Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

"The people you know the most, you know the least" and "If you blink at the wrong moments you can miss the whole movie" are two of the one-liners of my friend and teacher, Rabbi David Zeller (of blessed memory, d.2007) that I hold on to forever. In the first he reminds me to stop and listen to what is being said, perhaps my friend or sibling are saying something I never heard them say, never could imagine they could actually say such a thing. The second statement reminds me to be conscious as to when I keep my eyes open when I turn away from what is in front of me. Read more...

This is what justice looks like. Read more...

Why did it take the Israelites forty years to get from Egypt to Canaan? (No, it's not because Moses refused to ask directions...) In forty years they could have circumnavigated the globe. In reality, the Torah tells us that it only took them three years to walk to their encampment on the east bank of the Jordan River. They then waited another thirty seven years to enter the Land of Israel. Why? Read more...

Why do people turn to Judaism? Certainly we have lived through enough to know that being religious doesn't mean that we can avoid the spills and disappointments that festoon the road of life. A Jewish commitment doesn't automatically liberate a person from fear or anxiety or guilt, nor can it guarantee happiness or success. If Judaism can't provide those lofty goals, then what good is it? Why bother? Read more...

This week's Torah reading includes several verses that define what the Israelites' relationship should be to several other nations: Read more...