Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

I usually wait till the second paragraph for my public confession, but this time I already alluded to it in the title - yes, I use a comforter when going to sleep even in the summer! I use it all year round! I like the feeling of being embraced and held, I like the sensation of being contained. Read more...

Elleh ha'dvarim asher debar Moshe el-kol-Yisrael... Devarim, the fifth book of the Torah, reveals to us Moses' final discourse to Israel in the last weeks of his life. Moses petitions Bnai Yisrael to follow in God's ways and thus enjoy the rewards of such action. And Moses warns Bnai Yisrael to not act against God, lest they be dispersed among the nations of the world. Essentially, Moses delivers his living will to his people. Read more...

"Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married: 'He married a Cushite woman!' ... As the cloud withdrew from the Tent, there was Miriam stricken with snow-white scales! And Aaron said to Moses, 'O my lord, account not to us the sin that we committed in our folly...'" (Numbers 12:1, 10, 11) Read more...

Five summers ago, I had the privilege of spending ten days living with a Navajo shepherd family. On Earl and Sadie's ranch, high in the Chuska mountains and far from electricity or running water, I got a glimpse at a lifestyle that seemed to belong to another age. Earl spent his days tending to the sheep and nights were spent around a blazing fire, which was the only light in the otherwise velvet black night. Read more...

As the recent and troubling news about the IRS and NSA continue to unfold and become considerably more complicated, one aspect of our modern society continuously emerges. When it comes to any perceived (or real) infringement of our self interests: attack first and gather information later. Read more...