Posts Tagged: Torah commentary
Progress Requires Balance, and Change Must Be Accompanied by Caution
Let me introduce you to the Overton Window. It sounds like something out of a spy thriller, but it’s actually a brilliant way to understand...
Beware of False Prophets — Especially When They Offer Medical Cures
The late Canadian-born Dr. Hulda Regehr Clark (1928-2009) was a highly controversial figure. She began her college education at the University of Saskatchewan, where she...
Doublespeak at Its Worst
The end of this month will mark 75 years since the passage of UN Resolution 181 on November 29, 1947. This paved the way for...
We Can Learn Most From Those Who Are Different From Us
Devaki Raj is the CEO and co-founder of CrowdAI, an artificial-intelligence startup that “enables anyone to create high quality solutions to analyze imagery and video.”...
Jews Must Search for the Silver Lining
Over the past year-and-a-half, as the COVID-19 pandemic has relentlessly unfolded, we have all faced countless ups-and-downs -- hopeful glimpses of sunlight that are soon dashed...
Our Loving Relationship With God
This Shabbat is ‘Tu Be’Av’ — the 15th day of the Jewish month of Av — an obscure Jewish festival day when we highlight the...
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...
Why Fake News Is an Affront to God
Have you ever heard of Veles (pronounced “veh-less”)? I don’t expect you have. It’s a small town in a European country called North Macedonia —...
The Jewish Nation: Proof That the Impossible Is Possible
William L. Rowe (1931–2015) was a distinguished professor of philosophy at Purdue University, who specialized in the philosophy of religion. Although he discovered and embraced...
Parhsat Ki Tissa: Moses Annuls a Vow
Kol Nidre, the prayer said at the beginning of Yom Kippur, is an enigma wrapped in a mystery, perhaps the strangest text ever to capture...
Judaism and the Power of Love
Oscar Wilde said, “The very essence of romance is uncertainty.” Perhaps, but I am fairly certain that if you are looking for romance, you won’t...
The Significance and Shame(?) of Jewish Names
We Jews are hyper-sensitive. Recently, several people have told me how embarrassed they are that Jewish names are so prominent in the current spate of...
Parshat Vayetse: The Story of Laban the Aramean
The events narrated in this week’s parsha -- Jacob’s flight to Laban, his stay there, and his escape, pursued by his father-in-law -- gave rise...
Parshat Chukat: Did Losing Miriam Cause Moses to Strike the Rock?
It is a scene that still has the power to shock and disturb: The people complain. There is no water. It is an old complaint...
