Who Feels the Pain? (Parshat VaEra)

Commentary on Parshat Vaera (Exodus 6:2 – 9:35) Who deserves human rights? Even the Torah has its blind spots. The Torah portion VaEra describes an escalating cycle. As YHWH predicts, Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh and he refuses to free the Israelites. A plague strikes, and Pharaoh relents. The plague is removed by divine intervention,...
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The Triple Lives of Refugees (Parshat Shemot)

Commentary on Parshat Shemot (Exodus 1:1 – 6:1) The opening lines of the book of Exodus serve as a bridge between a family history and the birth of a nation. Somehow, in an infinitesimal span, the progeny of one man becomes an entire people: the Israelites. And a very prolific one at that. The new...
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The Finest That We Have To Offer (Parshat Tetzaveh)

Commentary on Parshat Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20 – 30:10) In religious and spiritual communities, I am often asked to “shed layers” — that is, to dig deep into my soul, discerning what truly matters and letting go of the rest. There is a sense that spiritual connection has to do with getting rid of the extra...
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Sacred Noncompliance (Parshat Ki Tisa)

Commentary on Parshat Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11 – 34:35) The Golden Calf is one of the most spiritually disturbing incidents in the narrative of the Israelites’ journey through the desert. While Moses is away on the mountain with God, the Israelite camp dissolves into a chaos of mistrust and idol worship under the care of...
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Memory — Defining Our Communities (Shabbat Zachor)

Commentary on the Torah reading for Shabbat Zachor (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) “We’re all in this thing together  Walkin’ the line between faith and fear  This life don’t last forever  When you cry I taste the salt in your tears”   —Old Crow Medicine Show Memory is at the very core of our identities. Jewish memory is both...
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