This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tissa, begins with a census. Moses is instructed to count the number of men available to be conscripted in the event of the need for self-defense against any enemy forces that might be encountered during their wandering...

“And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually.”— Exodus 27:20Of the seven species associated with Israel, land of wheat, barley, grape, fig and pomegranate,...

As we begin this week’s portion, Terumah, the ancient Israelites have moved beyond the Ten Commandments and received a long list of qualifying do’s and don’ts in last week’s portion, Mishpatim.  They are finally given a break from all the listening...

In the narrative that makes up the book of Exodus, Parshat Mishpatim strikes one as the nadir of the story. Marvels and miracles are revealed week after week, from the bush that was burning but never consumed, to the 10 plagues in Egypt, to the splitting...

In a day and age in which some spend so much time arguing about differences and only respect opinions that come from those who are deemed “of similar views,” we should be encouraged by this week’s Torah portion, Yitro, and challenge ourselves to...

There are moments in life that we all face, when we stand at the crossroads, and each path seems no less frightening or full of dread than the other. This is where our ancestors stand in this week’s Torah portion, Parashat B’shalach, as they face...

On Jan. 14, 1963, speaking at the National Conference on Religion and Race, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said: “At the first conference on religion and race, the main participants were Pharaoh and Moses. Moses’ words were: ‘Thus says the Lord, the...

Whenever we encounter someone new with whom we would like to exchange names, inevitably the second question answered after, “What is your name?” is, “What do you do?” The power to name other creatures, objects and concepts was given to human beings,...

This past week, I forgot my name. I was trying to log on to one of the many different sites I use — Facebook, Amazon, my son’s school, my work email — and I couldn’t remember which screen name I used for which. Was I Michael or MikeyAlper?...

This week, we come to the end of the Joseph saga. Joseph reconciles with his brothers, and the whole family reunites after years of separation and then settles peacefully in the land of Goshen, in Egypt. The details of this reunification are fascinating...

The American tradition of gathering with family and friends to share a meal and give thanks dates to 1621, when the Plymouth colonists and Native Americans shared a feast in honor of the successful harvest. In 1789, President George Washington issued...