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The Power of Our Dreams, Both Asleep and Awake
The book of Genesis contains many famous dreams, and this week’s parashah, Vayeitzei, contains one of the most famous dreams ever recorded: the vision of Jacob’s ladder.
When Do We Know We’ve Completed the Struggle?
In Parashat Vayishlach, Jacob receives a new name that becomes the name of the Jewish people: Israel.
The Most Painful Parts of Joseph’s Story Can Teach Us about Ourselves
The Story of Joseph is the longest single story in the Torah and one of the most famous narratives found in the entire Hebrew Bible. This text has inspired many traditional and modern commentaries and additional interpretations though contemporary culture.
Soul-Making: Living in the Peaks, the Valleys, and Everything in Between
We may want to experience only life's peaks, but there’s another valuable direction in life, too – into the valleys. Our upward movement is balanced by a downward movement, like the angels in Jacob’s dream. We need to embrace both.
What Torah Can Teach Us about Overcoming Loneliness
In the beginning of Parashat Chayei Sarah, Abraham introduces himself to the people of Canaan, the land that has been promised to his descendants.
The Greatest Threat to Civilization, as Taught by Torah
When reading Parashat Tol’dot each year, I am amazed how relevant these ancient stories remain today, including the last significant moment in Isaac’s life.
Letting Abraham's Example Guide Us, During Election Season and Beyond
Parashat Vayeira contains some of the most well-known and controversial texts in the book of Genesis, including the Akedah. These words remind us that no matter how strongly we feel about our principles, we cannot sacrifice our fellow human beings to realize them.
My child is graduating from college. Is there a prayer or blessing I can say?
At such a poignant milestone, this prayer captures both the emotion in parents’ hearts and their hopes for their child’s future
How do we help children cope with tragedies that occur in our communities and in the news headlines?
What does Judaism teach us about helping our children to cope with terrible news that even we, as adults, find challenging to understand or process?
How Do Reform Jews Understand Tishah B’Av?
The observance of Tishah B’Av (literally the 9th day of the month of Av) poses some interesting questions for Reform Jews. The day is one of fasting and mourning, for the destruction of both the First and the Second Temple in Jerusalem is said to have taken place on that day. While other tragic events in Jewish history may have coincided with the ninth of Av, it is the Temple’s destruction (churban habayit) that dominates the day’s ritual and liturgy. Reform theology has not generally looked upon the loss of the Temple and the expulsion of the people of Israel from its land as a catastrophe to be lamented by liberal Jews.