Jeremy Rosen
ARTICLES BY: Jeremy Rosen
In the Beginning
We begin the yearly cycle of the Torah by reading in Genesis about the Garden of Eden -- such an innocent idealized world before human...
Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur There’s a Chance to Return to God
The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is always called the Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat of Return. In the Torah reading, Moses -- in his...
Moses, Free Will, and Making the Right Choice
“When someone hears this covenant that God is making with you today, he may feel blessed that he can choose to do whatever his heart...
Parshat Ki Tavo: Rewards and Punishment
The Torah this week contains blessings and warnings. It declares that if the people are loyal, God will protect them, the rains will come at...
Don’t Be Tempted by False Messiahs
Among the fascinating laws in this week's Torah portion is one that is significant because of what it says about miracles, signs, and false messiahs....
What to Make of Henry Kissinger?
Whatever you may think of Henry Kissinger, he has been one of the most influential secular Jews by birth (outside Israel), in world affairs in...
Why People Cannot Live on Bread Alone
It is a strange sentence: “I provided you with the Mana so that you should know that a person does not live on bread alone.”...
Do They Admire Us?
Almost hidden in the long speech by Moses in this week's parsha, are two sentences that I have great difficulty reading because even though they...
The Lesson of Moses: Stay Optimistic and Don’t Give Up
The Book of Devarim, the last book of the Torah, is dominated by the personality of Moses, even more than the previous three books. It...
Jewish Women Take a Stand in the Torah
Halfway through this week’s Torah reading comes the episode of the daughters of Zelofchad. The five daughters of Zelofchad approached Moses with a claim. Their father...
The Power of Prophecy
Three people are called prophets in the Torah — Abraham, Miriam, and Moses. And yet Moses, the greatest of them all, is usually referred to...
Why a Religious Code Gives Us Purpose
When I try to put myself into the minds of the Children of Israel in the wilderness, I simply cannot understand their mentality. Why are...
Why Did Moses Fall on His Face?
Last weekend, I tripped and fell flat on my face in the street. It was miraculous (or fortunate) that I fell on the tarmac instead...
Moses and the Spies: Confidence Leads to Peace and Prosperity
Moses was instructed by God to send men to go on a tour of the Land of Canaan. He did not call them spies, as...
