Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

What is the essence of human nature?  Are we really creatures of spirit and mind, capable of forming ourselves at will to correspond to the highest conceptions of humanity possible?  Or are we, rather, little different than the animals of the field and forest, driven by instinct and whim, incapable of modifying either  our behavior or our aspiration? Read more...

One of the most painful rabbinic duties is to try to offer comfort after a doctor has informed someone that he has a terminal illness.  Read more...

Almost every Jew is familiar with the most terrifying moment in all of Jewish ritual practice. We prepare for it, knowing that it’s inevitable. We study, chant, pray, sing. As the dreaded moment approaches, we break into a sweat, smile bravely, as our heartbeat approaches Jane Fonda speed. Finally, the gabbai calls us up for an aliyah, one of the seven so honored by reciting the blessings before and after the reading of the Torah on Shabbat morning.  Read more...

An ideological battle is being waged between those who would argue that animals have rights equal to humans (or almost equal to human rights) and those who would insist that people have the right to use animals in any way they would choose. Between those two extremes there appears to be no discussion, dialogue, or any interest in a deeper understanding. One side views the other as tofu vegbos and they, in turn, see their opponents and blood-thirsty rednecks. Read more...

Well, the statistics are in, and the news isn’t good. Hate crimes, it seems, are more popular than ever. Perhaps it’s because the economy isn’t as robust as we would like it to be; perhaps it’s because we live in an age of rapid social change and there are people who resent the changes and feel powerless because of them. Or perhaps the rising violence is because there are simply people willing to do evil and lacking the self-restraint (or the communal restraint) to stop them. Read more...