Parsha by Parsha

Rabbi Shefa Gold’s book, Torah Journeys, is a treasured book. It is a sefer, a sacred volume. It is written in English and can be understood by everyone. As you may know, Jews around the world read and study the same parsha (or section) of the Torah every week. Rabbi Shefa Gold’s interpretations of these weekly portions of our Hebrew Bible are unique.

Most people see the Torah as stories about those people, back then. And when we come to the hard parts, it’s easy to find them unacceptable and to walk away. Rabbi Shefa Gold reframes everything into a personal story. She teaches us to see ourselves in the stories: there is a pharaoh inside me, a rebellious child inside my soul. We are not being told to condemn anyone, to literally stone anyone, but rather to navigate our own personal life journeys toward enlightenment, freedom and clarity.

I have found her interpretations so meaningful that I want to share them with my friends and with those who might not have encountered them in written form. So I have created a youtube channel, Akiva the Believer Reads Torah Journeys, where I read her weekly wisdom. I’ve posted about 1/3 of the portions so far, with more to come.

You can access the written selections here, on Rabbi Shefa Gold’s website.

I recommend that you purchase the book here so that it can become a cherished part of your spiritual library.