Articles in Concepts
What I Learned from the Eclipse
Yesterday we were treated to a rare phenomenon, the eclipse of the sun. Scientists and laypeople alike were fascinated by the sudden visibility of the sun’s splendorous retina; the periphery that peeked out from around the moon’s perimeter.
The periphery is not usually visible because we are blinded by the sun’s …
Shoftim: Guard Your Integrity
Integrity
The Torah tells us to post judges and guardians at the gates of our cities and “Eradicate evil from amongst you”.[1] We are taught that this rule applies not only to the city but also to the person. Every person is like a city; our limbs are the citizens, our …
Re’e: Life and Death
Shivah
Judaism has a formula for everything. From birth to death, the Torah provides a detailed guide on proper conduct. When it comes to death, Judaism prescribes a seven-day period of mourning, called shivah, during which we sit at home, sheltered from the daily routine, and mourn. However, immediately after this …
Ekev: I Did It My Way
My Way
Frank Sinatra famously sang, “I traveled each and every high way . . . but more, much more than this . . . I did it my way.”
The song struck a chord especially in the West because it acknowledged an uncanny truth. Despite our limitations, despite our failures, we …
Vaetchana: Recovering from Grief
When Grief Debilitates
This Shabbat is all about comfort. After commemorating the destruction of both Jewish Temples this Tuesday, we are in a state of grief and in significant need of comfort. Yet the question is how does one find comfort after such immense grief? If we find it difficult to …
Devarim: A Healthy Waste
A Holiday
Joseph Stalin reputedly visited a Jewish inmate in prison who was rumored to foresee the future. Can you tell me, asked Stalin, when I will die? Well, replied the Jew, I can’t tell you the exact date, but I can tell you that will die on a Jewish holiday. …
Masei: The Wandering Jew
Wandering
Why is the Jew always wandering? We left Egypt and spent the next forty years wandering in a dessert. Throughout our exile, our people have wandered. Even today, Jews who live in stable countries, don’t remain in the same place for long. Even Jews in Israel, wander away in search …
Balak: I Am Blessed
Blessed Blessing
It was a happy time for the Jews; they were on their way to Israel. But the nations in the vicinity were most unhappy. One of those nations, Moab, hired Balaam the soothsayer to curse the Jews.
Balaam attempted to curse the Jews, but every time he attempted to curse, …
