Seeing Is Believing
The other day, as I was walking in New York City with my son, I happened to see a couple of young people. They must have been in their early twenties, and were sharply dressed in business suits.
Signs, Marvels, and the Source of All
The Exodus narrative is central to our identity as Jews; every year, at the seder table, we retell and re-enact the escalating harassments and afflictions that made it possible for the Jews to escape slavery.
Dream to Reality
Very often, I find myself unexpectedly in conversations discussing God’s omnipotence and omniscience in relation to our free will. While there are many wonderful and very deep works written on the subject, for the sake of time and energy, I generally boil it down to two sentences.
The Power of God’s Hand
FOCAL POINT
- But Pharaoh became more stubborn this time also and would not let the people go. (Exodus 8:28)
- But Adonai stiffened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not heed them, just as Adonai had told Moses. (Exodus 9:12)
D'VAR TORAH
Names: Keys to Oppression and Redemption
An important message of the Book of Exodus is lost when we use its English name. The English name highlights the main event of the book.
The Narrative of the Night
FOCAL POINT
- [Locusts] hid all the land from view, and the land was darkened. . . . (Exodus 10:15)
What to Remember and What to Forget
Our Jewish tradition speaks frequently about the gift of memory. One of the most devastating illnesses of our times is Alzheimer's, a disease that destroys memory. Families are overcome by anguish when parents no longer recall who their children are.
Two Ways of Meeting God
The parchment inside the mezuzah contains two names of God. On the outside of the scroll is the name Shaddai, often translated as "God Almighty." Inside the parchment, the first line of the Shema bears the sacred name YHVH, which we read as Adonai.