Contradiction In Ki Tisa: Stiff-Necked Appeasers
Three Refuge Cities – Deuteronomy 4:41-49 – Part I
Torah Judaism is not far from Judaism’s tribal roots and Deuteronomy 4:41-49 shows this up quite clearly. This verse talks about three refuge towns on the east side of the Jordan River, Bezer (for the Reuven tribe), Ramot (for Gad) and Golan (for Menashe), to which someone who accidentally takes the life of another can […]
Enemies of the Jews – Parashat Va’ethannan: Deuteronomy 7:1-11
This passage, the last part of Parashat Va’ethannan, bothered me and I struggled with the implications of taking the words literally. These lines relate to how following the commandments (mitzvot in Hebrew) will ensure that God will honour His covenant with the Jewish people by vanquishing our enemies, thereby providing us with safety in the […]
Descendants of Esau and Jacob: Naming Names and Telling Tales (Genesis 36:1-43)
In psychotherapy, it is generally proposed that the beginning of coping consists of naming the problem or issue with which one is having difficulties. But giving a name is insufficient. Stories must be told in order to give substance to memories and emotions and allow them to be synthesized and then set aside, not as […]
Esau versus Jacob: Naming Names and Telling Tales (Genesis 36:1-43)
Why are the generations of descendants of Esau merely listed in these 43 verses with no stories told about any of them? In contrast, in the next parasha, we are introduced to an in-depth tale about Jacob’s sons, most predominantly his youngest son, Joseph. Of course, this is the story that leads to the tale […]
“Chosen” People? Tolerated, Perhaps. (Ha’azinu: Deuteronomy 32: 19-28)
Ha’azinu has put the term, “Chosen People” into a new perspective for me. And I can’t say that I like it. In my previous post, I wrote about the power of choice and the personal responsibility we should accept for our choices. I based this on my understanding of God ‘s relenting on His decision […]
Power of choice (Ha’azinu: Deuteronomy 32: 19-28)
After having escaped from Egypt, we Jews faced a number of critical points at which our collective decisionmaking skills were challenged. Perhaps the most dramatic example was at Mount Sinai when the persistence of our slave mentality affected our ability to weigh alternatives and make a choice based upon the basic tenets of Judaism. When […]
Joseph’s Brothers Prostrated Themselves – Are We? (Bereshit 42:1-7)
I grew up believing that Jews bow down only to the One God, our Creator, and never to another human being. The Purim story tells us that Mordechai refused to bow to Haman, an act that began the chain of events that led to Haman’s own humiliation and death. Yet, upon reaching Egypt, Joseph’s brothers […]
What Has Deuteronomy Got to Do with Bullies on Facebook? (Deuteronomy 19:15-21)
The Torah verse in Deuteronomy, discussing false witness, may be particularly relevant to us now in the modern virtual era when bullies can tell lies that spread farther and faster than the most virile disease or brush fire. The verse begins by indicating the number of eyewitnesses required to validate that a crime was committed […]
Is Our Only Hope Via a Strong Arm Policy? (Exodus 13:17-14:31)
The Pharoah finally let the Israelites leave, and there was a short way to Israel and a long way. The short way was through the land of the Philistines (Pelesht), an area currently known as Gaza. The long way was through Sinai and into Israel via the Jordan River. This verse states that God did […]