Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

Almost every Jew who is involved in communal Jewish living can recall an older Jewish relative (or neighbor) who provided precious memories of Jewish holy days, Sabbaths, and festivals. Whether born Jewish or someone who has chosen to be Jewish, we have all been touched by a grandparent, an in-law, or a dear friend and mentor who invited us over for a Pesah Seder, showed us how to bake a Hallah, or took the time to explain and share the lighting of Hanukkah candles. Read more...

Recently, I sat with someone who had just come out of a bout with serious illness.  After the weeks and months of hospitalization, bed rest, medical therapy, my companion said to me: “Rabbi, all my life, I have been hesitant to visit people in the hospital or in their recovery.  And, now after enduring my own health challenges, I now understand how misguided I have been.  Because you see, Rabbi, I watched as my friends and even some of my family became me – how they hesitated and avoided visiting me in the hospital, or even at home.” Read more...

 One of the most passionate divides the separates today’s Jews is the question of the authorship of Torah. According to some groups of Jews, God gave each and every word of the Torah through Moses. Yet other Jews see the Torah as inspired by God’s vision and presence, but with a significant contribution by the people the Torah percolated through. Still others see it as purely a human work – glorious and deep, but human through and through. Read more...

We’re all familiar with the timeless story of Noah and the Flood.  Having just created humanity, God is horrified to see just how depraved, how violent, and how lawless we can become in the short span of a few generations. Frustrated beyond restraint, God decides to wipe out humanity and to start anew, with a particularly promising family, that of the righteous man, Noah. Read more...

This week we begin the annual cycle of Torah reading anew, turning back to the biblical account of creation of the world.  In six days, God creates the world – light and darkness; the water and sky; dry land and the seas; the sun, moon and stars; fish and birds; animals and, of course, human beings.  And, it was good.  In fact, as the Torah teaches, by the end of the sixth day, God saw that it was very good.  Read more...