Crossing the Sea of Reeds was Easier than Crossing the "Sea of Peace"
As I started reading this week's portion, Parashat B'shalach, I could not believe its implication for what is currently happening in Israel.
A Place for God to Dwell
"Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts (t'rumah); you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is so moved." (Exodus 25:2)
A Road Map
Hardly a day goes by that we don't see, hear, or read about the Ten Commandments. Actually, we have grown so accustomed to their being tossed about on the Internet, on television, in the newspaper, or in our places of worship that when we speak of them they no longer speak to us.
Moses and Jethro Creating a Model of Leadership
The American and Canadian federal elections were held in autumn, and the Israel elections to choose a new government have just concluded.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Tzav: How to Be a Leader
Parashat Tzav opens with a command to Aaron, the high priest. It’s a moment to think about leadership – who are our leaders and what do they do? Are our leaders born into the role, like Aaron, or are they called to leadership, like Moses?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Pesach: Why is This Passover Different from Other Passovers?
In this special Passover episode of On the Other Hand, Rabbi Jacobs discusses empathy. The story of Passover asks that we put ourselves in the shoes of those who escaped slavery and travelled to freedom, and that we think about what it’s like to have nothing.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Sh’mini: Kashrut Explained (Or, Why I Can’t Eat A Camel)
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Tazria and M’tzora: What We Get Wrong About the Dreaded Parashiyot
Parashiyot Tazria and M’tzora are perhaps the most nerve inducing parashiyot in many Jewish circles, and it makes sense—most people aren’t typically eager to discuss leprosy.