Haftorah reading for the first day of Pesach is Joshua 3:5-7, 5:2-6:1, 6:27. By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — The readings for this Shabbat, the first day of Passover, are from the Book of Joshua. The text is entirely in prose. I use the translation of Robert Alter of the University of California […]
Haftorah for April 16, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
“Choosing Hope: The Heritage of Judaism” by David Arnow; The Jewish Publication Society: March 2022; ISBN 9780827-615205; 352 pages; $30. By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In less than one second, searching for the word “hope” brings almost 2.5 billion references through Google. Wow! That’s a popular topic, and for good reason. I’ve
Book on Hope Through a Jewish Lens Comes Just in Time for Passover Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael MantellHaftorah Reading for Metzora is Malachi 3:4-24 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — The readings for this week could be either of two, respectively, the above from Malachi, or 2 Kings 7:3-20. Once again, the rabbis who made the selection did not concur. I prefer to delve into the Malachi source. [1] However,
Haftorah for April 9, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In less than one week, our approaching celebration of liberation, Passover, will be within us. This Shabbat, Shabbat Hagadol, brings with it an opportunity for even more preparation than we’ve already been doing for the holiday, a special preparation, one that is spiritual. Our Torah is called
Parashat Metzora-Shabbat Hagadol: Pass Over the Lashon Hara Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael MantellHaftorah reading for Tazria is 2 Kings 4:42-5:19 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — The readings for this week are two different ones: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18 and 2 Kings 4:42-5:19. For unclear reasons the rabbis have offered these both. I will ignore the Ezekiel passages, having read my fill of this unduly greatly disturbed
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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In this week’s parasha, Tazria, we discover tzara’as, which we have come to know in modern terms as leprosy. While this disease is uncommon today, who hasn’t found a spot or two on their body, had a biopsy and been told, B’H, “all is clean?” This seems
Parashat Tazria-Hachodesh: Connecting Our Physical and Religious Lives Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
Night of Beginnings: A Passover Haggadah; Text and art by Maria Falk; Published March, 2022, University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book. By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — When a Haggadah is written by a founding mother of feminist Judaism, as poet and author Marcia Falk is described, the reader
‘Night of Beginnings:’ A Spiritually Moving and Thoughtful Haggadah Experience Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael MantellThe two offered Haftorah Readings for Shemini are 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17 and Ezekiel 36:16-38 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — The readings for this week are two widely different ones. The rabbis apparently couldn’t agree to get their act together, so left us with two to choose from. Accordingly from one source, we
Haftorah for March 26, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish ReligionBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Of course, thousands of years before we began learning that “we are what we eat,” Judaism was already teaching the importance of the food we put inside of our bodies and its significance in living optimally. This week’s Torah education brings us a long list of nourishing
Parashat Shemini-Parah: Kosher Laws and Spiritual Discipline Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
Rabbi Samuel is also a prodigious author of books on Jewish religion, Jewish ethics, philosophy, and social issues. A recent book was God and the Pandemic, A Judaic Reflection on the Coronavirus.” Other works include sets of books on how both Philo and Maimonides understood each of the five books of the Torah. The two interpreters of the Jewish religion lived respectively in 1st Century Alexandria, Egypt, and in 12th Century Spain. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Philosophers Believed in Truth, Whatever Its Source Might Be Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USAHaftorah Reading for Tzav is Jeremiah 7:21-8:3, 9:22-23 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — These selected passages were chosen by the rabbis out of a continuous rant by Jeremiah against the Judean kingdom c. 600 BCE. He was fully aware of the lost Northern Kingdom about 120 years before by Assyria. He now
Haftorah for March 19, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
By Toby Klein Greenwald It is always amazing to me how there are families who react to unbearable tragedy by creating something deeply meaningful and beautiful for the Jewish people and, indeed, for the world. This is what the family of Esther Horgen has done. Esther, 52, was brutally murdered by a terrorist on December
Scroll of Esther Honors Another Esther, Terror Victim Esther Horgen Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Toby Klein Greenwald
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — The current practice is that Purim is celebrated as a one-day holiday. Cities that were walled at the time of Joshua’s conquest of Israel – most notably Jerusalem – celebrate Purim on Adar 15, as a commemoration of the end of hostilities in the walled city
Purim is Practiced Today Differently Than the Biblical Requirement Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish ReligionBy Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Each week we read of stories and learn messages in the Torah to offer us the strength and direction in how to serve Hashem, our Creator, in the best way possible, to live life most optimally. He is, in the words of “Yedid Nefesh” a piyyut first
Parashat Tzav: How Do You Keep Your Fire Burning? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell