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Nostalgia, Memory and the Building of Judaism
Jan 26, 2008 By Marc Wolf | Commentary | Yitro
As is often the case with buildings in Lower Manhattan, 211 Pearl Street was caught in the sights of a developer seeking to level the property and replace it with a grand modern building.
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The Power of Collective Prayer
Jan 19, 2008 By Edward Feld | Commentary | Beshallah
There are powerful moments when a community comes together, moments in which each individual feels his or her energy directed to common purpose.
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Lighting the Darkness
Jan 11, 2008 By Lisa Gelber | Commentary | Bo
It’s difficult not to notice darkness at this time of year; so many of us set out for work in the dark and leave our places of business long after the sun has set.
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The Lessons of Va-era
Jan 5, 2008 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Va'era
This week’s parashah abounds in venerable theological problems, beginning with its name and opening verses. How could it be that God “appeared” to the ancestors but that some aspect of God—or some truth articulated in God’s name—was not “made known” to them and will be revealed only now, to Moses? The answer that seems most persuasive to me bears a lesson that, like so many others in the Torah, is not so much theological as ethical; it teaches far less about the nature of God than it does about human responsibility.
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Berachot 9:2
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study
Does prayer come from the heart, or is it a response to the world around us?
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Pesahim 3:4
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study
What precautions are necessary to prevent dough from becoming chametz?
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Negaim 2:5
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study
Should an expert be allowed to treat himself?
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Terumot 6:3
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
Who pays the penalty for eating forbidden foods—the host or the guest?
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Demai 2:2
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
Jewish society in the early rabbinic period was divided between a scholarly elite known as “members” who were scrupulous in the complicated system of tithing food and maintaining its purity, and the common people, referred to derisively as “Am Ha’aretz” and suspected of violating these dietary rules.
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Kilayim 9:8
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
Kilayim refers to forbidden mixtures. The Torah prohibits sowing different crops together; sewing wool and linen together; yoking different types of animals to a plough together; and breeding different species together. The synonym shatnez is obscure, making it ripe for wordplay.
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Shevi’it 10:8
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
When may you accept or decline additional favors?
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Ma’aser Sheini 3:1
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
What religious obligations can be outsourced, and which must be personally performed?
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Hallah 3:5
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
According to Numbers chapter 15, verse 20, a portion of dough must be given as a gift to the priest. This obligation is, however, limited to certain circumstances. Only dough from one of the five grains (wheat, barley, spelt, oats, or rye), in volume exceeding one kav, and that belongs to a Jew is liable for this tax.
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Bikkurim 3:7
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
How do we balance the integrity of a ritual with the need to invite participation by the masses?
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Shabbat 6:4
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
What may one carry on Shabbat? Are weapons like jewelry or like tools?
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Eruvin 4:2
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins
What if you get caught outside the Shabbat boundary on Friday afternoon?
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Ta’anit 2:1
Jan 1, 2008 By Daniel Nevins | Text Study
How does a community demonstrate true remorse?
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