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 […]
Three Visions, One Promise: Jacob’s Lifelong Conversation with God
In this week’s Parasha, Vayigash, we learn about Jacob’s final journey: to Egypt. This journey doesn’t start in Egypt but in the dark, sacred pause just before it. In Genesis […]
Miketz and Hanukkah: Hidden Light, Revealed Hope
Parashat Miketz almost always coincides with Hanukkah, and that “almost always” is itself a kind of commentary. It prompts the question: what happens when the Torah’s story of Yosef […]
Dear Jonah Platt
Dear Jonah Platt. Last night, I had a lot of trouble sleeping—and it’s all because of you! More on that in a moment. First, I want to sincerely thank you […]
Not in the Cave: Why Rachel Waits on the Way
I have always been puzzled by a story in this week’s Parasha, Vayishlach. In the Parasha, , we learn of the death of Rachel (Genesis 35:15-19). The text tells […]