Torah
Two Ways to Encounter God Here on Earth
A few years ago, I was in Tel Aviv visiting a friend. After a pleasant afternoon, I decided to have a coffee at a sidewalk cafe before heading home. I was engaging in people-watching when I noticed that someone was watching me in return....
Why We Read the Torah Anew Each Year
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz The Jewish holidays in the Hebrew month of Tishrei are a short but intense period ending with the Biblical holiday of Shemini Atzeret (the Eight Day of Assembly). Since there is no Temple service today, its...
Don’t Forget the Kids!
By Elie Mischel Today, the second day of the Sukkot holiday immediately following the Sabbatical year, is a very special day - a “once in seven years” kind of day! In Biblical times, every seven years, immediately following the Sabbatical...
A Repetition of the Torah?
Anyone who has children knows that if you want them to learn something, telling them once is never enough. Singing the alphabet over and over, repeating math tables, and repeating mnemonics are all part of the learning process. They...
The Lofty Lesson of a Silent Aleph
The better hours of my adolescence were spent at Grateful Dead concerts. I made great friends and had a great time. But the main draw was, of course, the music. Tuned to the tempo of a heartbeat, the music was meant for slow dancing,...
The Torn Page that Gave Life
On June 29th, 2022, Israel lost a great light last month when Rabbi David Weiss Halivni passed away in Jerusalem at the age of 94. A Professor of Talmud and recognized as a brilliant scholar, he served as the head of the Union for...
Do Jews Have Horns?
After coming down from Mount Sinai, Moses’ face was so radiant that he had to wear a mask when speaking with people: And when Moshe had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moshe went in before Hashem to...
The Covenant at Sinai
The Exodus from Egypt would not have been complete without entering into a covenant with God. In this covenant, the nation of Israel swears to keep the Torah. Just like the covenant made with Abraham, the covenant at Sinai was sealed with...
Weekly Torah Portion: On Motherhood
Jacob has been promised by God that his children will inherit the Land of Israel. Indeed, he is the first forefather to pass on this promise and blessing to all of his children. This week’s portion tells of Jacob’s flight from Beersheba,...
Weekly Torah Portion: Starbucks and the Lesson of Jacob’s Pillow
Jacob’s Dream, by José de Ribera [Image: Wikimedia Commons] The sun is setting, and Jacob rests his head after a harrowing day. He is fleeing from his brother Esau. In an open field, Jacob gathers stones and makes a pillow of sorts...
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