On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah -- Passover: Our Obligations When in Power and When Powerless
This week is Passover and Rabbi Rick Jacobs, with special guest Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, discuss the Torah portion read on Passover, focusing especially on the themes of power and powerlessness. What are we obligated to do when we are in a position of powerlessness?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah -- M'tzora: Shabbat HaGadol:Spiritual Cleansing
This week is Shabbat HaGadol, the Shabbat right before Passover. Rabbi Rick Jacobs notes this is the time when many of us are getting ready for Passover and cleaning out our chametz - leaven goods.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah -- Acharei Mot: Understanding Human Connection
This week's Parashah, Acharei Mot, contains a verse prohibiting homosexual acts. How does the Reform movement understand this verse?
Stories We Tell: Three Rabbis Along the Way
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
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: B’chukotai: Do We Believe that Good Behavior Brings Rewards, and Bad Behavior Punishment?
Does being a person of faith mean you believe in blessings and curses? Why should we always "do the right thing?" Are we rewarded or punished for what we do in the world?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: B'midbar: Uniting as One, Despite Our Differences
Like our ancestors, we focus on our own modern day tribes: The tribes of the Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, and secular. Amidst our real differences, can we sew ourselves together into a larger identity of being Am Yisrael – one people?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah: Naso
Do we do things because they bring us meaning, or do things have meaning because we do them? Can your morning yoga class or walk through the park serve as a source of spiritual inspiration?