Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

For Jews, one of the great classical sources of Jewish wisdom is Pirke Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) which contains many a statement about what this or that rabbi used to say. And, in the entire work, there is but one story, which only appears towards the end of the book. Read more...

In honor of Tu B’Shevat, I returned to tractate Rosh Hashana of the Talmud. On page 14a and b, the Rabbis discuss the New Year of the Trees and deliberate whether the date is the 1st of Shevat or the 15th of Shevat for the New Year. Amongst the discussion is a conversation about when the majority of rainfall had concluded, as thus the time in which much of the development of the new fruits of tree would have been concluded. This type of detailed conversation about the working of agriculture can be found in many places in Talmud. Read more...

Who was at the table at your last Passover Seder, or seder when you were growing up? Take a moment to picture those people. How are they related to you - by blood, by common family, by marriage, by friendship, by need of a place to celebrate the holiday? Read more...

A tale is told about twins who were born to a poor couple in a small village. The midwife who attended the birth was inexperienced, and even though she tied a thread around the wrist of the first born, in the confusion of the delivery and the cleaning up of the infants, and attending to the mother, who had suffered a difficult labor, by the end of the day, the thread had come off, and no one knew which boy was the elder. After fretting about the situation for a few days, the father finally said, as much to himself as to anyone else, "Well, what does it matter? Read more...

This is a dangerous and precarious time for God. It appears that whichever way we turn, religious and political figures are feeling emboldened to speak 'Truth' on behalf of the Almighty One. And, in many instances, the speaking of these so-called 'Truths' is leading to aggressive action. Read more...