Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

In describing the attributes of Bezalel, the artist who fashioned the Mishkan (Tabernacle) where the Israelites worshiped in the wilderness, the Torah says that he "was filled with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge."  These traits, according to Midrash Sh'mot Rabbah are not only the virtues necessary to establish a site of Torah learning and observance, they are also, in fact, the very traits that God relied on to create the world: "With these three things the world was created, as it says in the Book of Proverbs, The Holy One with wisdom founded the earth; with u Read more...

Without attempting to justify the elaborate Jewish dietary laws, the Torah provides a lengthy list of which foods are kosher and which are not. Animals with cloven hooves and which chew their cuds are kosher.  Fish with fins and scales are kosher.  Birds which eat grain and vegetables, and which can fly, are kosher.  Insects, shellfish and reptiles are not.     Read more...

Over the past few months, I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach a series of classes in modern Jewish philosophy to adult Jewish learners in different settings.   As we study the modern thinkers, Torah, the rabbis, the 20th century philosophical great thinkers, and the student’s own experience, all draw together to teach new lessons.  I am always amazed at the philosophers (past and present) I find in the room with me.  As we think about revelation, the nature of God, the role of mitzvot, and perspectives on chosenness, I am always amazed at the thirst and dep Read more...

Preparing to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, the Israelites know that they must provide not only for their physical requirements in the desert, but for their spiritual needs as well.  This week's Torah portion continues the discussion of the building of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle), the portable site of worship that our ancestors carried with them throughout their wanderings. 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...