Lessons of Idolatry
Aug 22, 2014 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Re'eh
Parashat Re’eh looks forward to the entry of the Israelites into the Land.
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Seeing Inequity
Aug 14, 2015 By Stephanie Ruskay | Commentary | Re'eh
So many people of color and their houses of worship have been destroyed this year because we haven’t rooted out systemic racism and oppression; because, like the weather, we talk about it, but most of us don’t do enough.
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Balancing Peshat and Sensitivity
Jul 31, 2013 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Re'eh
Parashat Re’eh contains a categorical pronouncement against idolatry in the Land of Israel.
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Do We Really Do Tzedakah?
Aug 27, 2011 By Marc Wolf | Commentary | Re'eh
By delving into the biblical and rabbinic texts concerning tzedakah, we can begin to discover that what we consider to be tzedakah may not fit the parameters of what our sacred texts are actually demanding of us.
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How to Practice Faith
Aug 22, 2014 By Daniel Nevins | Commentary | Re'eh
Watch a world-class athlete do something extraordinary, like somersault and twist through the air from a high diving platform or serve a tennis ball so fast down the line that it seems fired by a cannon.
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The Journey Home
Aug 18, 2012 By Abigail Treu | Commentary | Re'eh
Why should I choose a Jewish life? And more than just a “Jewish” life—which might consist of nothing more than bagels, gefilte fish, and a penchant for Seinfeld reruns: Why should I choose a life of mitzvah, of Jewish commitment and action, when there are so many other compelling religions and spiritual paths?
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Bacon in the Season of Repentance
Jul 31, 2013 By Charlie Schwartz | Commentary | Re'eh
As it becomes clear that living and dealing with “bacon mania” is part of early 21st-century life in the United States, now is a good time to reflect on the Jewish prohibition of eating pork, which appears in this week’s parashah.
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Serving God
Aug 14, 2015 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Re'eh
Demonstrating uncompromising devotion to God is the theme of this week’s parashah. Such devotion is expressed through belief, but more importantly, through avodah, meaningful service to God. For the biblical Israelite, service to God meant loyalty to God’s commandments and participation in the sacrificial cult. In Deuteronomy, avodah referred specifically to offering sacrifices to God at a central place of worship: “look only to the site that the Lord your God will choose amidst all your tribes as His habitation, to establish His name there. There you are to go, and there you are to bring your burnt offerings and other sacrifices. . .” (Deut. 12:5-6).
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