A Holiday of Contradictory Emotions

Mar 26, 2021 By Shuly Rubin Schwartz | Commentary | Shabbat Hagadol | Pesah

Preparing to celebrate our second Pesah under the grip of a global pandemic, our hearts are filled with both sadness and hope. No one has been untouched by COVID-19. We鈥檙e grieving a loved one, friend, or neighbor whose life was cut short. We鈥檙e experiencing its social and economic toll鈥攐vertaxed first responders, teachers, and food providers; overwhelming social isolation; devastating financial insecurity鈥攁ll exacerbated by underlying inequities. Thankfully, millions have received the vaccine, though many have yet to receive it, and new variants temper our expectations.

Standing at the Gates

Mar 19, 2021 By Eliezer B. Diamond z”l | Commentary | Vayikra

In Kafka鈥檚 cryptic parable 鈥淏efore the Law,鈥� a man stands before a gate seeking entry into the Law. The gate is open, but at its side is a gatekeeper who refuses his request to enter. The man uses every stratagem that he can think of to gain the gatekeeper鈥檚 permission, but every attempt fails. This stalemate continues until the moment of death arrives.

Holy Bling

Mar 12, 2021 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Pekudei | Vayak-hel

I loved rummaging through my grandmother鈥檚 jewelry. To my child鈥檚 eye, her jewelry box was a treasure chest filled with sparkling gems, pearls, and gold. All 鈥減aste,鈥� I learned, but to me they were the crown jewels.

The Path to Justice

Mar 5, 2021 By Rachel Kahn-Troster | Commentary | Ki Tissa

I鈥檝e been a human rights activist for more than a decade, beginning my work by organizing the Jewish community to speak out against torture. One of the first things I learned鈥攁 theme that resurfaces across many of the campaigns for human rights that I have been part of鈥攊s that when people act out of fear, when their sense of safety and security is challenged, they make unfortunate choices.

The Masks that We Wear

Feb 26, 2021 By Ofra Arieli Backenroth | Commentary | Tetzavveh | Purim

Growing up in Israel, Purim was a wonderful experience, full of fun and games. Dressing up, putting on masks, going to parties, and attending the Purim Parade in Tel Aviv鈥攖he Adloyada. This name is derived from a rabbinic saying in the Talmud that one should revel on Purim by drinking 鈥渦ntil one no longer knows [how to distinguish between 鈥榗ursed is Haman鈥� and 鈥榖lessed is Mordecai鈥橾鈥� (BT Megillah 7b). Attending the parade was great fun, but also had a mysterious aspect. Who are the people hiding behind the masks? What are they concealing and what are they trying to reveal? It was all very colorful and happy but, in equal measure, scary and confusing.

Remembering Our Sacred Spaces

Feb 19, 2021 By Julia Andelman | Commentary | Shabbat Zakhor | Terumah

On Shabbat Zakhor鈥攖he Shabbat of remembering鈥攚e recall the Amalekites鈥� vicious attack on the Israelites in the desert, in which they targeted not the fighters but the weaker members of the community (Deut. 25:17鈥�19). This year, however, I suspect many of us will be focused instinctively on remembering something else: the anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic turning our lives upside down.

God鈥檚 Currency

Feb 12, 2021 By Gordon Tucker | Commentary | Mishpatim | Shabbat Shekalim

The arrival of Parashat Shekalim (plural of shekel) each year is what might be called the liturgical 鈥渞ite of spring鈥� in the Jewish tradition, signaling that Pesah is six鈥搒even weeks away, and preparations (spiritual and physical) for the great festival are very soon to begin. This year, it will be observed on Rosh Hodesh Adar, when the weekly reading will be Parashat Mishpatim.

Can God Prohibit an Emotion?

Feb 5, 2021 By Sarah Wolf | Commentary | Yitro

Part of my current research focuses on how human emotions are discussed and legislated in the Talmud and other ancient rabbinic texts, and so the last of the Ten Commandments (as counted in the Jewish tradition) raises for me some fundamental questions.

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