From Golden Calf to Golden Miskan
Just a few chapters before Vayakhel–Pekudei, the Israelites commit one of the most shocking sins in the Torah: the Golden Calf. Fresh from hearing “You shall have no other gods […]
Before Ha Lachma Anya: The Journey Into Passover
If Passover itself is built on the number four, then the weeks leading up to it are built on lists. Shopping lists, cleaning lists, guest lists, menus scribbled in […]
Two Cows, Two Paths: From Golden Calf to Red Heifer
This week’s parasha, Ki Tissa, brings us face to face with one of the lowest points in our history: the sin of the Golden Calf. At the very same […]
The Evolution of Passover and the Haggadah
Passover is a holiday centered around the number four. Four cups of wine, four questions, four sons, and more. The number four appears repeatedly in the Haggadah. Because of […]
Shabbat Zachor and the Shadow of Iran
On Shabbat Zachor, we read a short but powerful passage about Amalek: “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt—how he happened upon you on […]
May I recite Mourners Kaddish for my father on days other than his yahrtzeit?
Question I was always taught that Mourners Kaddish should only be recited for immediate family. In the last several years I’ve seen all people stand and recite Kaddish. When […]
Voluntary Hearts, Sacred Boundaries
Parashat Terumah opens with a fascinating paradox about giving. God tells Moshe: “Speak to the Children of Israel, and let them take for Me an offering; from every person […]
The Day After Sinai
Parasahat Mishpatim prompts us to ask: what happens the day after Sinai? After thunder, lightning, and the Ten Commandments, what does it truly look like to live with God’s revelation? […]
The Super Bowl Sticky Note Ad Wasn’t Meant for Us
Many American Jews have seen the commercial that aired during the Super Bowl called “Sticky Note.” If you haven’t seen or heard of it, you can click below to […]
Partners with Hashem: The Courage to Act Without Being Told
At the start of Parashat Yitro, Yitro sees Moshe sitting and judging the people “from morning until evening.” He bluntly tells him, “The thing you are doing is not […]