Eat, Drink, and Be Merry – Even in a Pandemic
Aligned with the rhythm of our earth turning on its axis, our season of returning (
Hospitality: Can We Do Better?
Biblical stories often form prototypical frameworks that define and shape later Jewish behaviors.
Noah: A Case Study in Transformation
At the beginning of Parashat Noach , it is apparent that the earth and everything living on it are in need of serious transformation. We read: "The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with violence" and ". . .
On the Permanence of Graves
Burying one's dead-what could be a more rudimentary cultural ritual? The scene in which Abraham buys a gravesite from a Hittite for Sarah is often commented upon for the highly stylized negotiation that results in the acquisition.
God as Matchmaker
With so many matchmaking and online dating services, it's no surprise that people are looking for love, but as a recent Pew study1 shows, their search results in marriage less and less often. That's because relationships of any kind are seldom easy.
Abraham, the Rabbis, and Us
Why was Abram told to leave his home and family and go out into the wilderness? (Genesis 12:1) The Midrash, the vast collection of rabbinic reflections on the Torah, offers a number of answers.
Parashat Noach
Have you ever seen the skyline of New York or L.A. or Chicago? On a beautiful day you can see all the buildings clearly—office towers, banks, and schools, drawing your eye upward toward the clouds and the sun. Even small towns put their obelisks and spires in the center square, for all to see.
Predestined to Fail
Our children will be guarantors. According to a midrash, that is the promise God exacted for giving the Torah to the Jewish people. God seemingly wanted to safeguard Jewish continuity through the fulfillment of decreed destiny. What a lovely concept!