Hope. Torah insists on it. How? By relating everything to the Exodus. Even the apocalypse! What is the Apocalypse? Apocalypse…
Psalm 148: Nature's Rap
Psalm 148: what a beautiful vision of creation! Spiritual beings sing God’s praise. Sun, moon, and clouds sing. So do…
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…
Yah Ribon: The Mystical Prayer that Isn't
Yah Ribon Alam: Ineffable Breath of Life, Master of Time and Space. So begins a most famous Aramaic piyyut (liturgical poem).…
Symbol of God or ordinary kitten? On spiritual dreams
Symbols symbolize — says Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman. Objects, ideas, and rituals are meaningful. No one can say exactly what they…
Psalm 16: When existential questions disturb your sleep
Psalm 16. A psalm about questions and answers. Nightmares disturbed my sleep yesterday. I peeked into a closet and said: I want to…