Parsha

On Shabbat Nachamu, Isaiah reminds us that human power is just an illusion

Isaiah declares, “Behold, the nations are as a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as the dust on the scales... All the nations are as nothing before Him” (Isaiah 40:15,17).

Every generation has its super powers.
‘MESIRUT NEFESH’: Willingness to give up comfort, time, money, and personal interests for a greater value.

Parashat Hukat: A life of meaning

ARNOLD FROM Aukland, New Zealand.

Beyond the Headlines: A letter from New Zealand - opinion

LEARNING IN the bomb shelter.

Beyond the headlines: Finding an anchor in the shelter - opinion


Va’era: Feeling the suffering of others - opinion

The Jewish people are one nation with one heart. They should act together with concern. To stand by fellow Jews in distress, to aid those in need, to give their full support to Israel.

 IT IS believed that about 22 million people from Christian backgrounds are expressing a new openness to Torah.

Parashat Vayigash: Interpreting dreams

How was Joseph able to rise?

JOSEPH’S CUP is found in Benjamin’s sack in the biblical story

Parashat Vayigash: Incitement as the little secret

We must look closely: What was the background of this incitement? Why did the king of Egypt incite his nation against the Israelites and why was he so successful?

DETAIL FROM ‘Moses Leaving to Egypt’ by Pietro Perugino, c. 1482. Zipporah is in blue.

Parashat Miketz: All things dark and bright

Judaism is not binary – it does not teach that there are forces of light and darkness that are wholly separate and distinct. Rather, there is an interdependence and an intertwining.

 Josephs Dream, as in Genesis 37:9–10, illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible.

Parashat Miketz: A story about fate

God presents us time and time again with the choice of acting correctly, with honesty and integrity, or acting immorally.

 Rembrandt - Joseph Accused by Potiphar's Wife

Parashat Vayishlah: A little less confidence

Jacob in Parashat Vayishlah and King David in the course of Psalms showcase the important balance between religious confidence and doubt.

 Confidence is even more crucial for healthy and lasting religious growth

Parashat Vayera: The real test of the Akeida

Faith can be the foundation of a profound relationship with God, and by extension with all of God’s creation. But it can have another side, a dark shadow

'The Sacrifice' of Isaac’ by Caravaggio. The author says the akeda is the supreme test of faith, and shows how man can push himself to the limit

Parashat Vayera: Judaism and the afterlife

The midrash is likely highlighting the Jewish capacity to not just inhabit two worlds, but unify them.

MOST WORLD cultures and religions acknowledge the afterlife.

Parashat Vayera: The scalpel and the knife

The Torah has 70 faces, as the Rabbis tell us. All of these interpretations and many others have their worthiness and weight, and yet there is room for more.

'The Sacrifice' of Isaac’ by Caravaggio. The author says the akeda is the supreme test of faith, and shows how man can push himself to the limit

Parashat Vayera: Seeing the Good

What we will examine is why Abraham thought, and God agreed, that it was enough to find 10 righteous people to warrant saving the entire evil city from punishment.

‘THE DESTRUCTION Of Sodom And Gomorrah,’ John Martin, 1852