Sprinkling Salt on the Challah
Jun 23, 2012 By Andrew Shugerman | Commentary | Text Study
The midrash above gives added context to the way that Judaism continually makes mundane moments and objects into opportunities for experiencing our sense of holiness, ultimate meaning, and purpose as Jews.
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In Memory of Sylvia Ettenberg
Jun 30, 2012 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Hukkat
The week we read of the passing of Miriam is the week that our community mourns—among others—Sylvia Ettenberg, dean emerita at JTS for more than half a century.
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Being Guided by Fear
Jul 7, 2012 By Charlie Schwartz | Commentary | Text Study | Balak
The midrash cited above provides two answers as to why Balak, the king of Moab, would send out the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites. Both answers state fear as the emotion that provokes the desire to curse the Israelites, but they differ in identifying the root cause of the fear.
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Choosing Love and Life
Jul 14, 2012 By Andrew Shugerman | Commentary | Pinehas | Tishah Be'av
Every summer I find striking the juxtaposition of Parashat Pinhas with its place in our calendar. This portion either soon follows (as it does this year) or immediately precedes 17 Tammuz. We always read the complete description of the biblical holidays’ offerings with the calamities listed above also in mind. This litany of misfortunes does not only include those related to the end of Temple-based worship; it also locates within the Torah the origin of each of these infamous dates observed as fast days. Those interpretations teach a deeper lesson about Jewish unity when considered with this week’s Torah portion and current events.
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Who Needs Devarim Anyway?
Jul 28, 2012 By Charlie Schwartz | Commentary | Text Study | Devarim
This week’s midrash seeks to answer the question of why Moses needed to retell the entire Torah in the book of Devarim.
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Finding Holiness in the Wilderness of Life
Aug 18, 2012 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Masei | Mattot
That life is ever changing makes us curious, grateful, wary. How are we to navigate the uncertainty in a way that makes us feel rewarded?
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A Palace in Flames
Oct 27, 2012 By Andrew Shugerman | Commentary | Text Study | Lekh Lekha
What inspires one to leave home, to embrace mystery, to seek insight into the nature of our world?
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Finding God in the Darkness
Feb 5, 2013 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Short Video | Va'era
A video Torah commentary.
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