Vaykhel-Pekudei
Join Us in Shining a Light on Miscarriage and Stillbirth
Dear Reader,
It is estimated that about 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. Someone who has experienced the traumatic loss of a miscarriage or stillbirth may feel a range of intense emotions. Unfortunately, these feelings are often not discussed and the pain from silence creates a loneliness that augments the suffering.
For this reason, thejewishwoman.org has created a special section for those who have experienced this loss. We share intimate, personal stories of women whose dreams have been shattered and how they ultimately found faith and consolation. We also share the answers to common questions and the messages to family and friends.
I invite you to peruse this section and share it with someone who may find solace in reading these perspectives. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts, reflections or feedback.
Chana Weisberg,
Editor, TJW
The Jewish calendar is the structure upon which all Jewish holidays are based. It follows the lunar cycle, which means that the year is comprised of 12 lunar months (of approximately 29.5 days each).
Seas splitting, shofars sounding, plagues, paranormal visions… what do you know about the miracles in the Torah?
Since Hakhel—the septennial event requiring the entire Jewish nation to attend— has not occurred since Temple times, the exact particulars have become murky. In this article we will reconstruct the fine details as depicted in the vast canon of rabbinic literature.
Judaism has been understood as the effort to reunite the feminine and masculine aspects of G-d.
Could it be true, I wondered, that there really is no mitzvah to help people? I tried to consider how what I already knew (or thought I knew) fit in with the speaker’s narrative.
Moses’ staff figures prominently throughout the story of the Exodus from Egypt and our ancestors’ subsequent sojourn in the desert. But Scripture doesn’t tell us the history of the staff.
I know that I should have more faith, but as much as I try, I’m still scared and getting more scared by the day.
I see my struggle as a hidden gift from G‑d.
This weekly study packet is part of theJewishwoman.org “Be a Leader” initiative. Print it out and learn it with your study group.
Afterlife is a very rational, natural consequence of the order of things.
After all, nothing is ever lost—even the body only transforms into earth. But nothing is lost.
So too, the person you are is never lost. That person—that soul—only returns to its origin.
If your soul became acutely attached to the material worl...
