Jeremy Rosen
ARTICLES BY: Jeremy Rosen
The Torah Teaches That Welfare Should Be Granted to the Truly Needed — But Never Abused
In this week's Torah portion, we read: “If a fellow Hebrew male or female is sold to you, they will serve you for six years....
Why It Is So Important for Jews to Follow the Rule of Law
This week's Torah reading of Eikev, follows the pattern of the previous three weeks. Moses continues his review of the history of the previous 40 years....
The Shema Incorporates the Core Values and Identity of Judaism
Apart from the opening statements of the so-called Ten Commandments, there is very little that we would call theology in the Torah. Even descriptions of...
Remembering Alexander the Great, and the History of the Jewish People
Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE) holds a very special place in Jewish historiography and mythology. He passed through the Land of Israel on his way...
Jews Today Cannot Wait for Miracles
One of the amazing features of the Torah is the way that it conveys human nature with all its greatness and pettiness, triumphs and failures. This...
Should We Hide Our Tsitsit or Kippot to Protect Us from the Anti-Jewish Mob?
This week's Torah reading is mainly concerned with the 12 men sent by Moses to tour the land of Israel before entering it. On their...
Conscription or Not, All Israelis Should Find a Way to Serve the Nation
Among the many topics in this week’s Torah reading is the seemingly incidental one of the two silver trumpets. Trumpets and horns were always important...
Despite Our Challenges, the Jewish People Will Unite and Survive
The fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar, literally means “desert.” It covers the main events of the 40-year period of wandering through Sinai and the Arava,...
Why Having a Homeland Matters
In this week's Torah portion, we read: “God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and told him to tell the Children of Israel that when...
To Be Holy Is to Live Morally and Treat Others With Respect
Chapter 19 of Leviticus, known as Kedoshim, includes a range of laws that concern ethical standards that were relevant back then and today. It starts with...
Understanding the Meaning of Elijah This Passover
“Behold I will send you Elijah (Eliyahu) the prophet before the great awesome Day of God, and he will reconcile fathers to children and children to fathers”...
The Story of Naaman the Leper
This week, the Torah goes into detail about what is called leprosy -- but what is actually any infectious skin disease. The Priests were the...
Why Do We Keep Kosher?
After dealing with the sacrificial system, and the roles that priests play within it, the Torah turns to the laws of kashrut. More specifically, the...
Free Speech Is Being Threatened — and Jews Will Pay the Price
In my youth, I always regarded free, reasoned, civilized speech to be one of the most important and positive features of Western societies. My education...
