Shabbat Devarim: Optimism despite it all

The Book of Devarim, the last book of the Torah, is dominated by the personality of Moses even more than the previous three books. Read more

Universalism

The three weeks from the Seventeenth of Tammuz until the Ninth of Av, have for thousands of years been a period of mourning for the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, twice. First by Babylonia in 586 BCE and then by Rome in 70 CE. This period will culminate after the Ninth of Av which this year will be the 7th of August ( actually starting the night before). Read more

Trades Unions

In my rebellious youth, I always supported Trades Unions. The record of how the world, in general, has treated workers is not a good one. Read more

Shabbat Pinchas: Women’s Rights

Halfway through this week’s reading comes the episode of the daughters of Zelofchad.  Read more

Zealotry

Nowadays, aggression seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Especially when it comes to political issues and identities. Read more

Shabbat Balak: Prophecy

Three people are called prophets in the Torah Abraham, Miriam, and Moses. Read more

Kopul Rosen and The Eichmann trial

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the Netflix film “The Trial of Adolph Eichmann” and a brief clip of my late father Kopul Rosen speaking in a BBC panel that appeared in it. Read more

Shabbat Korach: What were they thinking?

When I try to put myself into the minds of the Children of Israel in the Wilderness, I simply cannot understand their mentality (but then sometimes I don’t even understand myself). Why are they constantly complaining about everything? Read more

Older or wiser?

There is an expression “There is no fool like an old fool.” I have often wondered whether this is a comment on stupidity or old age. And please don’t tell me it’s not woke to talk about old anything. Read more

Shabbat Korach: Falling on Your Face

Last weekend I tripped and fell flat on my face in the street. Just miraculous (or fortunate) that I fell on the tarmac instead of the paving stones. Read more

Who was Sanballat?

Does this name mean anything to you? He is mentioned in the Bible as someone who tried desperately to prevent the Judeans from rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. Read more

Shabbat Shelach Lecha: Grasshoppers

Moses was instructed by God to send men to go on a tour of the Land of Canaan. Read more

Robespierre and Saadyah

Robespierre  (1758 –1794) was one of the most controversial figures of the French Revolution. Read more

Shabbat Beha’aloteha: Women and Race

Miriam and Aaron complained to Moshe about his wife, calling her Isha Cushit, a woman of Cush ( Numbers Chapter 12 ). Read more

Remember

Yizkor.  “Remember…Don’t forget” (Deuteronomy 25:17&19). Read more

Shabbat Naso: Alienation and Reconciliation

This week’s reading consists of seemingly disparate themes but really, they all connect in a parable of alienation and reconciliation. Read more

Shavuot

You might think there is little left original to write about the Festival of Shavuot that we are about to celebrate. Read more

Shabbat BaMidbar: Words and Silence

We start a new book of the Torah this week, Bamidbar. Which in non-Jewish terminology is the Book of Numbers probably because it starts with a census. But in Hebrew, it is In the Desert! Read more

Yom Yerushalayim

Sunday May 29^th is Yom Yerushalayim.  Some people may say it was a miracle, to regain the Old City of Jerusalem after two thousand years. I think it was proof that only by being proactive and determined can one survive and thrive in a hostile world. Read more

Shabbat Behukotai: Carrot or Stick

I have always resisted threats and felt it counterproductive to employ them to enforce or encourage people to become religious even if these are tools that all religions have used at one stage or another to preserve their power and authority. Read more

Abortion

In 1973  the USA Supreme Court decided in Roe v Wade to strike down Texas laws that criminalized abortion. Read more

Shabbat Behar: Valuing the Land

Read more

Shabbat Emor: Alienation

Read more

Ethical warfare

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine raises important moral issues about warfare. Some people believe that all violence is wrong under all circumstances. Read more

Shabbat Kedoshim: About sex

The part of the Torah we read this week, Kedoshim,  contains more moral and ethical laws than any other part of the Torah, that you will be familiar with. Read more

Solzhenitsyn Was Right

Aleksander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), was one of the most impressive Russians of the past century. Read more

Shabbat Acharei Mot: Arrogance

Previously in Leviticus Chapter 9, the two sons of Aaron, Nadav, and Avihu had watched and participated in the dedication of the priests and the tabernacle. Read more

Real freedom

America is obsessed with slavery and its ramifications and rightly so. But it is less concerned with the idea of freedom and what that means. Read more

Don’t let the Seder be a bore

The text of the Hagadah that we use today, goes back a thousand years although its origins are Mishnaic, two thousand years ago. Read more

Failed priests and prophets

There seems to me to be a permanent state of conflict in all religions between religious authority and individual spirituality or mysticism. Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »