Posts Tagged: Rabbi Jeremy Rosen
God’s ‘Rebuke’ in This Week’s Torah Portion
A major part of the double Torah portion we read this week (which ends the Book of Vayikra) is what is called the Tochecha, which...
How Does ‘An Eye for an Eye’ Hold Up Today?
“An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is one of the best-known rules not only in the Torah, but universally. It...
Shabbat Teaches the Jewish People to Be Different — and We Should Embrace That
"Moshe then gathered the whole Israelite community and said to them: These are the things that God has commanded you to do. On six days...
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...
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...
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,...
The Community and the Individual Are Both Needed for Jewish Survival
This week's Torah portion starts with the word Vayakhel. It means “gathering together.” Moses gathered together the whole community to be involved in the construction...
What Does the Pharaoh Have in Common with Anti-Israel College Professors?
In this week's Torah portion, we read about the process through which Moses and Aaron try to persuade the Pharaoh that he should let the...
A Message from the Torah: Respond to Fear with Faith
As we complete the book of Genesis this week, Jacob has died, and his remaining sons now turn to Joseph and say, “Our father asked...
Choose a Society and Friends That Support Your Values
In this week's parsha, as the children of Israel approach the Promised Land, they had to pass through what is now Transjordan. In those days,...
All Religions Can Be Laughed At — Even Judaism
In 1979, “The Life of Brian” by Monty Python comedians was a tremendous hit in Britain -- and a scandal. The cast was composed of...
The Torah Tells Us That Faith Is Better Than Magic
This week, we have two very different Torah pashas combined into one. Yet despite their differences, there are some important themes running through them. The first...
