The Laws Behind the Laws
Ask your average Jew-on-the street (well educated or not) for the five most important or famous texts of the Torah, and she will certainly include the Ten Commandments.
Courage, Convictions, and Leadership
Exodus, Chapter 32 begins with these words: “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain . . . ” (Exodus 32:1). It’s a strange turn of phrase. What was it that they saw?
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Fairest of Them All?
This week’s double Torah portion, Vayak’heil and P’kudei, is very familiar because much in it repeats what we read several weeks ago.
A Palace for God, and for Us
A few weeks ago, I shared a study session with parents of our congregation’s third-graders. The curriculum for the third grade includes study of the Ten Commandments. In the course of our conversation, I asked the group which of the Ten Commandments they felt was the most difficult to observe.
B’reishit for Tots: Understanding the Day of Rest
A guide to help adults learn how to engage young children in a discussion about this week’s Torah portion.
Charity Begins at Home
This year, I have the pleasure of studying the Book of Exodus together with the lay-led Hebrew Bible study group at Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I serve as senior rabbi.
Covenant and Commitment: Who Is Responsible for the Vulnerable Among Us?
In Parashat Mishpatim , God continues to speak to the Israelite people, expanding on and extending the "general principles of the covenant" set forth in Parashat Yitro. In The Torah: A Women's Commentary, Elaine Goodfriend notes that this parashah presents a co
Halachah and Aggadah: The Interplay between Law and Narrative to Determine God’s Will for Us
In Parashat Yitro, we are overwhelmed by the power of the encounter of God and the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. The people respond to God's Presence saying, "All that the Eternal has spoken we will do!" (Exodus 19:8).
When Moses Is with God for 40 Days and 40 Nights, It’s Back to the Idols
Parashat Ki Tisa recounts the incident of the Golden Calf in a multilayered narrative about faith and leadership. In Exodus, chapter 32, we read that Moses remained on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. In his absence, the Israelites demanded that Aaron fashion an idol so God would be present with them.