Parasha

Parshat Re’eh: Being engaged to God

We, the Jewish people, will find the courage to move beyond engagement, to build our home with God in Jerusalem, and to begin a new chapter in our ancient story.

|ByLEO DEE
PREPARING TO break the glass during a wedding ceremony: It represents a leap of faith; only once the glass is shattered can the covenant be sealed, the writer posits.
AT MOUNT SINAI, the Jewish people were metaphorically ‘married’ to God.

Parashat Eikev: Service of the heart

Prayer is one of the foundations of Judaism. A hallmark of the eternal Jew is speaking with his creator...Is it reasonable that such a central mitzvah is not directly addressed in the Torah?

|ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
An ilustrative image of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Parashat Va’ethanan: ‘This good mountain’

What is this “good mountain” Moses refers to, and what is “the Lebanon”?

|ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
An illustrative image of someone writing in a notebook.

Parashat Devarim: 'And from my students more than from all'

This dynamic of student inquiry and the teacher’s patient, honest response is essential for effective and meaningful learning – for both the teacher and the student.

|ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ

Parshat Matot-Masei: Our stops along the way

Prayer can be an oasis along the way. Prayer can also parallel the journeys we take in life.

JULY 25, 2025ByRABBI MICHAEL M. COHEN
Exodus - the splitting of the Red Sea.

Parashat Matot-Masei: The gravitas of gratitude

Moses, the father of the nation, paved a path for generations to come: Nothing justifies an act of ingratitude. Ingratitude is never warranted in any situation.

JULY 25, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
An illustrative image of a note saying 'Today I Am Grateful.'

Parashat Pinchas: Every Jew is torn between hope and history

Moses does not stand alone on Nevo – we stand with him. Together, we gaze toward a future we build but may never fully enter. Together with him, many Jews look toward a land they may never cross.

JULY 18, 2025ByMOSHE TARAGIN
An illustrative image of a man in a robe on a mountaintop with the sun shining.

Parashat Pinchas: Zealotry: The impetus to do the right thing

The story of Pinchas reminds us that even someone who once acted boldly in zeal can also become a leader of peace and understanding.

JULY 18, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
Phinehas slaying Zimri and Kozbi, Jeremias van Winghe (1578–1645).

Parashat Balak: Others’ privacy is sacrosanct

Compassionate eyes and a kind heart – yes. Probing eyes and a gossiping tongue – no.

JULY 11, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
Balaam and the donkey

Parashat Chukat: Simple faith

Faith – even when things don’t make sense. Faith – even when life is hard. Even when we have questions, we will always remain steadfast in our beliefs.

JULY 4, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
The red heifers brought to Israel from Texas.

Parashat Chukat: Red ashes, endless skies

The war with Iran was something else entirely. It was swift. It was decisive. It was beyond imagination. It felt branded by God Himself.

JULY 4, 2025ByMOSHE TARAGIN
REMAINS OF a ballistic missile fired from Iran in the recent war, June 29, 2025.

A Jew is never stuck: Embracing resilience in times of crisis - opinion

Beyond the Headlines: A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news

JUNE 30, 2025BySIVAN RAHAV MEIR
Israelis arrive to the train station from Ben Gurion International Airport as the first flights back to Israel started since its civilian airspace was closed last week, in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 18, 2025.

Parashat Korah: ‘An elevated place in Gehenna’

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.

JUNE 27, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
‘THE PUNISHMENT of the Sons of Korah’ by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1481-1482.

Parashat Shelach: Seeing giants, choosing hope

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.

JUNE 20, 2025ByNECHAMA GOLDMAN BARASH
An illustrative image of a grasshopper.

Parashat Shelach: Believe in yourselves

The Torah recounts the argument that erupted between the 10 pessimistic spies and Joshua and Caleb, the two optimistic ones.

JUNE 20, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
The Grapes of Canaan by James Tissot (circa 1900). Although the 12 spies brought back a cluster of grapes so large that it took two men to carry it, only two of the 12 brought back a good report of the land.