poem]
2012: A Shabbat for the earth

BAMIDBAR / NUMBERS

Parashat Bamidbar

2006: Portable holiness (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: Ways of counting (at Jewess)
2008: Census [Torah poem]
2009: Head by head [Torah poem]
2011: Kedushat Levi on the census as sacred study

Parashat Naso

2006: Jealous bread and bitter water (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Voice [Torah poem]
2009: Nazir [Torah poem]
2012: The things they carried

Parashat Beha'alotcha

2006: Offering God compassion (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Shine [Torah poem]
2009: Apart [Torah poem]
2010: Seven Miriam Stories [Torah poems] - linked here because the episode where Miriam questions Moshe's primacy and is stricken with tzara'at, which appears in this week's Torah portion, gave rise to part of this poem
2011: Cloud of glory 2 [Torah poem]
2011: A Sermon in Poetry for parashat B'ha-alot'kha (delivered at Temple Beth El and at Temple Chai, San Antonio)

Parashat Shlakh-lekha

2006: Little picture, big picture (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: Compassion and fear (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Larger Than Life [Torah poem]

Parashat Korach

2006: The hubris of Korach (originally published at Radical Torah)
2007: Korach: fruitful tension between paradigms (originally published at Radical Torah)
2008: Bloom [Torah poem]
2009: Fruit [Torah poem]

Parashat Chukat