Like Water for Torah

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When I first saw the movie “Like Water for Chocolate,” I wasn’t sure what the phrase meant. In my mind, being like “water for chocolate” means that you want chocolate so badly that you want it as if it were a necessity like water. It is something akin to a thirst or desire. So when I thought of the phrase “Like Water for Torah,” it evoked in me the feeling of passion for Torah learning. According to my research recently, the phrase is actually based on a Spanish saying. The saying can be interpreted in two ways. One way refers to a person being like boiling water which is ready to receive cocoa to make hot chocolate. This explanation is similar to my original interpretation because it is suggestive of being ready in an excited way to receive richness (of chocolate, or in this case, Torah). Another use of this phrase in Spanish speaking countries is to describe someone who is angry. Whether the teachings of our tradition make me feel love for the Torah-- or sometimes make me angry-- the teachings always leaving me wanting to learn more. It is my hope to pass on this passion to you.

Like Water for Torah

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Parashat Tetzaveh