Parashat Shemot: Learning God
The divine cannot be reduced to scientific explanation or empirical inquiry. God exists beyond the categories through which human beings normally understand reality.
The divine cannot be reduced to scientific explanation or empirical inquiry. God exists beyond the categories through which human beings normally understand reality.
The war with Iran was something else entirely. It was swift. It was decisive. It was beyond imagination. It felt branded by God Himself.
What is repentance? It is a small, good thought filled with love – the kind of thought that saved the sons of Korah from a tragic fate; a moment of introspection that can save any Jew from harm.
The 10 spies teach us what happens when fear rules the heart. The ma’apilim teach us of the danger of forcing reality to revive an old fantasy.
The Torah recounts the argument that erupted between the 10 pessimistic spies and Joshua and Caleb, the two optimistic ones.
We are all entitled to even the strongest of our beliefs and opinions. And yet, we should never be so sure of what we think that we are not open to a different voice, a different opinion.
Speak up! Share your opinion! Try to bring about change – but not through gossip and not with hurtful words.
When you live a life filled with meaning, spiritual fulfillment ... you receive a remarkable gift: a profound inner peace and emotional serenity that no material wealth can offer.
Sara Milgrim: A life of quiet strength, compassion, and fierce faith. May her legacy inspire us to carry her light through the wilderness.
The many hardships endured by the Israelites during their desert journey could have been greatly reduced had the nation learned to appreciate what they had.
The only halachic ruling that was ever given is that “your life comes first” – and nothing beyond that.