Justice and Mercy
Jul 16, 2011 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Pinehas
The feminist in me adores this midrash: a tannaitic (first- or second-century CE) work acknowledging misogyny and extolling the women in this week’s parashah who appeal to a gender-blind God for mercy. With ever-present news stories of the gender-based gap in wages and job retention, the plea of the daughters of Zelophehad is still relevant.
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Midrash as Filter
Apr 18, 2011 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Pesah
From sensual poetry to rules and penalties: how did that happen?
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Light in the Window
Oct 9, 2010 By Andrew Shugerman | Commentary | Text Study | Noah
How is prayer like a window or a gem? One early modern response to the midrash above answers that question with devotional creativity.
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The Strength of Our Communities
Sep 18, 2011 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Nitzavim | Vayeilekh
At this season of self-reflection, our thoughts naturally turn to our own individual acts of the year gone by. But the teshuvah process climaxes on the Yamim Nora’im, when we stand together in packed sanctuaries, finding power in our solidarity as a community.
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Identities of Choice
Jul 2, 2011 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Naso
We live in an age in which we are all Jews by Choice. Whether born to Jewish parents or not, in 21st-century America our identities are a matter of our own selection.
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Our Converts Are Precious
Jan 29, 2011 By Andrew Shugerman | Commentary | Text Study | Mishpatim
This midrash about an actual convert expands the scope of this week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim, which contemporary scholars call the “Covenant Collection” because of its numerous laws that follow and complement the Ten Commandments.
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From Darkness to Eight Lights
Dec 4, 2010 By Andrew Shugerman | Commentary | Text Study | Miketz
During the outreach classes I lead for The Jewish Theological Seminary, I have recently fielded questions about evil and suffering with what seems to be greater frequency each week. Is there a connection between the decreased hours of daylight and my students’ concern about why bad things happen to good people?
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Humanity: Both Glory and Shame
Apr 9, 2011 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Text Study | Metzora
Rabbi Morris Shapiro (z”l) spent his last years teaching in the JTS beit midrash. He was a Holocaust survivor and arguably one of the best talmudic minds of his generation, and we who had the privilege of learning with him here knew well that one of his most frequently cited teachings was the phrase this midrash brings to mind: know before Whom you stand.
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