Resources

The dominion over animals given to humans in Genesis 1:27, compared with the rabbis’ notion that humans were created equal to the rest of creation, is an example of God’s and our own ambivalence about being the stewards of every other plant and animal species. Noah’s care of the animals, taken in light of permission to eat them, seems to suggest that he owns them and can do what he wants with them. We, like God and our Sages, seem also to be ambivalent about our role as stewards of the rest of creation.

Commentary on Parshat Bereshit (Genesis 1:1 – 6:8) The story of humanity in the Torah begins with homelessness. The first two humans, Eve/Chava (“Mother of all life”) and Adam (“Earthling”) are unhoused vegetarian nudists living in bliss – and blissful ignorance – in the bubble of perfection of the Garden of Eden. There is no...

The question is not “who will live and who will die?” because we are all mortal creatures: “our origin is dust and dust is our end.” Rather, in this specific year ahead, what kinds of transience will we experience, and how will we weather it?

Sukkot, the fall harvest holiday, blends our gratitude for a bountiful harvest, our awareness of the fragility and vulnerability of all life, and our ancient communal memory of leaving Egypt to travel in the desert under God’s protection. This prayer-poem connects those themes to the astounding human rights accomplishments of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers...

Commentary on Rosh Hashanah Torah and Haftarah readings. Reproductive rights have been hijacked. When someone mentions the phrase “reproductive rights,” the first things that usually come to mind are either birth control or abortion. However, the ability to prevent pregnancy is only part of reproductive rights. What about the right to have a child? This...

Commentary on Parshat Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19) Laws concerning women’s sexual misconduct are grim testimonies to women’s experiences in cultures where the lion’s share of power and privilege goes to men. But before we can know what to do with these laws, we must clarify what they say and to whom they apply....

Commentary on Parshat Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:8) “…My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation” (Deut. 26:5). This verse constitutes the kernel of the Passover Haggadah. When we tell our freedom story, we start...

This two-pager FAQ addresses the Nation-State Law and other legislation passed by the Knesset this summer that weakens Israel’s democratic institutions. It is followed by two pages of quotations from classical and contemporary Zionist thinkers and leaders that remind us of how important democracy is to Zionism. Included in the FAQ are links to more...

Commentary on Parshat Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18 – 21:9) Parshat Shoftim opens with the injunction of setting judges and officers within your gates (Deut. 16:18). The proximity of Parshat Shoftim to the month of Elul has given way to an interesting inner connection, brought by several Hasidic masters (Avodat Israel, Devarim, Shoftim 1 ; Sefat Emet,...

A d’var Torah for Parshat Re’eh No miracles this week. Just another Torah portion in Deuteronomy. The days of the big fancy parshiot are over.  No 90-year-old’s miracle births this week.  No walls of water, no giant holes opening up to swallow the rebels. Just a list of laws, as the Torah heads towards its...