Parsha
Beyond the Headlines: Have you heard Elkana Levi’s speech? - opinion
Elkana did not gloss over the pain or the difficulty. He spoke about friends who had been killed, and about his darkest moments.
Parashat Re'eh: The choice to choose
On Shabbat Nachamu, Isaiah reminds us that human power is just an illusion
Parashat Hukat: A life of meaning
Parashat Vayera: The scalpel and the knife
The Torah has 70 faces, as the Rabbis tell us. All of these interpretations and many others have their worthiness and weight, and yet there is room for more.
Parashat Vayera: Seeing the Good
What we will examine is why Abraham thought, and God agreed, that it was enough to find 10 righteous people to warrant saving the entire evil city from punishment.
Israel's first olim: Abraham and Sarah
The story of his life up until the moment God tells Abraham to leave is tantalizingly elusive. This is why the midrash there plays such a central role in answering: Why was he chosen?
Parashat Lech Lecha: Abraham and Lot - A study in greatness
The differences between Abraham and Lot chart the future - In this week’s Torah portion God tells Abraham to go and each generation of our people is taken along on his journey.
Parashat Lech Lecha: Justice – the source of blessing
Abraham’s unique path - and ours nowadays - is to pursue justice and perform acts of loving-kindness.
Why is Abraham the chosen one?
Shouldn’t this great man be introduced along with his heroic credentials? Why is this his past résumé kept confidential?
Parashat Vayelech: Who writes your story?
The notion that Moses received everything on the mountain in the Book of Exodus runs into considerable problems, as our sages knew.
Parashat Vayelech: The concealed face of God
Why is a punishment in the Torah described as "the concealment of God’s face" , and what is the meaning of this?
Nitzavim and Returnings
In Judaism, we emphasize the past through saying Kaddish (the Mourner’s Prayer) and Yizkor (the Memorial Prayer).
Parashat Nitzavim: Two rules for getting lost
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we have the chance to stop, and admit that in our lives we are lost. We can reset our spiritual GPS, and begin anew.
