Jewish Ways of Marking Time
This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Emor, contains a section that is read in the synagogue not only as we make our way through Leviticus, but on each of the three pilgrimage festivals:
Reigniting the Spark of Community
Before the pandemic, I took so much for granted: hugging friends, visiting family, singing at concerts, eating at restaurants, going anywhere I desired.
What Political System Does the Torah Favor?
I have never thought of the Torah as a political manifesto. That is, I do not see the Torah as advancing a political system comparable to the type of systems that we see in contemporary society.
Embracing the Unknowable
Build Longer Tables, Not Higher Walls
Choose Hope: The Story of Coach Ted Lasso and the Biblical Caleb
It’s An Old Song, But We Sing It Anyway
When I prepare the Torah scroll for the upcoming Shabbat and come to that white space dividing the end of the Book of Numbers from the beginning of Deuteronomy, I feel a moment of exhilaration.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - T'rumah: The Right Ways to Give
In Parashat T'rumah, God asks the Israelites for gifts and there are so many different ways and reasons that people give - but is there a best way?
High Moral Standards for Our Leaders, and Ourselves
We hold our leaders in government, sports, entertainment, and religion to high standards both in performing their duties and in exhibiting good behavior. But is it right for us to scrutinize their behavior outside their realms of responsibility? Parashat T’tzaveh says, “yes.”
Can We Have a Relationship with God?
In Ki Tisa, Moses, begs God to let him understand the Divine. And yet, we see Moses as having more access to God than any other man. If Moses cannot comprehend God, how can we hope to understand God’s ways?