Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

Few Biblical stories capture our imagination in quite the same way as does this week's Torah portion, Parashat Ki Tissa, the narrative of the Golden Calf. Moses ascends the mountain, promising to return. Time passes, and Moses does not return. The longer the people wait, the more anxious they became. Moses, their leader and the architect of their escape from Egypt; Moses their representative to God and valiant freedom fighter; Moses their teacher and lawgiver was nowhere to be found. Read more...

The Shabbat before Purim is most famous for its name - Shabbat Zachor - the Shabbat of remembering. A month before Nissan we begin to read four additional Torah sections to prepare us for Pesach and all that the festival entails (yes, once Purim is over, Pesach cleaning begins...). Till this day, even though we no longer observe the laws of ritual holiness, we still read the section regarding the red heifer in two weeks time. But this coming Shabbat stands out in its proximity to Purim - Shabbat Zachor will always be the Shabbat prior to Purim. Read more...

We are born, so the Mishnah says, into the world against our will. No one consulted with us before our arrival. And we were born into a world that had already benefited and suffered because of the choices that other people had already made for us. Where our parents lived, their income and compatibility, whether we had a roof over our heads, beds to sleep in at night, and a full stomach every evening were all-important questions that we never chose for ourselves. Read more...

We have just been at Sinai. Amid thunder and lightning God has revealed the Decalogue, which includes some major theological and moral principles by which one should live. Read more...

Several years ago, I was asked to discuss embryonic stem cell research with a group of leaders of the Evangelical Christian community. The group included several university professors, several heads of biotechnology companies, and a few scientists, so they were really smart. Read more...