Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

Careers of public figures take on a life of their own, ebbing and flowing with shifts in public opinion and the latest values. One Jewish figure whose popularity is at an all-time high is the prophet Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. While featured prominently in the Torah, Miriam's claim to fame always paled in the face of her more visible brothers. After all, Aaron was the first Kohen Gadol, the link between the Jewish people and their religion, and Moses was the intimate friend of God, transmitting sacred teachings to the people. Read more...

Careers of public figures take on a life of their own, ebbing and flowing with shifts in public opinion and the latest values. One Jewish figure whose popularity is at an all-time high is the prophet Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. While featured prominently in the Torah, Miriam's claim to fame always paled in the face of her more visible brothers. After all, Aaron was the first Kohen Gadol, the link between the Jewish people and their religion, and Moses was the intimate friend of God, transmitting sacred teachings to the people. Read more...

 I have often wondered why Korah is treated so negatively in the Torah.  The characters in this story remind me of old cowboy movies, where everyone’s character was black or white -- and in case you would not recognize who was who, the bad guys had the black hats and the good guys had the white ones.  Aside from the possible racism involved in that, what it portrayed was a world in which everyone was either one thing or another.  That is how the people in the Korah story are portrayed as well: Korah is the essence of evil and Moses the essence of good. Read more...

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Idolatry is the practice of treating something of relative importance as though it were of ultimate significance.  In our idolatrous age, we often act as though money, careers, sex appeal or prestige are of ultimate importance, when in fact, they are only worthwhile to the degree that they can contribute to our becoming better, more compassionate and more responsible people.   Read more...