The Last Command
By now Moses had given 612 commands to the Israelites. But there was one further instruction he still had to give, the last of his life, the final mitzvah in the Torah:
“Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be My witness against the people of Israel” (Deuteronomy 31: 19).
The Miracle Of A Child
Why the binding? Why put Abraham and Sarah through the agony of thinking that the son for whom they have waited for so long is about to die? We cherish what we wait for and what we most risk losing.
Arbitration Vs. Litigation
We must never forget that when Aaron was left to lead, the people made a golden calf. But never forget that Moses needed an Aaron to hold the people together. In short, leadership is the capacity to hold together different temperaments, conflicting voices and clashing values.
Greatness And Humility
Greatness is humility. This idea – counter-intuitive, unexpected, life-changing – is one of the great contributions of the Torah to Western civilization and found in the words of Moses in this week's sedra
The Pursuit Of Joy
Happiness is not the central value of the Torah. Occurring ten times more is the word "simcha," JOY
Free Worship
What is the difference between philosophy and the political vision at the heart of Tanach? The answer lies in their different understandings of time.
Moses: Leading And Teaching
When someone exercises power over us, they diminish us; when someone teaches us, they help us grow.
A Tale Of Two Women
Tamar’s conduct bears an uncanny resemblance to Ruth's; virtuous outsiders at the margins of society
Pursuing Justice
Judaism is a religion of love but also a religion of justice, for without justice, love corrupts.
Babel, Then And Now
The Babel story is the 2nd in a 4-act drama that's unmistakably a connecting thread of Bereishit
Civil Disobedience
The first recorded instance of civil disobedience is the story of Shifra and Puah, defying Pharaoh
The Lost Masterpiece: Parshat Pinchas
God was saying, “From My perspective, seeing the future, it would have been better to send women, because they love and cherish the land and would never come to speak negatively about it. However, since you are convinced that these men are worthy and do indeed value the land, I give you permission to go ahead and send them.”
On Judaism And Islam
Between Judaism and Islam there can be friendship and mutual respect as Abraham loved both his sons.
Restoring Order and Maintaining Peace
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you fail. Such is life.
The Need For The Beginning
The emphasis on choice, freedom and responsibility is a most distinctive features of Jewish thought.
‘Be Not Afraid Of Greatness’
God’s “name” is therefore His standing in the world. Do people acknowledge Him, respect Him, honor Him?
The Supernatural Miracle
In September 2010, BBC, Reuters and other news agencies reported on a sensational scientific discovery. Researchers at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Colorado showed through computer simulation how the division of the Red Sea might have taken place.
Why Civilizations Die
Judaism survives due to Divine Providence and the foresight of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai who resisted cognitive breakdown, created solutions for tomorrow's problems, who did not seek refuge in the irrational, and who quietly built the Jewish future.
Beginning The Journey
The purchase of the Cave of Machpelah is evidently a highly significant event because it is recorded in great detail.
Choosing Human Hospitality
Learning to honor G-d by honoring those made in His image: Humankind.
To The Third And Fourth Generations
If we parents fail to honor responsibilities then society’s children will pay the price for our sins
Making Love Last
A key to help unlock the entire project outlined by Moses in Sefer Devarim, the final book of the Torah, from a most unlikely source...
Parshat Vayishlach: Physical Fear, Moral Distress
Moral dilemmas are situations in which doing the right thing is not the end of the matter. The conflict may be inherently tragic. Jacob, in this parsha, finds himself trapped in such a conflict: on the one hand, he ought not allow himself to be killed; on the other, he ought not kill someone else; but he must do one or the other.
The Limits Of Love
The opening three laws of this parsha- a captive woman taken in war, the law about the rights of the firstborn, and the “stubborn and rebellious son” – are all about dysfunctions within the family.
Faith And Friendship
In this week’s parsha, Moshe reaches his lowest ebb. What is striking is the depth of Moses’ despair, the candor with which he expresses it, and the blazing honesty of the Torah in telling us this story.
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