Weekly Torah Reading, Yitro, January 30, 2016
Honoring Your Semi-Divine Parents Ancient readers asked a question about the Ten Commandments, one that occurs to few people nowadays: Why did they need to be written on two stone tablets? One ordinary-sized tablet would have been sufficient—in fact, …
Weekly Torah Reading, Beshallaḥ (January 23)
“Stop that Singing!” When the Israelites left Egypt, they initially did so “with hand held high” (Exod 14:8), that is, proudly, defiantly. But then Pharaoh changed his mind. After having told the Israelites that they were free to go, …
Weekly Torah Reading, Bo’, January 16, 2016
Pharaoh’s Heavy Heart Among the not-so-brilliant sermons I’ve heard over the years was one about this week’s Torah reading, Bo’. “The Almighty,” the rabbi began, “says to Moses, bo’ el par‘oh, ‘Come to Pharaoh.’ He doesn’t say ‘Go to Pharaoh’— …
Weekly Torah Reading, Va’era, January 9, 2016
“Can I Get that in Writing?” The first two verses of this week’s reading have long posed a problem for interpreters. God says to Moses, “I am the Lord [here the text uses God’s special name, written with the …
Weekly Torah Reading Shemot January 2, 2016
A Firstborn Son God first appeared to Moses at the burning bush on Mount Horeb, in Midian, where Moses had been shepherding his father-in-law’s flocks. God instructed Moses to go back to Egypt and demand that Pharaoh free the enslaved …
Weekly Torah Reading, Vayḥi, December 26, 2015
Jacob Blesses/Curses His Sons Toward the end of his life, Jacob assembled his sons and gave each his paternal blessing. But the first three of his sons seem to have gotten more of a curse than a blessing: Jacob …
Weekly Torah Reading Vayyiggash January 19, 2015
The Wagons Tell All When Jacob’s sons returned to Canaan to tell their father the good news—that his long-lost son Joseph was still alive—at first he didn’t believe them. Why should he? If what they were saying now was …
Weekly Torah Reading, Mi-ketz, December 12, 2015
The Fear of God Joseph’s abilities as a dream interpreter eventually landed him a job as a high Egyptian official in charge of grain supplies. Meanwhile his family in Canaan had begun to feel the effects of the predicted …