Loving the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) has been a struggle for me. The grammar is weird. Some verbs have unwieldy…
Category: Torah
Eicha? How do you approach the Book of Lamentations?
Each year on Tisha B’Av, practicing Jews reflect on Eicha, the book of Lamentations. What is the book of Lamentations? Lamentations is a…
Kabbalah: Hidden in plain sight behind prison walls
I’m so tired of being a teacher. Of philosophy, bible, kabbalah. I’m too intellectual, impractical, elitist. A weak vessel for activism. So,…
The Entire Torah is Just a Manifesto for Women's Rights. Torah Portion Mattot-Masei tells us so!
Oh boy! Oh girl! Look at the opening sentences of Parshat Mattot-Masei (Numbers 30:2-36:13). Women can vow to work at…
Patriarchy in the Torah? It's Complicated! Just look at Torah portion Pinchas!
Torah showcases the patriarchy. Of course! It reflects the patriarchal society in which it was written. Reflects. You gotta love that mirror…
Magical Realism in the Bible: How can you take it literally?
The biblical book of Numbers is filled with magical realism. Quail appear when the people want meat. Snakes slither into…
A Warning or an Embrace? (Weekly Torah Portion Korach)
What do you see in this painting? A warning or an embrace? View it in the light of Korach’s story.…
Scouts! Ants! Shlach!
Parshat Shlach. Scouts on my mind. Still, I didn’t think much about our first scout. Probably crossed the threshold through our…
Zechariah's Puzzle
The prophet Zechariah takes a dream-time tour. His angel guides him to a golden menorah with seven lamps and a…