On Not Being A Victim
Remarkably, despite the exiles and horrors of history, Jews did not see themselves as victims. This is the message Moses imparts throughout sefer Devarim: Never define yourself as a victim
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.
The Meanings Of Shema
It would be reasonable to assume that a language that contains the verb “to command” must also contain the verb “to obey.” The one implies the other, just as the concept of a question implies the possibility of an answer. We would, however, be wrong. There are 613 commandments in the Torah, but there is no word in biblical Hebrew that means “to obey.” When Hebrew was revived as a language of everyday speech in the nineteenth century, a word, letsayet, had to be borrowed from Aramaic. Until then there was no Hebrew word for “to obey.”
The Covenants Of Fate And Destiny
Sadly, we're no longer an edah; We've fissured and fractured: Orthodox & Reform; religious & secular
Was Jacob Really An Ish Tam?
What kind of man was Jacob? This is the question that cries out to us in episode after episode of his life.
The Non-Jewish Baruch Hashem
Good things come in "3s"
The Two Festivals Of Sukkot
Sukkot celebrates the dual nature of Jewish faith: the universality of G-d and the particularity of Jewish existence.
Yom Kippur in a Nutshell
How does Yom Kippur help us focus on the future and on making a change?
The Uniqueness Of Sukkot
It is almost as if Sukkot were two festivals, not one. It is. Although all the festivals are listed together, they in fact represent two quite different cycles.
The Power Of Gratitude
The more positive emotions – such as contentment, gratitude, happiness, love and hope – they expressed in their autobiographical notes, the more likely they were to be alive and well 60 years later.
Making Sense Of The Sin Offering
We think of a sin as something we did intentionally, yielding to temptation perhaps, or in a moment of rebellion. That is what Jewish law calls b’zadon in biblical Hebrew or b’mezid in rabbinic Hebrew. That is the kind of act we would have thought calls for a sin offering. But actually such an act cannot be atoned for by an offering at all. So how do we make sense of the sin offering?
Rabbi Sacks’ Message for Tisha B’Av During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Here is a short message as we head towards Tisha B'Av and will be marked in strange and difficult circumstances because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Yom Kippur Thoughts
Yom Kipper, the Day of Atonement, is the supreme moment of Jewish time, a day of fasting and prayer, introspection and self-judgment. At no...
Looking Up
Look down at the difficulties and you can give way to despair. The only way to sustain energy, individual or collective, is to turn our gaze up toward the far horizon of hope.
A Sense Of History
The setting: Jerusalem some twenty centuries ago. The occasion: bringing first fruits to the Temple. Here is the scene as the Mishnah describes it.[1] Throughout Israel, villagers would gather in the nearest of 24 regional centres. There, overnight, they would sleep in the open air. The next morning, the leader would summon the people with words from the book of Jeremiah (31:5): “Arise and let us go up to Zion, to the House of the Lord our God.”
Abortion: The Debate Continues
One passage in this week’s sedrah shows how differences in interpretation can lead to, or flow from, profound differences in culture. Ironically, the subject concerned – abortion – remains deeply contentious to this day.
Choosing Human Hospitality
Learning to honor G-d by honoring those made in His image: Humankind.
The Need For Chukkim
Of Chukkim “Satan and the nations of the world made fun.” They may appear irrational & superstitious
Lessons From Pinchas For The Coronavirus
We have moral duties as individuals, and we make political decisions as nations. The two are different.
Listening to the Prophetic Voice: Tisha b’Av 5778
Wishing you a Tzom kal (an easy fast)
Spying On The Land – Or Touring?
They were about to enter a land they had not seen. They had no idea what they were fighting for.
Why Are There So Many Jewish Lawyers?
Throughout the Tanach some of the most intense encounters between the prophets and G-d are represented as courtroom dramas.
The Blessing Of Love
Why does this command and no other require love?
Yaakov And Eisav: Reason Vs. Instinct
Who then were Esau and Jacob? What did they represent and how is this relevant to Yom Kippur and atonement?
Pharaoh’s Daughter Risked It All
About Batya Chazal said “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: ‘Moses was not your son, yet you called him your son. You are not My daughter, but I shall call you My daughter.’ ”
Korach: Cancel Culture’s Precursor
Their aim was to discredit Moshe, damage his credibility, raise doubts among the people as to whether he really was receiving his instructions from G-d.
The Prophetic View Of Sacrifices
They were not criticizing the institution of sacrifices. They were criticizing something as real now as it was in their time. What distressed them to the core of their being was the idea that you could serve G-d and at the same time act disdainfully, cruelly, unjustly, insensitively or callously toward other people.
Anger Management, Torah Style
What is dangerous about anger is that it causes us to lose control.
The Ninth Plague Shrouded In A Darkness Of Its Own
Pharaoh perverted symbols of life (the Nile and midwives) into agents of death.
The Heroism of Tamar: Covenant and Conversation: Parshat Vayeshev:
This moment is a turning-point in history: Judah is the first person in the Torah explicitly to admit he was wrong