Dr. Carol Ochs
Outside the Camp: A Modern Midrash
This midrash, or haggadic story, takes place amid the Israelites' wandering in the desert. We read in B'haalot'cha : When they were in Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married:"He married a Cushite woman!" They said,"Has the Eternal spoken only through Moses
The Sacrifice of Drawing Closer
The portion Tzav in Leviticus describes the rituals of the burnt offering, the meal offering, the reparation offering, and the offering of well-being. The word used in English for the offerings in the Temple is "sacrifice,"but that disguises or obscures the true meaning of korban, the term in Hebrew, which
A Road Map
Hardly a day goes by that we don't see, hear, or read about the Ten Commandments. Actually, we have grown so accustomed to their being tossed about on the Internet, on television, in the newspaper, or in our places of worship that when we speak of them they no longer
Sarah's Obituary
In an ironic twist, the portion dealing with the death of Sarah is called Chayei Sarah, "The Life of Sarah," but on second thought, it is not really so strange. We celebrate a person's life only when it has been rounded out, or to paraphrase Nicomachean Ethics I 1089a18, do
Shabbat Shuvah! "Be Strong and Resolute"
In Vayeilech, the shortest portion in the Torah, Moses tells the people that he will not be leading them into the Land of Israel, per God's instruction; instead, Joshua will lead them (Deuteronomy 31:1-3). Then God informs Moses that he will soon die and that he should prepare Joshua to
