On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - B'reishit: There's Something About Seven
As we begin a new cycle of study and learning with Parashat B’reishit, Rabbi Jacobs makes a case for the number seven. Why is the number seven so significant, and what does this significance mean in Judaism?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Noach: Act of God
In Parashat Noach, God sends a flood to Earth as punishment for corruption and lawlessness. As we’re living in the aftermath of several natural disasters today, some may wonder what “acts of God” really are.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Vayeira: The Wife-Sister Motif
In Parashat Vayeira, Sarah pretends for the second time that she’s Abraham’s sister instead of his wife. Even though it may seem like an odd trend, there is, of course, something to learn from it.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Lech L'cha: Nothing Left Behind
Many people consider Parashat Lech L’cha to be the story of Avram, or Abraham, leaving his father to begin his life as a Jew.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Chayei Sarah
In Parashat Chayei Sarah, which discusses the death of Sarah, one of the first things we learn is where and when she dies.
Stories We Tell: The Rabbi and the Monastery
Judaism has a deep and rich tradition of storytelling, of passing down stories from one generation to the next. To carry on that tradition, Stories We Tell, from ReformJudaism.org, will share a new story with you every Thursday.
Stories We Tell: Feeding Your Clothes
Judaism has a deep and rich tradition of storytelling, of passing down stories from one generation to the next. To carry on that tradition, Stories We Tell, from ReformJudaism.org, will share a new story with you every Thursday.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - B'midbar: Do Numbers Matter?
Do you know which countries have the largest population of Jewish people? What about how many Jews serve in the United States Congress?
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - B’har-B’chukotai: What the Torah Says About Being Green
For anyone who doubts that Judaism includes social and environmental justice, this week’s commentary on the double portion of B’har-B’chukotai sings forth that we have a fundamental responsibility to care for God’s Earth, and to be attentive to the neediest among us.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Emor: Gratitude, Obligation, and Responsibility: A Jewish Year with Abigail Pogrebin
Parashat Emor lays out the sacred calendar of the Jewish people as we know it in the Torah, and there’s no one better to discuss this parashah with Rabbi Jacobs than Abigail Pogrebin, author of the book “M