Parshat Terumah (February 21)
This week’s Torah reading (Exodus 25 – 27:19) begins with Moses’ request that the Israelites contribute whatever they have on hand—any gold or silver or copper, twines of various colors, and other materials—to be used in the building of the …
Parshat Mishpatim (February 14, 2015):
What does the Torah Say About Abortion?
This week’s Torah portion consists of numerous laws given to Moses on Mount Sinai. One of the cases it describes reads as follows: When men are fighting and they [accidentally] strike a pregnant woman so that her baby comes out—if …
Parshat Yitro (February 7): “The Ten Commandments”
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 rectangular tablet certainly would have been sufficient—in fact, archaeologists have uncovered lots …
Parshat Beshallah (January 31)
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, he came to his …
:מקץ (Genesis 41-44:17)
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 famine, so Jacob sent a …
וישב (Genesis 37-40)
A strange story circulated about one part of this week’s parashah, the story of Joseph’s encounter with Potiphar’s wife. According to the Torah, the wife of Potiphar (she is otherwise nameless), is obsessed with Joseph, the handsome young slave whom …