A New King
In Shemot, Exodus 1:8 says that “a new king rose over Egypt” – vayakam melekh chadash al mitzraim. As generations pass, new leaders rise all the time. New leadership often brings changes, and most of us are resilient enough to
>Audio
100 posts
Let your eyes rest as you learn by listening. Exercise, walk your dog, or just kick back in a comfy chair and listen. This publication features hundreds of audio selections.
Rest is Trust
Taking a break from cultivating the land for the whole year sounds good in theory, but it can impact people economically in a major way. Most of us are not farmers today, but it is not hard to imagine the
Embrace Your Kin
In the Torah (Genesis 28), we encounter a story of Jacob meeting his relatives in Haran. Jacob waters Rachel’s flock. He kisses her and breaks down crying. He tells her that he is Rebekah’s son. Rebekah was her
When Experts Disappoint
In our weekly reading, Pharaoh was not counting sheep. Instead, he saw disturbing dreams about sets of cows and stocks of grain. The dreams troubled him. He knew they were important but could not make sense of the message they
On The Other Side
Every time I go on vacation I need to go somewhere. I can't stay at home. If I stay at home, I will end up doing things around the house. It will not be a vacation. I can&
Milk and Honey
Sticky situations. Standing in front of pivotal decisions is something we all do. Many stories in the Torah inspire us about these very scenarios. This is one of those stories. Some of us face hard decisions quite often, and some
Promises We Cannot Keep
Why does Torah give fathers and husbands such power over promises their daughters and wives make? It’s unfair. Are women not capable of making good decisions or valid promises? Are they prone to overpromise? Of course, the answer to
A Wave Offering
Offerings serve a purpose, often a symbolic visual purpose, to express something that words alone cannot. Words are effective most of the time, but sometimes only the actions are adequate. The Torah describes how Levites were shaved, purified by water
God Who Says "No"
How many of us have a hard time saying "No"? How many of us say "No," only to hear back – "Why?" In our modern culture, saying "No" is completely out of style.
Loving Your Master
The passage called Mishpatim in Torah begins with laws about slaves and slavery. It’s not an easy topic to discuss in America. Colonial slavery most people are familiar with in America, was truly brutal, unjust, and inhumane. The mistreatment
Chasing God's Anger
In Numbers 17:7, Torah says that a cloud of God’s glory appeared all around them. God spoke to them, hiramu mitoch haedah “Get away from the midst of the assembly.” And God continued, va’akhaleh otam ke’raga
Unavoidable Humility
Sometimes people genuinely lack humility, and they are totally unaware of it. People can be very proud and self-important, conceited, pumped up about themselves, and have an inflated view of themselves. Sometimes people are arrogant and stubborn, overconfident, snobbish,