d’var Torah

Rabbi Max Chaiken wears a green shirt and blows the shofar

Navigating COVID: Our Ancestors Pointed the Way

Aron Hirt-Manheimer

August 25, 2020

Rabbi Max Chaiken, our Ten Minutes of Torah commentator for the Book of Deuteronomy, is the associate rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in Los Angeles, CA. We talk to him about his Jewish journey and the ideas behind his commentaries.

What the Torah Teaches about the Use (and Abuse) of Political Power

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Max Chaiken

August 17, 2020

“Justice, justice shall you pursue…” (Deut. 16:20) We find this famous biblical aspiration at the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Shof’tim, which continues Moses’ elaboration of the extensive set of laws that the Israelites are to follow, if they are to create a holy and just society.

Civic Engagement

On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Where the Mishnah Meets the #MeToo Movement - Naso

Rabbi Rick Jacobs

Parashat Naso includes a passage about the sotah, the "errant woman" who is accused of adultery. It's a complex and problematic part of ancient Judaism, says Rabbi Rick Jacobs, so sometimes it's deliberately avoided.

Naso

On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Our Multiracial Jewish Community - B'midbar

Rabbi Rick Jacobs

The Torah commands us to take a census of the “whole Israelite community” – but who does the counting, and who, exactly, is counted?

d’var Torah

On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - What Is Blasphemy, Anyway? - Emor

Rabbi Rick Jacobs

In ancient times, crimes of blasphemy were punished by stoning - but what does it really mean today to blaspheme? Rabbi Rick Jacobs explains the biblical prohibition against Chilul HaShem, desecrating God's name, and talks about what we are called to do to combat it.

d’var Torah