How many times have you heard the sermon about how, as Jews, we are commanded to remember and care for the widow, the orphan and the stranger because we were strangers in the land of Egypt?  Sometimes, the goal is to urge action: “Remember that...

People are often surprised and, to be fair, a little wary, when they learn the topic of my rabbinical thesis. While many of my classmates chose practical themes that would help them in their rabbinate, such as  “Judaism in the Age of iPhones” or...

At the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Moses has finally led the Israelites across the wilderness and he turns his eyes to gaze on the Promised Land. It seems as if it should be a joyous moment, but we know that it’s actually bittersweet,...

In what many scholars, Robert Adler included, have observed, The Book of Deuteronomy (Devarim) is “…the most sustained deployment of rhetoric in the Torah”. If you go back to a previous article I wrote about the Book of Numbers, I framed this year’s...

We are dreaming peace all the time now, the evidence of that broken letter vavin the word shalom of briti shalom, covenant of peace, in Numbers 25:12, that may be what's holding it up. The vav in shalom is broken. Let's fix the vav in the...

I grew up mostly in California, and people often presume that I must have spent my whole life out communing with nature. In truth, I was never a big hiker, and I absolutely hated camping and boating. As an adult, I still hate camping, but I have...

Overheard at a store checkout line: “Ya know, I can predict the score of the next Cardinals game before the first pitch.” “You can make a ton of money betting on games. What’s the score?” “Zero to zero.” Let’s...

This week, we will once again be reading the Torah portion of Korach from the Book of Numbers. Named for the anti-hero and rabble-rouser of the tale, Korach — a cousin to Aaron, Moses and Miriam — this Parashah is one of the most intriguing and...

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the opportunity to visit congregants at Jewish sleep-away camps is back in my summer plans. I am excited to have this opportunity return and see our children in such a wonderful, informal educational setting.  When...

“And the Almighty spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you mount the lamps, let the seven lamps give light at the front of the lampstand.” (Numbers 8:1-2) All too often, I hear from my students about how “irrelevant and anachronistic”...

What happens when we look at a painting?  We see a familiar world through the eyes and brushstrokes of another, and suddenly it looks different from the way we normally see it. Poetry uses words we know to create unexpected images and comparisons...

This week, the world over, we will be reading and studying the Torah portion of Bechukotai, which is drawn from the Book of Leviticus. Our weekly Parashah opens with the words: “If you follow My CHUKIM (statutes) and faithfully observe My MITZVOT...