My brother Freddy holding infant me. He died 7 weeks later. There are two verses in Torah, in Parshat Vayigash…
Category: Torah
Maoz Tzur: Hidden Story of the Hymn
Maoz Tzur. Your favourite Hanukah song—or not. But likely the one you know best. But do you know the full…
Hanukah: Not by Might but by Spirit
This Hanukah, I’ll be sharing one favourite teaching per day. Here’s Day 1: Hanukkiah. The eight-branched menorah we light at…
Canada's Jews: Diverse Views on Israel
Canada’s Jews: what are our attitudes towards Israel? A new study was released in December 2024. A new study of…
Economics of Creation: Torah's First Vision
Economics in Genesis / Bereisheet. You may know that Genesis tells two distinct creation stories. But did you know that…
Monstrous Other: A Case Study
Animals in Deuteronomy. How does Moses, the narrator, see them? As Other than human, mostly. And mostly not in a…
Magic Snakes (Chukat)
Magic. Sometimes the Torah condemns it. But sometimes the Torah condones it. Like in Parshat Chukat, for example. Magic in…
King: You Don't Want One
YOU DON’T WANT A KING At least, the Hebrew Bible doesn’t want you to want a king. Not a human…
Chochmah: Wisdom or Skill?
Chochmah. Wisdom. A wonderful Hebrew word sprinkled all around the Bible. But what does it mean? Who has it? How…