The Psychology of Our Prayers
Sep 19, 2009 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Rosh Hashanah
Even when we are well-settled into friendships, marriages, or parenting, the quality of our connection with the people we care about most in the world has a lot to do with our happiness, our fulfillment in life, and our sense of belonging in the world.
Read More
The Challenge of Living Torah
Dec 11, 2009 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Vayeshev
I don’t think Jews are playing out a tale for which God wrote the plotline many centuries ago. Sometimes, however, the correspondence between archetypal biblical narrative and contemporary Jewish situation is remarkable. Consider today’s parashah as a case in point.
Read More
A Pesah Message for My Students
Mar 27, 2010 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Shabbat Hagadol | Tzav | Pesah
This week’s Torah portion reports instructions given by God to Moses concerning Aaron and his priestly descendants. The rest of us, as it were, are invited to eavesdrop.
Read More
Healing of Body and Mind
Apr 16, 2010 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Metzora | Tazria
The Baal Shem Tov, seeking the sort of symbolic meaning in this week’s section of Leviticus that we too search out, found the laws of scaling and scalding, bodily discharge, and fungus in the warp and woof of fabric suggestive of the need for repentance and humility.
Read More
The Fruits of Close Reading
Sep 16, 2013 By Robert Harris | Commentary | Sukkot
鈥淚n order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Eg测辫迟鈥�&苍产蝉辫;(Lev. 23:43).
Read More
Taking What Isn鈥檛 Ours
Sep 11, 2013 By Daniel Nevins | Commentary | Yom Kippur
It鈥檚 not literally a skeleton in my closet, but I was still upset to find it hanging there.
Read More
It鈥檚 All Torah
Sep 3, 2013 By Danielle Upbin | Commentary | Ha'azinu
Years ago, when I was a student living in the mystical city of Safed in Israel鈥檚 Northern District, a teacher of mine asked our group of young seekers, 鈥淲hat is the most important book in your life?鈥�
Read More
Our Covenant with God
Jun 4, 2010 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Shelah Lekha
When Moses confronts the gravest challenge to his and God’s authority since the golden calf, the negative report of the spies sent to scout the Land of Israel, he responds with a lawyerly argument for divine mercy that is taken directly from the one that had staved off the people’s annihilation by God the first time around. The argument takes the form of a question: What will the Egyptians say if God destroys His people?
Read More