Posts Tagged: Torah commentary
The Lessons of Adam and Eve
I don’t expect that you have heard of Dr. Ian Walker, a professor at Bath University in England. Usually described by the media as a “traffic...
The Revelation Is Taking Place Today
“Be Careful and Guard your Life Diligently, Lest You Forget The Events That Your Eyes Saw.” (Devarim 4:9) In the Pirkei Avot, we find a rather radical...
The Long Road Is Always the Fulfilling One
At the end of his new book, Tribe of Mentors, Timothy Ferris cites the following poem by Portia Nelson. It’s called "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters": Chapter...
Why Be Jewish?
In the last days of his life, Moses renewed the covenant between God and Israel. The entire book of Devarim is an account of the covenant:...
The Boundary-Breaking Meeting Between Trump and Netanyahu
The scenes in Washington, DC last Wednesday were nothing short of astounding. Whatever your political leanings, and however you feel about President Donald Trump or Prime Minister...
Children Do Suffer the Sins of Their Parents
There is, on the face of it, a fundamental contradiction in the Torah. On the one hand we hear, in the passage known as the...
As Jews, We Must Hold Ourselves to Higher Standards
A President guilty of sexual abuse. A Prime Minister indicted on charges of corruption and bribery. Rabbis in several countries accused of financial impropriety, sexual...
The Importance of Integrity in Public Life
There is a verse so familiar that we don't often stop to reflect on what it means. It is the line from the first paragraph...
The Ethic of Holiness
With Tetzaveh, something new enters Judaism: Torat cohanim, the world and mindset of the priest. Rapidly it became a central dimension of Judaism. It dominates the...
Why We Must Give to Others
There is an important principle in Judaism, a source of hope and also one of the structuring principles of the Torah. It is the principle...
Telling the Jewish Story
Go to Washington and take a tour of the memorials and you will make a fascinating discovery. Begin at the Lincoln Memorial with its giant...
‘I Was Just Following Orders’ is Never an Excuse
The opening chapters of Exodus plunge us into the midst of epic events. Almost at a stroke, the Israelites are transformed from a protected minority...
Leaders Must Lead by Both Consensus and Command
What do you say to your successor? What advice do you give him or her? Vayelech is the place to look for the answer, because it is...
The Jewish People Are a Nation of Storytellers
Howard Gardner, professor of education and psychology at Harvard University, is one of the great minds of our time. He is best known for his...
