Making Matters Count
This week's Torah portion, Ki Tisa, is filled with action, drama, and explosive notions of faith and fear.
Shattering the Tablets...For Our Sake
"As soon as Moses came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he became enraged; and he hurled the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain." (Exodus 32:19)
Where Will God Live?
Exodus began with birth in a time of death, when God appeared as midwives'hands and as a path through raging waters. And then Moses became God's mouth, and the rabble became a people. After Sinai, where will God live?
Building the Sacred
The Torah is filled with great drama. Moviemakers and even animators turn to the text repeatedly for its stunning visual imagery and profound drama. This week's Torah portion, Vayak’heil, is replete with both.
Appreciating the Giver as Well as the Gift
The Torah portion Vayak’heil (Exod. 35:1-38:20) presents Moses' speech to the Israelite community at one of the many special gatherings or convocations of the Hebrews during their wanderings in the desert.
Learning from the Imperfection of Religion
Parashat Mishpatim offers a myriad of rules to guide us in how to treat other individuals and nations. It makes us wonder: Why is it easier to think and behave humanely when we consider individuals rather than nations?
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
I’m your typical oldest child, fitting many of the characteristics that psychologists love to identify: a natural leader, a people-pleaser, a perfectionist, and so on.