Parasha

Parashat Shmini: Guarding a pure heart

The Hebrew word timtum means “blockage” or “dullness.” Forbidden foods can lead to this blockage – to emotional numbness and a diminished ability to perceive spiritual depth.

DAILY DIET: The Creator gave us clear guidelines.
An Israeli family enjoys a "Seder" Pesach on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Pesach. April 22, 2024.

Parashat Tzav: True freedom begins in the mind, not in physical circumstance

Ezekiel teaches that a true beginning requires cleansing.

Shabbat Hachodesh: A time to cleanse and begin again

Cooling the bath: Amalek.

Parashat Zachor: Remembering Amalek in every generation


Parashat Beshalach: The path to victory

Unite the nation through love and kindness, and we will defeat the descendants of Amalek.

 An illustrative image of chess pieces.

Parashat Beshalach: How to cross the Reed Sea

We are at a watershed moment, and we need to respond from courage, artfulness, and faith, – not from despair. It’s time to cross the Reed Sea together.

 An illustrative image of feet walking through the water.

Parashat Bo: Beautiful as the moon

The commandment of sanctifying the month is not merely a technical instruction for those who establish the calendar on how and when to determine the new month.

 SUPERMOON RISES over Jerusalem this past November.

More Than a Pharaoh: The Clash of Human Desire and Divine Power


Parashat Va'era: Pharaoh’s sin of hubris

The blessing that led Pharaoh to the sin of arrogance is the very thing that will turn into a curse.

 In a recent article, Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Egyptian former Minister of Antiquities, addressed the enduring myth of the Curse of the Pharaohs.

Parashat Shemot: Compassion and respect for others

Redemption and progress cannot come at the expense of another’s dignity.

 Moses was a leader with humility, which is what we should be looking for today.

Parashat Shemot: Women as leaders

The remarkable story of six heroines – six courageous women without whom there would not have been a Moses.

 Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Patience is the Key: Life Advice from Rabbi Yeshayahu Pinto


Parashat Vayehi: The blessing of connection

The act of giving blessing creates connection. Hopefully, we do not wait until the end of our lives to create or facilitate this connection with our loved ones as Jacob did.

Torah scroll 521

Parashat Vayehi: The traits of a leader

While everyone makes mistakes, a leader whose decisions stem from rashness and haste can spell disaster for his people – and potentially for humanity as a whole.

 Reuben and his brothers. Detail of a painting by Colijn de Coter circa 1500, from a collection at the National Museum in Warsaw.