U’Netaneh Tokef: Facing Life Honestly
Few prayers are as arresting as U’Netaneh Tokef. Its opening words, “Let us proclaim the sacred power of this day”—tell us that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are not […]
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Why do we say L’shanna Tova?
Question: We know that the Shanna Tova means a good year, but why the Lamed at the start. That would indicate going to something. Answer: The phrase “l’shanah tovah” […]
Why We Read Genesis 21 & 22 on Rosh Hashanah
On Rosh Hashanah, we read two of the most powerful and challenging stories in the Torah: the birth of Isaac in Genesis 21 and the binding of Isaac (the […]
Standing Together: A Covenant for All
This week’s parasha, Nitzavim, opens with one of the most inclusive moments in the Torah. Moses gathers the entire people, leaders, elders, men, women, children, and even the stranger […]
What is the Qumran Calendar?
Question: In a recent class about the Jewish calendar, someone mentioned that the Qumran community followed a different calendar. What was it, and why did it matter? Answer: The Jewish calendar […]
When Everyone Is Prompted
Parashat Ki Tavo describes one of the Torah’s most beautiful ceremonies: the bringing of bikkurim, the first fruits, to the Temple in Jerusalem. The farmer would bring a basket of […]
“You May Not Hide Yourself”: The Torah’s Call to Ethical Responsibility
Parashat Ki Teitzei contains more mitzvot than any other parashah in the Torah—traditionally counted as seventy-four. Its commandments cover an astonishing range of life: the laws of warfare; the […]
The Torah-Reading King: Power That Must Remain Accountable
Parashat Shoftim is concerned with the question of authority. It introduces judges and officers, priests and Levites, prophets, and finally the king. In each case, the Torah is not […]
More Than Ten: The Decalogue in Parashat Va’etchanan
The presentation of the Ten Commandments in Parashat Va’etchanan (Deuteronomy 5:6–18) constitutes one of the most significant textual variants in the Pentateuch. While the Decalogue first appears in the […]
Parashat Devarim – When the Same Story Changes
This week we begin the fifth book of the Torah with Parashat Devarim. If you read it with an open eye, something striking jumps out: Moses is retelling stories […]