As human beings, we have a broad range of abilities and experiences that can be uncovered — whether intelligence, love, awe, compassion, courage or artistic expression. The crown of all…
When I signed up to write on Parashat Korach for the TJP it was months ago, and I had no idea what would be happening in the world. A typical…
A three-legged stool is the sturdiest, the best way to create stability on uneven surfaces. The same idea can be found in mystical metaphors, where groups of three in Torah…
This week’s Torah portion is Behaalotcha and it starts with some housekeeping instructions. “The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you mount…
This week’s Torah portion discusses the perplexing character of the Nazir or Nazarite. Nazir refers to a man or woman who makes a specific vow in order to become closer…
The seven-week countdown to the holiday of Shavuot, the day when the Torah was given, has concluded. As part of the preparatory process of character refinement during this period —…
This week’s Torah Portion is called Bamidbar, which means “in the wilderness,” and it is the first portion in the book of Numbers. Not too surprisingly, the action takes place…
That’s one of the questions one might ask after reading this week’s double parasha, Behar-Bekhukotai,which describes an agricultural and financial system so lofty only God could conceive of it. The…
This week’s Torah Portion, Emor, includes the command to observe God’s sacred occasions (Leviticus 23: 1-2): “The Eternal spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the Israelite people and say to…
Torah comes from the same Hebrew word as “instruction.” Each commandment (and verse) in the Torah has its simple directive — to know what to do — along with its…