Fear and Loathing in Ancient Egypt
On Sunday I attended Nassau County’s March and Rally against Antisemitism, where somewhere around 2,000 people of all faiths gathered to show support for the Jewish community in the wake of several recent hate...
Tagged: torah
Mikketz: How to Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying?)
Welcome to parashah Mikketz, which is always read on the Shabbat of Hanukkah, and continues the story of Joseph. When we last left our hero, Joseph, he was languishing in prison, having been put...
The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of
The other night I dreamt that I started smoking again and I was furious with myself; quitting smoking isn’t easy, and I was upset that I’d have to start that process all over again....
My Grandmother’s Diamond
This week’s Torah reading–Toledot–contains the famous story of Isaac “unknowingly” bestowing his blessing for Esau on Jacob. The text tells us that “Isaac was old, and his eyes were too weak to see,” so...
It’s A(braham’s) Wonderful Life
וַיֹּ֡אמֶר קַח־נָ֠א אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֙בְתָּ֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְלֶךְ־לְךָ֔ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּ֑ה וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ “And God said please take your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitzchak, and go...
The “Lech Lecha” Moments In Our Lives
Lech Lecha may-artz’kha, mi molad’tkha, u mi bet avikha el ha-aretz asher arecka, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” God’s...
What We Can Learn From Mrs. Noah
This week we read Parashat Noah, the second weekly reading in the Torah, and it opens with God telling Noah to build an ark, gather his family and two of each animal, before the...
How Did Moses Face His Fear of Dying?
On a recent walk, I was listening to the Hidden Brain podcast on NPR, and chose to listen to an interview with Dr. Sheldon Solomon called “We’re All Going To Die!” Feeling strongly as...
Through Moses’ Eyes
In this week’s Torah reading, Vayelech, “he–meaning Moses–went” and spoke to the Israelites. He told them, “I am now one hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer be active (literally, ‘come and...
Being Mindful Of Our Blessings
“You shall not behave the way we do here this day, everyone doing what they please.” Doesn’t this verse from Deuteronomy sound like a biblical version of a parent saying to a child, “you’re...
