Have you ever gone into a camping goods store and been overwhelmed by the beauty of the tents? Of course not. Clearly, Balaam was not commenting on the handiwork of the Hebrew tentmakers when he complimented the beauty of the desert...
When “I’m Sorry” Just Isn’t Good Enough
We've all done it; despite all of our good intentions, we make a bad mistake and we hurt someone we love. Full of regret, we apologize. But sometimes, apologies aren’t enough. When a borrowed car is returned with a bent fender, a trip to...
Why American Jews are not Going Home to Israel
If one night, while watching television, a booming voice came down from heaven, identified itself as God, and told you to pick up and move, would you do it? Would you still hesitate if that voice performed astounding miracles, guided you...
Waving the Flag During the Exodus and in Modern Israel
As its name implies, the Book of Numbers opens with a census, counting the men of Israel for the purposes of war, and then describes how they camped in the desert. Very much like an army camp, the tribes were arranged in four groups of...
The Twelve Tribes are the Key to Israel’s Nationhood, Past and Future
The story of Jacob and his wives is far more than a biographical account. It is, in fact, the beginnings of the nation that takes its name from Jacob’s second name: Israel. From four wives he fathered twelve sons from which the twelve...