Parashat Ha Shavua Commentaries

One of the ironies of modern Judaism is that so many of us consider the sermon to be the high point of the Shabbat service.  In fact, a sermon in the vernacular is a relatively recent addition to the service, and our tradition, as a whole, generally minimizes the significance of preaching.  Read more...

Ours is an age of unparalleled uncertainty.  While we ransack the past and its accumulated wisdom for  guidance today, we also know that the degree of change in every aspect of our lives is without precedent.  Groping in the dark, treading uncertainly down a path not previously taken, modern humanity doesn't know its destination and isn't even sure it is enjoying the trip.  And we have good cause for our doubts.  Read more...

Isaac is one of the least appreciated of the biblical Patriarchs. While his father, Abraham, was a public leader, the founder of ethical monotheism, and his son, Jacob, established the Jewish People and wrestled with God, Isaac is remembered mostly for being the sacrifice during the Akedah, the binding on Mount Moriah.   In today's Torah portion, we meet that same Isaac -- unimpressive, simply going along and repeating what his more prominent father had innovated in the past.   Read more...

Have you ever noticed that the most contented people seem better able to deal with deprivation than their less happy peers, that those people with the most secure sense of being lovable are best able to hear criticism as an opportunity for their own transformation and growth?   Read more...

At a ripe old age, Abram receives a message from God, telling him that he will yet produce an heir, and that the child will inherit not only Abram's property, but also his father's covenant with God. Read more...