Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

V’ani tefilati l’cha Adonai eit ratzon “And I stand before you, O Lord, at this chosen moment.” - Psalms 69:14 Read more...

Jews learn early in life that their Jewish heritage includes a strong focus on helping others.  The Torah has multiple laws that require us to take care of the poor (e.g., Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 15:7-15), and the Rabbis expanded on that to require that every Jewish community establish a soup kitchen to feed the poor and a charity fund to supply them with clothing and shelter (Tosefta, Pe’ah 4;9).  Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Torah, depicts God as caring for the widow, orphan, and stranger (10:18), and it bids us in several places to do so likewise (14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:19-21; Read more...

I love Thanksgiving.  I love it for the turkey and stuffing, for the company of friends and family, and even for the football on the television set. And, I love it for the reminders that come from the very name itself – the invitation to give thanks for what we have, how we live, the food we eat, and the freedom we live.   Read more...

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There are two, fundamental stories that one can tell about the nature of time: In the first, most common in the ancient world, time is envisioned as a vast, unbroken circle. The moon grows and shrinks with each passing month, and then does it again. The seasons progress on in an endless loop. Babies are born, old people pass away, and the babies themselves someday have babies and then grew old. What was once will inevitably be again. There is nothing new under the sun.   Read more...