Offering as a form of worship. Take a look at Leviticus. God offers some weird instructions for worship! Like a precise…
Category: Torah
Violence in Esther: Realistic or Extravagant?
Violence in Esther. It’s easy to miss. The Book of Esther is such a feel-good story! Such a great political thriller! …
Locusts and Grasshoppers: Biblical Power Animals
Locusts. Grasshoppers. Bees. Wasps. Biblical insects, all. Why pay attention to locusts and grasshoppers? Animal characters in Hebrew Bible are…
Jewish Time: Cyclical, Linear, or Open-Ended?
What is Jewish time? No, I’m not looking for the practical answer. You know — the funny cultural norm. Where…
Hope: Torah Insists on Faith in the Future
Hope. Torah insists on it. How? By relating everything to the Exodus. Even the apocalypse! What is the Apocalypse? Apocalypse…
Individuation in Genesis: From Abraham to Joseph
Psychological individuation. What is it? Why might it be a main theme of the Book of Genesis? How do key characters…
Hanukkiah: "I'm Here To Tell You Resistance Never Ends"
Hanukkiah. The eight-branched menorah we light at Hanukkah. What Does the Hanukkiah Mean? The prophet Zechariah never heard of a…
From Eve to Tamar: Does Torah Say Mothering is Easy?
Tamar, daughter-in-law of Judah. Tamar stars in a short, woman-centred story (Gen. 38:1-30). This story — says Biblical scholar Robert Alter —…
Assault on Dina: A Frighteningly Modern Biblical Fable
Dina, quiet star of a disturbing Biblical story. A teaching story, with lessons for our time, too. Dina: An Ancient…