Posts Tagged: Rabbi Jeremy Rosen
Parshat Mikeitz: Was Joseph Fair?
There are two conundrums in this week’s Torah reading. The great Spanish commentator Abarbanel asks why Joseph treated his brothers so cruelly when they appeared...
Is There Such a Thing as the Perfect Marriage?
The marriage of Isaac and Rebecca appears on the surface to have been a perfect one. Theirs was the only relationship among the patriarchs where...
Shabbat Chayei Sarah: Say What You Mean
This week’s Torah reading has a subtle undercurrent of a theme: Never take what people say at face value! When Sarah died, Abraham wanted to buy...
Parshat Lech Lecha: No One Is Perfect
Abraham is the first, full character study in the Torah. The “ten generations” between Adam and Noah, and then again between Noah and Abraham, are...
Shabbat Noah: The Curse of Canaan
After the great flood, Noah emerged from the ark with his family. He offered a thanksgiving sacrifice to God. And then the first thing he...
Sukkot: A Different Kind of Festival
The ancient festival of Sukkot has numerous elements to it. First is the Sukkah. We value our homes and the security of our little palaces,...
Shabbat Shuvah: Why God Hides
The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is always called the Shabbat Shuvah, or the Shabbat of Return. In the Torah reading this week, Moses...
Judaism and Monarchies
I am amazed that so many Americans are enamored with the British Monarchy. When I was the principal of Carmel College in 1973, we hosted...
If You Don’t Love Your Synagogue, Try Something New
It is only a month until the “Days of Awe,” the Yamim Noraim. Actually, I have no idea where the term "High Holidays" comes from....
Why Loyalty and Integrity Are Central to Jewish Life
The Book of Numbers draws to a close with themes of tribes, journeys, and possessions — with the fight for survival, cities of refuge, and...
Shavuot, Torah, and Humanity
The rabbis of the first century decided to make Shavuot the anniversary of the Mount Sinai revelation. They added this cerebral, constitutional dimension (nowhere mentioned...
What Is an Omer?
The Biblical Omer refers to the sheaf of barley that was brought to the Temple, the day after Pesach, to mark the beginning of the...
Who Should Decide Who’s Jewish in Israel?
Why is there such a fuss over the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to allow converts to Judaism, as defined by the Reform and Conservative movements,...
Mr. Cohen of Ballachulish Ferry
Last week, I gave a Zoom talk for the Scottish Jewish Archive center. I spoke about my experiences as the rabbi of the largest Jewish...
