It鈥檚 All Torah
Sep 3, 2013 By Danielle Upbin | Commentary | Ha'azinu
Years ago, when I was a student living in the mystical city of Safed in Israel鈥檚 Northern District, a teacher of mine asked our group of young seekers, 鈥淲hat is the most important book in your life?鈥�
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Our Covenant with God
Jun 4, 2010 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Shelah Lekha
When Moses confronts the gravest challenge to his and God’s authority since the golden calf, the negative report of the spies sent to scout the Land of Israel, he responds with a lawyerly argument for divine mercy that is taken directly from the one that had staved off the people’s annihilation by God the first time around. The argument takes the form of a question: What will the Egyptians say if God destroys His people?
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Emerging From the Wilderness
Aug 7, 2010 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Re'eh
In this week’s parashah, the book of Deuteronomy leaves prologue behind as the Israelites come one step closer to exiting the wilderness in which they have so long been wandering. Moses has set forth and fine-tuned the major themes of his final discourse. Now it is time for him to lay out a blueprint of the commandments that will shape and guide the new life awaiting the Children of Israel upon their entry to the Land of Israel.
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On Judaism and Islam
Sep 9, 2010 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Rosh Hashanah
Jews have prepared for the High Holiday season of repentance and renewal in 2010 with Muslims very much on our minds.
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The Graves of Our Ancestors
Oct 29, 2010 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Hayyei Sarah
I went to visit the graves of my parents the other day, and could not help but think鈥攚ith this Torah portion looming鈥攐f the times when I went with my father (whose name was Abraham, until he changed it) to visit my mother’s grave.
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Bearing Witness to Torah
Jan 22, 2011 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Yitro
Everything that precedes Sinai in the Torah’s narrative leads up to it. Everything that comes afterward鈥攊n the Torah, the Bible and Judaism as a whole鈥攆ollows from the fact of Covenant and works out its consequences for Israel and the world. Your life and mine are shaped by the account presented in this week’s parashah. I would like to suggest two major ways in which that is so.
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A Blessing of Reconciliation
Dec 19, 2014 By Lilly Kaufman | Commentary | Miketz
In Parashat Miketz, the masterful Joseph, hashalit al ha鈥檃retz (the sovereign of the land) engages in a series of tests of his brothers鈥� honesty. Also at stake is the resilience of their father Jacob鈥檚 legacies.
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Living into the Mission of Our Lives
Dec 5, 2014 By David Hoffman | Commentary | Vayishlah
What are our greatest fears?
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