A Parent’s Prayer

Oct 23, 2026 By Yael Landman | Commentary | Lekh Lekha

When we think about Abraham and prayer, we might immediately recall the patriarch’s bold petition to God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. We might even think of God telling King Abimelech that Abraham is a navi, a prophet, and thus has the special capacity to pray on the king’s behalf. Yet Abraham emerges as a person of prayer even earlier in his story. Following years of his wife Sarah’s infertility, and the birth of Ishmael to Abraham and Sarah’s slave Hagar, Parashat Lekh Lekha narrates the Divine promise to Abraham that Sarah will finally give birth. But instead of expressing joyous gratitude to God, Abraham responds: לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ —“If only Ishmael could live before you!” (Gen. 17:18).

We Plant Again After the Flood

Oct 16, 2026 By Randy Michaels | Commentary | Noah

This October marks what would have been my thirtieth wedding anniversary. My beloved wife, Marlene (z’l), passed away in 2023, and in the years since, I have found myself focused on a strange detail that is in this week’s parashah (Noah)— one I never noticed until I needed it. When the floodwaters finally recede, and Noah steps out onto dry land, the Torah tells us almost nothing about what he felt. There is no accounting of everyone or everything now gone—no crying or description of grief at all. We are simply told of what he did next: he built an altar, and later, he planted a vineyard (Gen. 8:20, 9:20). Before feeling came building. Before understanding came planting.

How Should We Translate Genesis 1:1?

Oct 9, 2026 By David Zev Moster | Commentary | Bereishit

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ The opening words of the Torah are surprisingly difficult to translate. The grammatical issues are technical, the stakes are high, and there is pressure on the interpreter to get it right. Here we will explore the pros and cons of the two most popular approaches. Warning: we are […]

Dancing with Torah

Oct 2, 2026 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Sukkot

The interplay between the written and the oral Torah has sustained the Jewish people over time. Although they debated the proportions and priorities of what to study, the Talmud’s rabbis recognized the importance of both the Written and the Oral Torahs [Kiddushin 30a; Baba Metzia 33a]. They understood the sacred dance between the seen and the heard, the read and the taught, the fixed and the fluid.

We Are All Sukkah-Dwellers

Sep 25, 2026 By Eliezer B. Diamond z”l | Commentary | Sukkot

The relationship between flesh and bone can serve as a useful paradigm for thinking about the symbolism of the sukkah; moreover, it can shape our experience of dwelling in it. All year long we dwell in houses. We experience them as durable shelters, places to retreat from the rest of the world and focus on our own lives, untethered to needs and demands of others—especially if we can avoid checking our smartphones.

From Whence to Where

Sep 18, 2026 By Ismar Schorsch | Commentary | Shabbat Shuvah | Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur turns on a stunning paradox. A prodigious effort at repentance yields but the modest request of one more year to address our failings. Living life from the end is intended to heighten our appreciation of every passing day. The attainment of eternity is not susceptible to a single leap, but only to daily, arduous labor.

A Civic Liturgy for 9/11: Reflections for the Days of Awe

Sep 11, 2026 By Rabbi Ayelet Cohen | Commentary | Rosh Hashanah

This year, when the first night of Rosh Hashanah falls on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we reflect on the lessons from that day, on its inexorable connection to the season of the Days of Awe, and on the days and years since. The images from that day are imprinted on those of us who can remember where we were that morning. Yet 30 percent of Americans living today were born after 9/11. They never had to readjust to the new skyline. They never lived in a world where such horrific acts of terrorism were unimaginable. We have experienced too much horror, too much revenge, too much loss. We also carry the legacy of those who reached toward each other to offer healing and comfort.

God’s Love is Here to Stay

Aug 21, 2026 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Ki Tetzei

I’m going to make a bold conjecture: that Ki Tetzei was the Bar Mitzvah portion of George Gershwin, and that his older brother Ira was inspired by the haftarah that young Yankele chanted. The section was from Isaiah 54 and it constituted the seventh of the Haftarahs of Consolation (Shiva Denehemta) following Tishah Be’av.

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