On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Va-et'chanan: Why We Should Bring Politics to the Pulpit
Everybody has an opinion on whether politics should be brought to the pulpit, but according to Rabbi Jacobs, this debate was settled centuries ago.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Eikev: A Seat at the Table
A chapter in Parashat Eikev reads, “when you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless.” What does it mean to be satisfied, and what kind of power does a good meal have?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - R'eih: Eating With Compassion
Parashat R’eih includes that infamous line: “you shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” Jewish tradition categorizes the mitzvah of not mixing milk with meat as one without specific reasoning, but many scholars think th
Stories We Tell: What Did You Leave on The Tables?
Stories We Tell: The Greatest Gift
Does God Have a Plan for You?
After receiving bad news or experiencing a tragic event, people will sometimes respond with the words, "It's God's will." There's even a Yiddish phrase that captures the idea, "It's bashert," meaning it was meant to be.
How Shall We Bless Those Who Come After Us?
According to Jewish tradition, on the eve of Shabbat and holidays, before reciting kiddush, parents bless their children.
Parashah Chayei Sarah: Coming Together as Family
Learn how to come together as a family in this teen-friendly commentary on Chayei Sarah.
Finding Faith After the Worst Loss
The spiritual center of Parashat Vayeishev is the picture of Jacob's anguish at the end of chapter 37: Old and now settled in the land of his father, Jacob, led by his sons to believe that he has suffered what one writer calls "the worst loss"--the death of a child, is plunged into despa
Who Is This God? “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh”
The Book of Exodus (Sh'mot) tells two key narratives of Jewish sacred history: the Exodus from Egypt and the gift of Torah. When they are joined to the Creation narrative of Genesis, the three stories constitute the basic theology of Judaism, which is enshrined in the blessings before and after the Sh'ma prayer.