Jewish Religion

Philo on the Rivalry between Jacob and Esau

Philo of Alexandria’s insights is among the most original expositions of Parshat Toledot, this week’s Torah portion. According to him, Isaac is well-aware of Esau’s shortcomings, but he wishes to bless his son so that he might realize his hidden spiritual potential. Bu in the end, as we know, Jacob took his brother’s blessings. Philo saw Jacob’s relationship to Esau as a spiritual mentor. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

What do we know about Lot, Abraham’s nephew?

A careful analysis of Abraham’s nephew Lot raises the question of whether or not he was a righteous man. What did he do to merit saving when the people among whom he lived died by fire? We may think we know about him, but actually virtually everything the Torah tells us about him is obscure, requiring us to make up our own interpretations and learn lessons from them. There are rational interpretations by rabbis and scholars as well as mystical and midrashic ones. Which should we accept? The following are some questionable items. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Our Jewish Parenting: Keeping Consistency Constant

Two key factors have kept us sane while raising the next generation of Jewish kids: involving God in the process and striving for consistency in our parenting effort. My wife, Shira and I leave the heavy lifting to God. What we eat, how we treat others and what we do on Shabbat and holidays isn’t something we have to negotiate. We have a priceless 3500-year-old tradition offering precise guidelines on maximizing life and minimizing drama. [Sam Glaser]

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Sam Glaser

A Prayer for Our Planet

This is a good week within our synagogues to think about our planet and its future given the start of the United Nation’s Global Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). As global leaders meet in Glasgow, Scotland to hammer out a deal to tackle climate change, what can we as Jews do based upon Torah’s teachings, our ethics and the moral imperative to be better stewards of our planet and all life that depends upon its sustainability? [Dan Tomsky]

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Jewish Religion, The World We Share

What do we know about Abraham?

Most people think they know a lot about Abraham the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They are mistaken. The events recorded about Abraham in scripture are generally if not always obscure. When the Bible does not clarify exactly what is happening, people tend to imagine details and come to think of them as really happening in the Bible. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Can a Synagogue Feel Open with Locked Doors? Rabbis Reflect on Pittsburgh, 3 Years Later

By Jacob Kamaras (JNS) In a sense, the Jewish communal reactions to the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh and the coronavirus pandemic were diametric opposites. After Robert Bowers shot and killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, American Jews were urged to show up at services in droves the

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Jacob Kamaras, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, USA

Thousands of Jews Across the World Participate in Shabbat Project

After more subdued celebrations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the international Shabbat Project roared back to life last weekend with record-setting participation in the initiative’s ninth year, holding 1,166 citywide “unity events” in addition to thousands of private events across 1,511 cities worldwide.

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International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

The Tractor that Observed Shabbat

The current selection for the PJ Library, mailed free to Jewish children whose families request, age-appropriate Jewish stories is about a self-sufficient farmer named Sarah, who knows how to change her tractor’s oil, how to handle his clutch, and the right way to switch his gears.  They were a great team, Sarah and Yitzi.  Every Friday night, they would power down and do no work until after Shabbat was over.  It was their routine for Sarah to have a sip of wine at the beginning of Shabbat, and for Yitzi to have a sip of gasoline. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion