The Nazirite Vow: Connecting to a Higher Power
Jews are not ascetics – or at least, so we tend to think.... Parashat Naso gives us laws that lead us to focus on priestly rules and the purity of the Israelite camp. The adjacent appearance of laws on the sotah (adulteress) and the Nazirite invite us to consider the relationship between these two subjects.
Bringing Up Israel: Parenting a New Nation
Recently, my daughter and I had an exchange that felt like we were enacting an ancient script between parents and teenagers. It left me wondering where on earth this script comes from, and how I ended up with the parental role.This week’s parashah, B’haalot’cha, provides some answers. God and the people of Israel struggle: the people are tired of manna, yearn for the food of Egypt, and cry out for meat.
The Evolving Role of the Tallit
When I was speaking with a 95-year-old congregant this week, she shared with me the uncomfortable feeling of having her synagogue change around her. “We used to be properly Reform. Now, when I come, I see people wearing a tallit..... " For her, seeing fellow congregants wearing a tallit feels like a betrayal of the Reform principles she holds dear.... The commandment to wear tzitzit, the fringes on the corners of the tallit, comes from this parashah.
How to Read the Bible: Art as a Higher Manifestation of Nature
In the past few years, a number of discoveries in outer space have made headlines including disturbances of motion in the orbit of the small, distant planet Sedna.
What Was that Noah Movie About, Anyway?
The movie Noah, released in theaters across America last year, generated its share of controversy among religious reviewers and bloggers. Some said the film is only loosely connected with the biblical story of Noah.