I have very distinct memories of standing in shul under my father’s tallit as a child, trying to peek through the weave of his woolen prayer shawl as the kohanim blessed the congregation. Later, these avuncular men schmoozed and ate herring with the rest of us, but in my mind, they retained an aura of …
Read MoreWhat does it mean to “count”? To count can mean to tally items to determine the total—as in, the teacher counted her students. To count can also mean to have merit, importance or value—as in, every little bit of help counts. In Parshat Ki Tisa, God instructs Moshe to count the Jewish people. Men over …
Read More“In every generation one is obligated to view him [or her] self as though s/he personally came out of Egypt.”[1] Though we recite these words at the Pesach seder each year, I find them difficult to practice. So too, as I studied Parshat Shmot and read about the descent of the Children of Israel into …
Read MoreFor me, Parshat Vayishlach is particularly poignant because it chronicles the death of my namesake, the matriarch Rachel.[1] Rachel was young, perhaps only thirty-six, when she died giving birth to her second son.[2] Rabbinic commentators have long sought explanations for why one so young and righteous had to suffer, and many interpret Rachel’s death as …
Read MoreThe young man stood among the debris. Shattered torsos, crumbled appendages, clay and stone that moments before had posed as gods littered the ground. He quickly planted a stick into the still hand of a large idol—the only one left standing—as his father’s footsteps echoed on the threshold. Avraham’s father, Terach, returning to his shop, …
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