My research is focused on the interpretations of biblical texts in the contexts of ancient culture, languages, and history.
What happens at a synagogue service? What are the rules for keeping kosher? How do I light the Hanukkah candles? What is in the Hebrew Bible? What do the Jewish holidays signify? I frequently get questions about Jewish culture and life, both ancient and modern, practical and theoretical. A general...
Have you ever encountered a superhero story where a villain puts the hero in a very tough situation, an impossible choice even? The hero has to choose to do what is right at a great personal cost to save people in mortal danger. Creating scenarios like that is the trademark...
Holy Spirit is a special term that arose and became common at a certain time in history. It is often associated with the New Testament and Christianity, and not with Judaism. But we know that God’s Spirit is simply inseparable from God, and it should not surprise us that...
Psalm 104 helps us see ourselves as a part of God's marvelous creation, the awe-inspiring environment that we sometimes can take for granted. So, our nephesh, our soul, can connect with our Maker even through all he has fashioned. We are a piece of a much greater tapestry,...
I periodically meet people who are hesitant to read books designated as Pseudepigrapha or Apocrypha. I was even flat-out told "they are forbidden." Admittedly, these are both scary-sounding technical and academic terms, but with really simple meanings. If I am describing you, and Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha make you...
Whether you get lost in the pages of Tolstoy or Torah, some things in life are certain and clear. Some paths are righteous, and others are not. One can get very turned around in the complexity of life's choices. Yet, if you tune in your years to God’...
This part of the teaching on the prophets focuses on Trei Asar, "The Scroll of the Twelve." The videos in Part 1 are over 2 hours long and are broken up into multiple segments covering Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah. This seminar looks at the messages...
In 2013 a volunteer looking through the dirt that had been excavated from Robinson’s Arch (near the Western Wall) found a 1-cm seal impression. After closer examination, some archaeologists came to believe that this was a First Temple era seal. The impression, or in Latin bulla, would have sealed...