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.
Wholly Jewish: Max Antman: The Queerness and Politics of Torah
Wholly Jewish: Laura: Creating Peace Out of Wholeness
Blessing First Fruits in a Time of Plague
What the Torah Teaches about the Use (and Abuse) of Political Power
Babel On . . .
The world's first "skyscraper" was built after the great Flood. All of humanity, unified by a single language, decided to build "a tower that reaches the sky" (Genesis 11:4), known today as the Tower of Babel.
The Gift of Responsibility
One of the "Gifts" that Thomas Cahill discusses in his best seller The Gifts of the Jews is the notion of journey.
B'reishit: Gateway to Astonishment
When God began to create the heaven and the earth... God said, "Let there be light"... "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water"... "Let the earth sprout vegetation"... "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night"...
Choosing to Be Chosen
Once, I was invited to address a local middle school class as they began a unit on the history of world religions. The teacher asked me to summarize Judaism in about 10 minutes. At least I had more time than Hillel when he explained the Torah "on one foot."1 But where was I to begin?