The sin of the Golden Calf was a profound moment of betrayal in the Jewish narrative, highlighting a breakdown in the relationship between the people and God. This moment of crisis is not merely an event but an invitation for… Read More »
Parashat Ki Tisa – Shabbat Parah The Golden Calf, the Mob, and the Sacred Balance: A Warning Across the Millennia I. A Wall That Belongs to All of Us Let me begin with a memory. It is the spring of… Read More »
Clear and Cloudy is Jewish Faith Parashat Tetzaveh opens and closes with two sacred acts, and at first glance they seem to be disconnected. Plus, we might say, that it is difficult to find meaning in the Torah portions that… Read More »
Our Homes – Reflections of Both the Tabernacle and the Temple (The Mishkan and the Mikdash) What does it mean to build a sanctuary? Parashat Terumah opens not with walls, but with furnishings — the Ark, the Table, the Menorah… Read More »
Answering Antisemitism: Jewish Offense and Defense The juxtaposition is jarring. Parashat Mishpatim opens with the words “וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם” – “And these are the laws that you shall set before them” (Exodus 21:1). Immediately following the revelation at… Read More »
Parashat Yitro From Parashat Beshalach through Yitro to Mishpatim and beyond, the Exodus launches the Jewish People on a forty-year journey of wandering, camping, and growing in the wilderness. The Torah’s main messages about our lives as Jewish Americans emerge… Read More »
This Sabbath, our tradition calls out to us: let the music of the Jewish people fill our souls! It is Shabbat Shirah—the Sabbath of Song. We commemorate the moment when the Children of Israel crossed the Sea of Reeds. Standing… Read More »
Here is the Parashat Bo question for the week: Was there a time when doing something together with someone led you to deeper understanding of yourself? Moses went together with God to challenge Pharoah; he discovered the true leader in… Read More »
D’var Torah: Shema Yisrael! When We Can’t Hear What We Need to Hear In Parshat Va’era (Exodus 6:9), we read: “וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה” – “But they did not listen to Moses because of shortness of breath… Read More »
Degradation and Not Dignity “וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ־חָדָשׁ עַל־מִצְרָיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַע אֶת־יוֹסֵף”—”There arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). The Talmud (Sotah 11a) debates: “רב ושמואל חד אמר חדש ממש וחד אמר שנתחדשו גזירותיו”—”Rav and Shmuel… Read More »