Dear Friend and Participant,

I am writing to welcome you in precisely those capacities – as a friend, and as a participant. It is your reading of these weekly Parashat Hashavua items that is giving me the moral support to work on this project.

My purpose in writing is primarily to put across ‘bite size’ material for discussion around your Shabbat table. In addition, the task of putting down the various Divrei Torah helps me to teach myself – it enables me to clarify the various issues in my own mind. The weekly D’var Torah series has developed into an activity that has given me a sense of creativity, and a great deal of pleasure.

My work has not aimed to produce comprehensive studies of particular points. Rather, I have attempted to develop insights that bring out some of the values contained in the sacred texts and in their commentaries.

I have used an Anglicized (rather than ‘Heimische’) style, to reach as wide a range of readers as possible. For the same reason, I have used the Israeli, rather than the Ashkenazi pronunciation in transliteration and terminology.

These Divrei Torah sheets are written le-ililui nishmat my dear Mother – Harabanit Devorah Solomon ztl, who died just before Rosh Hashannah 5759. As a family, we regularly studied the Parashat Hashevua around the table on Shabbat, and in many ways I owe my love of the Torah and its observance to her wonderful wise, gentle, and kind influence. May her memory be blessed! And may the Almighty be thanked for giving me the inspiration and strength to work on this project.

I am extremely indebted to friends who have pointed out errors and suggested ways to improve the material – both verbally and through e-mail. Do remain assured that I have noted the suggestions and I will bear them in mind in any future use of the material.

Please feel free to comment on any material: constructive points are always welcome. I am only an e-mail away: jacobsol@netvision.net.il – and I do look forward to hearing from you. I will do my best bli-neder to reply.

With renewed greetings and many thanks for your support.

Best wishes ve-kol tuv,
Jacob Solomon

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