Listen to an audio version Parashat Chukat is among the most enigmatic in all of Torah. While it gives closure to the lives of Moses siblings, it opens three new mysteries in the fabric of Israel’s, story, a peculiar ordinance,…
Category: Good News
Acharei Mot – Real Food for Real Men
Listen to an audio version Several months ago I was in a local bookstore and was surprised to discover that while the Judaism and the Spirituality sections seemed to be shrinking, the largest book section by far was the…
The Lamb of God; Dayenu
Listen to an audio version At the each Passover Seder just prior to the second cup of wine we sing Dayenu (lit. It would have been enough) a song that recognizes each of God’s beneficent gifts to Israel. After the…
Vayikra – A Tough Place for Man or Beast
Listen to an audio version At first glance Torah can be a tough read for those concerned about animal welfare. Much of the first ten chapters of Leviticus contain cultic material, especially in Parashat Vayikra that, that concerns itself…
Vayakhel – Come Together
Listen to an audio version We have a highly practical society that prides itself on efficiency. As a result we have gadgets that save time and labor, facilitate communication and raise our standard of living. Therefore we can watch…
Tetzaveh – Holy Advocates
Early in this week’s parasha we are introduced to the new and exotic station given to Aaron and his sons—the role and office of the Kohanim (priests). They would become the highest religious authorities in the Torah, providing a stable…
Yitro – An Aristocracy of Humility
Listen to an audio version With the arrival at Sinai, Israel begins to forge in earnest its national identity. It is only in covenantal relationship with the God of their forefathers, the God to whom the entire world belongs that…
Peace and Patience: Staying in a Place Called Calm
This week as we count the Omer, we are examining the middot (character traits) of Peace and Patience. The Apostolic Witness refers to these as the “Fruit of the Spirit”, or the character we demonstrate when we live by God’s…
Bo – Passover Lambs and Hesed Community
Listen to an audio version Every year the gift-giving season comes earlier and earlier, to the point that some desperate merchandisers try to lure us into their stores with X-mas in August promotional ads. But as we read Parashat Bo…
Our Hope Has Not Perished – Vayera
For many of us this has perhaps seen like a year of hopelessness. The nation is politically bifurcated and the negative campaign ads continually suggest that we are on the verge of collapse and driving over the cliff. But the…