The Book of Judges’ disturbing conclusion is the tale of Levite Traveler and his Concubine Wife. In the story, an older man from Gilbeah took the Levite and his wife in for the night as an act of hospitality. The town was Benjamite. Judges 19. There, “the people of the city, lawless people, surrounded the house, bangingContinue reading “A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Civil War”
Category Archives: torah
Teruma’s Ten Commandments’ Moment : InTent
The Torah Portion Teruma bolsters the Exodus’ historicity. Teruma explicitly details construction matters for the Mishkan aka Tabernacle. The Tabernacle’s discuss is part of Richard Elliott Friedman’s argument that an Exodus did occur. Scholars have connected the Tabernacle’s design to another structure from antiquity. The Mishkan’s design bears similarity to Pharoah Ramses II’s War Tent that wasContinue reading “Teruma’s Ten Commandments’ Moment : InTent”
A Ten Commandments’ Moment From Mishpatim: God As My Witness?
As a practicing lawyer for over 33 years, I have spent decades litigating newly enacted legislation. No matter how well-crafted or conceived, laws always contain ambiguity. After the provision of the Ten Commandments in the Yitro, the Torah Portion Mishpatim follows with the announcement of seminal laws shaping Judaism. One of the most notable from Mishpatim is theContinue reading “A Ten Commandments’ Moment From Mishpatim: God As My Witness?”
A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Jephthah
Of all the Book of Judges’ gut wrenching episodes. Jephthah’s is one of the most problematic. He is a mighty warrior of valor who has acceptance issues. Judges, in providing his background story, alludes that he most likely carried with him emotional insecurity; The tale unfolds with his estrangement from his father’s family. The story takes off with theContinue reading “A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Jephthah”
Yitro’s Ten Commandments’ (Truman Show) Moment
Years ago, my Brother and I were watching the Superbowl. At Halftime, I suggested that we visit a sick relative who was at the nearby hospital. With everyone pre-occupied with watching the bloated halftime performance of some aging music group, the streets were clear; we made it to his hospital room in record time. When we arrived, heContinue reading “Yitro’s Ten Commandments’ (Truman Show) Moment”
Yitro’s Ten Commandments’ Moment
My wife and I tried to recall the date of a past trip. We remembered being stunned, on the way home, to hear on the radio that Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and others tragically died in a helicopter crash. Having lived in Los Angeles since the days when Sabre Tooth Tigers and Whooly Mammoths cruised WilshireContinue reading “Yitro’s Ten Commandments’ Moment”
A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Succession
The Book of Judges is not for the faint hearted. While Gideon’s leadership as a Judge sparked a thirst for Israelite monarchical rule, his post-mortem was sobering to that national ambition. Succession, in antiquity, was heavily nepotism. Gideon, not be outshined by the Elon Musk’s or Nick Cannon’s of the world, amassed seventy sons and hadContinue reading “A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Succession”
Beshalach’s Ten Commandments Moments
The Torah Portion Beshalach- which takes place in the height of the Exodus- contain three Ten Commandments’ moments worthy of discussion. The portion takes place as the Children of Israel depart from Egypt, the Children of Israel experience salvation in the parting of the Red Sea. Also, for the first time, they receive the mystery food calledContinue reading “Beshalach’s Ten Commandments Moments”
A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: The Emissary
From a Ten Commandments’ perspective, The Book of Judges represents the Dark Ages. Agenda driven, Judges’ tales told pull no punches in detailing generations of a dystopian society; a society lacking a formal government. Judges’ ends with the epic line: “in those days there was no king in Israel; a man could do whatever seemedContinue reading “A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: The Emissary”
A Book of Joshua Ten Commandments’ Moment: Mt. Ebal
Ten Commandments’ moments aren’t simply the words carved into the two tablets. The words themselves do not entirely capture the Ten Commandments’ meaning. The events surrounding the transmission of the commandments are also integral to Ten Commandments’ values. The Mt. Ebal ceremony in the Book of Joshua evidences this assertion. The Book of Joshua chronologically presents itselfContinue reading “A Book of Joshua Ten Commandments’ Moment: Mt. Ebal”
The Ten Commandments Project 