2 Yitro (Exodus 18, 1 – 20, 23) – were the ten statements understood by the Israelites?
In the Torah reading of Yitro is the story of the revelation of the tablets on Sinai and the ten statements - and, the Biblical term is ten statements and…
1 Yitro (Exodus 18, 1 – 20, 23) – the moral nature of the ten statements
In the Torah reading of Yitro is the story of the revelation of the tablets on Sinai and the ten statements - and, the Biblical term is ten statements and…
2 Beshalach (Exodus 13, 17 – 17, 16) – wiping out the memory of Amalek and repair of the world
At the end of the Torah reading of Beshalach, it is written that God says (Exodus 17, 14) - “I will utterly wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under…
1 Beshalach (Exodus 13, 17 – 17, 16) – Exodus and the crossing of the sea
Passover, the celebration of the exodus and the birth of the Jewish people, is to be celebrated, according to the Bible (Leviticus 23, 7-8), for 7 days with the first…
Bo (Exodus 10, 1 – 13, 16) – Passover and the birth of the Jewish people
In the Torah reading of Bo, the command is given by God to Moses to observe Passover, even prior to the revelation of Sinai, and Moses then transmits the command…
Vaera (Exodus 6, 2 – 9, 35) – the Biblical terms for God, YHVH and Elohim
In the Torah reading of Vaera, there is a verse that stands out in the Hebrew Bible in which God says that the great unpronounceable name of God, YHVH, was…
Shemot (Exodus 1, 1 – 6, 1) – the story of the burning bush
In spite of the enormous influence of the Hebrew Bible upon western culture, the Hebrew Bible is a widely misunderstood document. One example of misunderstanding and mistranslation of the Hebrew…
2 Noah (Genesis 6, 9 – 11, 32) – roots of humanistic psychology in the Noah story
In the Torah reading of Noah, after the destruction of the flood, and after Noah and his family are saved, Noah offers a sacrifice (Genesis 8.21): And the Lord…
1 Noah (Genesis 6, 9 – 11, 32) – the Biblical account of the flood
The great revolution of the Hebrew Bible is reflected, in my view, in the very beginning of the story of Noah. After God repents of creating the human being due…
5 Bereishit (Genesis 1, 1 – 6, 8) – the Sabbath as a bridge between the two Biblical stories of creation
The Sabbath is without question of central importance in the Hebrew Bible and in the Jewish tradition. According to the opening story of creation, the Sabbath is a part of…