Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

One of the dilemmas facing a modern Jew is the question of how to know God.  Increasingly disappointed with our previous faith in progress and in the power of reason to bring about salvation, we turn increasingly to some of the timeless resources of our ancestral faith, looking to Judaism to root our search for meaning, to ground us in something eternal. Read more...

This week we read the Torah portion of Tetzaveh, in which the Torah describes the elaborate details for the priestly vestments to be used in consecrating the High Priest for service.  From the finest linen, richest stones, and majestic colors, the holy dress is to be made including a robe, headdress, tunic, and breastplate.  This breastplate had twelve precious stones, arranged in four rows of three, upon which the names of the tribes were engraved: "The stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve in their names, engraved, each person with his name on it, for Read more...

Sefer Sh'mot, the Book of Exodus, is arguably the most important single story in all of Jewish history.  The tale of the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egyptian oppression, of God's role in freeing the Jews and leading them to the base of Mount Sinai, the revelation of the 10 Commandments and the beginnings of Jewish law constitute the very core of what it means to be a Jew. Read more...

One of the charges most frequently leveled against Judaism is that of excessive legalism.  According to this accusation, Judaism is obsessed with the petty and the restrictive rules that make Jewish life onerous and irrelevant.  By focusing on endless regulations, Judaism, it is claimed, misses the bigger picture.  Read more...

Having crossed through the sea as it split to lead them to safety, our ancestors stood on the shore watching as the waters covered the Egyptians. And, what's the very next thing Moses and the Israelites did? "Then," says the Torah, "Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord." And, after Moses, Miriam takes the timbrel in her hand and with the women dancing around her, she too sings. Read more...