Jewish Thought

Jewish Thought

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  1. The Strength of the Jewish People

    Commentary by Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz on June 19, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    The opening of this week’s parashah centers around the desire of Balak, the king of Moav, to curse the Israelites as they make their way toward the Land of Israel. Unsatisfied with the magical powers resident among his own people, Balak turns to ...

    chschwartz - June 19, 2013

  2. A People Dwelling Apart

    Commentary by Dr. Arnold M. Eisen on June 19, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    I saw a trailer for a movie the other day that starts off as goofy comedy and concludes with apocalyptic violence. So perhaps it is not entirely strange that our parashah begins with two scenes that evoke easy laughter and ends with a terrible blo ...

    chschwartz - June 19, 2013

  3. No Single Solution

    Commentary by Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz on June 12, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    At its essence, Parashat Hukkat brims with questions and mystery. From its opening with the curious purification ritual of the “red heifer” to the water crisis at Kadesh to the bizarre copper serpent of Moses, we seem to be wrestling with far more ...

    chschwartz - June 12, 2013

  4. Miriam's Legacy of Leadership

    Commentary by Dr. Shira Epstein on June 12, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    If you were asked to rapidly rattle off the top three iconic biblical leaders, which would you name? There is a high probability that Moses would appear on the list or, possibly, Aaron or Abraham. Even if valued, Miriam most likely would not make ...

    chschwartz - June 12, 2013

  5. Thoughtfulness and Lovingkindness in the Face of Violence

    Commentary by Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz on June 5, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Korah, is notorious for the infamous uprising against Moses. Korah and his wayward cabal approach Moses and brazenly declare, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is ...

    chschwartz - June 5, 2013

  6. Subversive Prayer . . . Necessary Trouble

    Commentary by Rabbi Samuel Barth on June 5, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    “Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism, falsehood. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement, seeking to overthrow the forces tha ...

    chschwartz - June 5, 2013

  7. Where Does Holiness Come From?

    Commentary by Dr. Benjamin Sommer on June 5, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    Parashat Korah can be challenging for a modern Jew. There is a good guy in this parashah—it’s Moses—and there is a bad guy—Korah. Modern readers, however, often find themselves sympathizing with the bad guy. In the opening verses of the parashah ( ...

    chschwartz - June 6, 2013

  8. Who Is Getting Stoned?

    Commentary by Rabbi Robert Harris on May 29, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    In 1965, Bob Dylan wrote these famous lines: ...

    chschwartz - May 29, 2013

  9. New Generation, Old Leaders

    Commentary by Rabbi Ute Steyer on May 24, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    To paraphrase Moses’s meltdown in Numbers 11:11–15, “Lord! I’m so done with them! I can’t take it anymore. These people are nothing but a bunch of whinging losers.” Yet the People are doing what they have been doing since day one of the Exodus: ...

    chschwartz - May 22, 2013

  10. The Importance of Being Humble

    Commentary by Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz on May 24, 2013 in Jewish Thought

    An unfortunate incident mars the otherwise solid familial bond between Moses and his siblings in Parashat Beha-alotekha. While in Hazerot, Aaron and Miriam engage in disparaging talk about their brother’s marriage to a Cushite woman. Jealousy sp ...

    chschwartz - May 22, 2013

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