What Torah Says about Economic Equity
The word “economics” often evokes stock markets, exchange rates, global trade, and unemployment. But whether we are talking about buying groceries or the national debt, our material welfare and well-being have been of paramount concern since the beginning of human existence.
Seeing Ourselves in Torah
Just after the opening number of the 1992 animated Disney classic Aladdin, its title character sings “One Jump Ahead,” a catchy tune that introduces us to the young “street rat” and his sidekick, Abu, after they’ve stolen a loaf of bread.
Blessing First Fruits in a Time of Plague
What the Torah Teaches about the Use (and Abuse) of Political Power
The Emergence of a Mosaic Voice
Among the Book of Deuteronomy's many distinctions, the emergence of a Mosaic voice conveying a personal, synoptic narration of events, struggles, successes, and failures renders this last Book of Torah especially compelling.
Covenant and Law: Reading through the Ages
The second portion of Deuteronomy, Va-et’chanan, is an unusual Torah portion in many respects.
Survival and Sustenance
Parashat Eikev, the third Torah portion in Deuteronomy, addresses the promises associated with the realization and fulfillment of Israel's covenant with God on the one hand, and mentions the destructive and painful consequences of abandonment of – or disrespect for – God on the other.
R’eih: The Price of Doing “Whatever We Please”
"If every Jew does whatever s/he wants, wherever s/he wants, Judaism won't survive another generation."
The Price of Doing “Whatever We Please”
“If every Jew does whatever s/he wants, wherever s/he wants, Judaism won’t survive another generation.”
Blessings on the Hills
Deuteronomy 11:29 foreshadows an elaborate ritual in which blessings and curses are recited at the hills of Ebal and Gerizim, just across the Jordan River in the Promised Land.