Articles tagged with: faith
Vayeshev: Selling A Brother
The Five Rung Pole
There is a hierarchy to the things we love. At the bottom of the totem pole are the vane pursuits of life, such as power, money, success and prestige as well as the toys of life such as cars, houses, furniture and wardrobes. These things make a …
Bechukotai: Is G-d Vengeful?
Why So Exacting?
The first tenet of all religions is that good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds are punished. Each religion explains it in its own way; each trying to present G-d as merciful, not vengeful. Judaism takes a different track. Suffering, says Judaism, is not a punishment, but a …
Purim: When Hebrews Became Jews
The Jews
Today we are known as Jews, but in the Torah we were known as Hebrews and Israelites. Who are we really, Hebrews, Israelites or Jews? The more I think about it, the more I feel an identity crisis coming on.
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Beshalach: The Circle of Faith
Panic In Times of Crises
They tell a story about a man, who was driving about, desperate to find a parking spot. With no spots available he called out, Dear G-d, give me a parking spot and will I pledge a thousand dollars to charity. Instantaneously a spot became available and …
Ki Tavo: Faith and Trust
The Last Sermon
Shortly before his passing Moses addressed the nation: “You have seen all that the Lord has done before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land; the great trials which your eyes beheld and those great signs and wonders. …
Shemini: G-d and the Holocaust
And He Was Silent
In the middle of his inauguration Aaron, the High Priest, suffered a terrible personal tragedy; the sudden death of his two elder sons. Moses offered words of comfort, but Aaron was silent; he accepted the Divine judgment with a full measure of faith. Our sages taught that …
Passover: A Matzah Meditation
What is Matzah?
Almost everyone knows the answer to that one; it is the cracker like bread, round or square, hand or machine made, that we eat on Passover. True enough, say the Jewish mystics, but wrong answer; matzah is bread of faith. (1) How so?
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Ki Tisa: Money Minded
The Golden Calf
In the desert our ancestors built and worshiped a golden calf. In our enlightened age we don’t deify calves or even gold for that matter, but in some ways we still behave as if gold were indeed the object of our worship.
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