Late in 1971, the band Led Zeppelin released one of the most successful rock songs of all time: Stairway to Heaven. Written by Robert Plant, many have contended that the song had some nefarious, sinister implications. A more sober and circumspect analysis concluded...
The statistics are grim. In Canada, B’nai Brith reported the number of anti-Semitic incidents recorded in 2021 was 2,799, marking the fourth successive year in which the 2,000 mark was exceeded. “If you are Jewish, you are more likely to be a victim of a hate crime by...
Pinhas makes us feel uncomfortable. After all, he took the law into his own hands and dispatched the two parties who were engaged in public licentiousness. No matter the sin, our contemporary sensibilities suggest to us that extra-legal actions are never acceptable....
The midrash (Pesiqta d’Rav Kahana, ed. Mandelbaum, Vol. II, p. 406) identifies seven specific commandments related to the celebration of Sukkot: the taking of the lulav, etrog, myrtles, and willows, the building of the sukkah, and the joyful celebration of the...
For seven years, the Olson family of Turtle Lake, North Dakota (population 581) received postcards from ‘Jim.’ About three times a year ‘Jim’ sent brief messages describing his adventures. One card showed a picture of the Eiffel Tower with the words: “Was in Paris and...
Often the difference between great writing and good writing is word choice. Using just the right word can make the ordinary extraordinary. Harold Evans, in his latest book, Do I Make Myself Clear,? describes how Franklin Delano Roosevelt agonized over each and every...
The Torah reports how upset Esav was about the blessing he received. Yet it is hard to fathom why. After all, Isaac tells him that he will be rich beyond his imagination (Gen 27:39) and he will be doing the work he loves and at which he excels (v.40). All of this does...
Israeli scholar Meir Weiss propounded a technique of reading Biblical texts he called “total interpretation.” An example of what that encompasses might be ascribed to the work of a medieval scholar in at least one particular case. The poetry of the Song of Moses is...
In his classic two-volume study of ancient Israel, Roland de Vaux, noted archaeologist and Biblical scholar, proposes a theory of sacrifice in his analysis of Israel’s religious institutions. His theory consists of three main ideas. These ideas have impacted...
From time to time I am asked by couples to officiate at a wedding scheduled during the intermediate days of Passover. I explain that the Jewish tradition, as a rule, insists that joyous occasions not overlap. Since Passover itself is a joyous occasion,...