In April 2003, on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, I attended a forum featuring four Nobel Peace laureates. One of the speakers was Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and tireless advocate for human dignity. Drawing upon his experience…
Tag: Jewish Spirituality
Shemini Atzeret to Simchat Torah – The Party Is Just Beginning:
When I was growing up in New York, Thanksgiving and Chanukah were occasions for bringing the family together. We lived in a small, five-and-a-half-room apartment, but somehow, we managed to squeeze in relatives and friends, folding tables, and enough food…
Sukkot – Shelter in a Temporal World
We live in a world that constantly reminds us of its impermanence. Everything we build, everything we possess, and even the bodies in which we live are temporary. Yet much of human life is devoted to creating permanence and security.…
Yom Kippur Is Not Judgment Day
There is something about Yom Kippur that can make us uncomfortable. We come into this day knowing that we are going to have to face ourselves. We will confess our sins and recite the Al Chet, acknowledging the many ways…
Ki Tavo – Do Not Neglect Nor Transgress
Listen to an audio version …lo avarti mi’mitzvoteycha v’lo sha’chachti “I have neither transgressed nor neglected any of your commandments” (Devarim 26:13). This is the pledge that God commanded the children of Israel to declare every third year after removing…
Shoftim – The Gift of Da’at
The Search for Spiritual Insight Human beings have always searched for spiritual insight. We long to understand what lies ahead, to make sense of life’s uncertainties, and to find wisdom beyond ourselves. That longing is not sinful. I believe it…
Re’eh – There Shall Be No Destitute Among You
A Kingdom Unlike Any Other The Torah places before us what appears to be a contradiction. In Deuteronomy 15:4 Moses declares with breathtaking confidence, “There shall be no destitute among you.” Yet only a few verses later he says, “The…
Beha’alotcha – Salvation On Trial
This week’s parasha will introduce a theme that will characterize much of the remaining narrative of Bamidbar. Chapters 11-25 contain a series of refusals on the part of Israel to accept authority. In chapter 12 even Miriam challenges Moses’ authority.…
Nasso – Bless is More
Listen to an audio version… The Blessing We Never Outgrow This week’s parasha contains one of only two prescribed blessings in the entire Torah: the Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing. “Adonai bless you and keep you! Adonai make His face…
Shavuos All Over Again
Déjà Vu at Sinai Yankee Hall of Famer Yogi Berra was renowned for his unique and often comical way of turning a phrase. One expression that became part of the American lexicon was, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”…