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?
Is It True? Not Yet
Our biblical story of creation is stirring, and poetic, but is it true? If we want to know about the creation of the universe, we are not likely to open the Hebrew Bible; instead , we would probably look to science.
But Wait, There’s More!
In Vayeitzei, Jacob encounters God in a dream, thus advancing the biblical journey of our people learning from and following the instruction of God. After the biblical era, our Sages found a way to expand our understanding of the Torah and its teachings.
Struggling With a Deceitful Heart
The inner turmoil that marked Jacob’s life of deceitfulness as well as his struggle with his father, brother, and sons are exposed in Vayishlach. After many years of separation, Jacob, about to meet his estranged brother, Esau, slept in a dream-like state of wakefulness on the shore of the Jabbok River where a man wrestled with him until the rise of dawn.
Ensuring the Success or Failure of Dreams
Reading Parashat Vayeishev and other dream-filled portions in Genesis, we wonder if it’s possible to influence a dream’s prophecy rather than passively waiting for the outcome to unfold. The upcoming holiday, Hanukkah, provides a clue.