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 […]
Carrying Coffins, Choosing Life: From Joseph’s Bones to the Last Hostage
As often happens, our Torah Parasha this week closely relates to current world events. Moses carrying Joseph’s bones out of Egypt and Israel bringing home the body of the last […]
When God Won’t Wait for the Dough: Providence, Inertia, and Inner Chametz
The Torah’s weaving of command and story around chametz in Parashat Bo suggests a powerful message: when people are slow to change, providence sometimes rearranges reality so that we […]
When Plagues Divide: Pedut and the Misreading of Jewish Difference
In the story of the plagues, there is a key turning point that is easy to miss. In the first three plagues, Israel and Egypt face the same outcomes. […]
“A New King Who Did Not Know Joseph”: Exodus 1 as the First Antisemitism
Exodus starts with a disturbingly familiar story. Before any plagues or miracles happen, and before Moshe even appears, the Torah depicts a powerful society that turns on a small […]
Mixed Blessings: What Jacob Really Gives His Sons
Jacob’s final words to his sons in Parashat Vayechi are called “blessings,” yet many of them sound painfully like rebuke, even curse. This tension encourages a deeper examination of […]
May a Jew be buried in a non-Jewish cemetery?
Question: For decades, I have put a lot of thought, energy, and financial commitment into environmental sustainability. Cemeteries, with their pristine, well-watered, always raked lawns, rub me the wrong way. […]