Over the summer, I was struck by the timeliness of a teaching from parsha Ki Teitzei in the Book of Deuteronomy. I was intrigued by how relevant the first three verses of Chapter 22 seemed to be in our current circumstances: (1) If you see your fellow’s ox or sheep gone astray, do not ignore Continue Reading »
I recently purchased the Robert Alter translation of the TaNaKh, the Jewish Bible*. This award-winning translator offers a fresh look at the Biblical text, seen so often in less dynamic and precise language. Reading Alter’s translation gave me a new motivation to reread the texts of the Psalms, the 150 tehilim. These are poems from Continue Reading »
Thanksgiving and the pandemic sound like a contradiction in terms. A plague is ravaging our country. What have we to be grateful for? A lot, actually! And, it is precisely when we are beset by troubles that it becomes all the more important to practice gratitude, if for nothing other than our mental health. Giving Continue Reading »
A Message for Shabbat Chayai Sarah and World Kindness Day: What is the essence of the Torah? For some, like Rashi, the Torah is a book of law – the vessel through which God gave us commandments to guide our lives. He argues that the Torah should have begun with Exodus 13, where we learn Continue Reading »
A Message for Shabbat Vayeira: Let Us Reclaim the Vision of Abraham When Abraham heard of God’s intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, he didn’t ask if its citizens were Jewish. He didn’t ask God to save his friends. He didn’t make distinctions based on faith or race, ideology or affiliation. Abraham did not discriminate. He Continue Reading »
A Message for Shabbat Lech Lecha: Work to Bring the Day! As I write these words, a key leader of the Palestinian national movement, Saeb Erekat, is barely holding on to life as he battles Covid-19. That another national leader has been infected by this terrible virus is, sadly, not remarkable. What is remarkable is that Continue Reading »
Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said that certain verses in the Torah call out to us: “darsheini!” Interpret me! notice me! learn and teach me! This week as we return to b’reishit, to the beginning of the Torah, we encounter so many profound words, stories and values that demand our attention. But this year, as Continue Reading »
A Message for Shabbat & Simchat Torah In 1999 I was invited to write the following commentary for the URJ 10 Minutes of Torah. It was subsequently published in a URJ Press collection of Torah teachings. I share it with you now on the eve of Simchat Torah to lift your hearts and inspire us Continue Reading »
Every year after Yom Kippur I hear friends and relatives react to their rabbis’ sermons on the Holy Days. And guess what. Not one of them has ever said the rabbi’s sermon was too short. If all goes well, a rabbi’s words from the pulpit are challenging, moving, important and instructive. These are the standards Continue Reading »
Have you ever wanted to build your own sukkah but thought the task was too daunting? Well, fear no more! TBE’s own Dave Cohen designed a simple DIY Sukkah. Recently, Dave constructed the sukkah on video to demonstrate just how easy it is to build. Here are links to the diagram and video instructions. Diagram Continue Reading »