Jonathan Sacks
ARTICLES BY: Jonathan Sacks
8 Short Thoughts for 8 Chanukah Nights
INSPIRED BY FAITH, WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD Twenty-two centuries ago, when Israel was under the rule of the empire of Alexander the Great, one...
The Power of Turning Dreams”Ž Into Reality
In one of the greatest transformations in all literature, Joseph moves in one bound from prisoner to prime minister. What was it about Joseph -...
The Lesson of Reuben: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Praise
Reuben is the leader who might have been but never was. He was Jacob's firstborn. Jacob says of him on his deathbed, "Reuben, you are...
Being a Leader Means Being True to Yourself
I have argued in previous years of Covenant and Conversation that the episode in which the Jewish people acquired its name - when Jacob wrestled...
Finding Light in Dark Times: Jewish Leaders Persevere
What is it that made Jacob - not Abraham or Isaac or Moses - the true father of the Jewish people? We are the "congregation...
The Price of Silence
In an earlier Covenant and Conversation, I quoted the Netziv (Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin, 1816-1893, dean of the yeshiva in Volozhin), who made the sharp observation...
Beginning the Journey
A while back, a British newspaper, The Times, interviewed a prominent member of the Jewish community - let's call him Lord X - on his 92nd...
Answering God’s Call to Responsibility
The early history of humanity as told in the Torah is a series of disappointments. God gives human beings freedom, which they then misuse. Adam...
The Courage Not to Conform
Leaders lead. That does not mean to say that they don't follow. But what they follow is different from what most people follow. They don't...
To Be a Jew is to Be Part of History
The Bible portion of Ki Tavo begins with the ceremony of bringing first fruits to the Temple. The Mishnah (Bikkurim 3) gives a detailed account...
Perfect Justice is Beyond Human Understanding
In Deuteronomy 24, we encounter for the first time the explicit statement of a law of far-reaching significance: "Parents shall not be put to death for...
Testing Prophecy
In his enumeration of the various leadership roles within the nation that would take shape after his death, Moses mentions not only the priest/judge and...
Why We Must Give to Others: Judaism’s Social Vision
If you seek to understand Judaism's social vision, look at its anti-poverty legislation. "If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the...
Greatness is Humility
A sequence of verses in this week's sedra gave rise to a beautiful Talmudic passage - one that has found a place in the siddur....
