Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

In the realm of biology and chemistry, interactions lead to further interactions, as the energy of one unit creates the response of the next, which in turn launches yet another process. Everything is connected, and everything is part of a series of responses and influences. What goes around comes around. Read more...

"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. He was lying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his dome-like brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top of which the bed-quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, waved helplessly before his eyes. "'What has happened to me?' he thought. But it was no dream." Read more...

So much happens to the Israelites in Parashat Hukkat that, perhaps like life itself, it is sometimes difficult to know where to focus. As our rich parashah moves quickly from incident to incident in the lives of the Israelites, I invite you to slow down, take a breath, and give yourself time to consider each incident and what it may mean for us today. Here are some thoughts on the first three aliyot of the parashah. Read more...

So much happens to the Israelites in Parashat Hukkat that, perhaps like life itself, it is sometimes difficult to know where to focus. As our rich parashah moves quickly from incident to incident in the lives of the Israelites, I invite you to slow down, take a breath, and give yourself time to consider each incident and what it may mean for us today. Here are some thoughts on the first three aliyot of the parashah. Read more...

Who goes first? This question is central in my household nowadays, as my eight year old son and five year old daughter frequently argue over who gets the first turn at everything. They debate who gets to tell me first at dinnertime how their day was at school. To resolve this argument, I made a chart listing the days of the week with their names alternating as to who gets to recount their day first. Then they argue over a flaw in the chart. They noticed that since there are seven days of the week and two children, one child invariably gets the first turn two days in a row. Read more...