Will the judge of all the earth not do justice? Genesis 18:25 Deep theological moments blow up in the Torah Portion Vayera. While Vayera tiptoes on an ultimate question of Why do bad things happen to good people?, the portion formidably speaks to the value of community. In Vayera, an exceptionable Torah passage peers intoContinue reading “The Great Compromise? Vayera”
Category Archives: torah
Virtue Unleashed? Lech Lecha
Can one person transform the world? According to the Torah Portion Lech Lecha, “Yes.” For over two thousand years, scholars, commentators, and social scientists have tackled the Lech Lecha phenomena. In Modernity In 2000, Malcolm Gladwell explored the viral nature of human activity. In The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference,Continue reading “Virtue Unleashed? Lech Lecha”
The Question: “Why?” Lech Lecha’s Ten Commandments’ Moment
Make it make sense? The Torah Portion Noah’s Post-Flood Covenant should have solved all of the world’s problems. Correct? After all, the God-Human covenant assured that a world would not be subjected to another deity inflicted devastation. It was also sealed with a rainbow! Only a double rainbow could have made it better!! Genesis 8:21-22.Continue reading “The Question: “Why?” Lech Lecha’s Ten Commandments’ Moment”
Of Covenants, Noah’s Ten Commandments’ Moment
All creative work is derivative Nina Paley What is new may in fact be old. Painting with a different color scheme; playing music in a faster tempo; or re-purposing medications for a different disease. Incremental innovations can constitute newness. Slight changes may be just as impactful as radical innovation. The latter may, in fact, beContinue reading “Of Covenants, Noah’s Ten Commandments’ Moment”
In the Beginning, There Was Controversy: Bereshit’s Ten Commandments’ Moment
In the beginning, controversy was created. While the divergent creation narratives perplex readers, the Pentateuch’s first portion also ignites a Ten Commandments’ debate. The rationale for Sabbath observance’s is at issue. The Sabbath Sabbath observance, a central feature of the Ten Commandments, is allegedly Creation Narrative inspired. The Portion Bereshit famously notes: “And in theContinue reading “In the Beginning, There Was Controversy: Bereshit’s Ten Commandments’ Moment”
A Legend Preserving a Legacy? V’Zot HaBerachah: A Ten Commandments’ Moment
Barred entry into the Promised Land, Moses is buried on a mountaintop. The end? The end, for the Torah Portion V’Zot HaBerachah, actually marks the beginning. In their infancy, legacies are fragile. Upon one’s death, their legacy becomes detached from the person. They no longer are able to control what they once controlled. The seedContinue reading “A Legend Preserving a Legacy? V’Zot HaBerachah: A Ten Commandments’ Moment”
Ha’ Azinu’s Ten Commandments’ Moment: God
If God didn’t exist, he would have been invented Voltaire God is perhaps the Ten Commandments’ most controversial subject. Poetry from the Torah Portion Ha’Azinu provides Prophetic insight into the divine being. Moses’ depictions provide much understanding of the Israelite Deity. Moses’ lifetime observations takes readers to the heights of Mt. Sinai to unlock theContinue reading “Ha’ Azinu’s Ten Commandments’ Moment: God”
Peak Justice or Cognitive Disaster? Vayelech
Ignorance of the law is no excuse While a Torah Portion Vayelech Commandment is symbolically magnificent, in modernity it presents as a pedagogical disaster. The utopian directive, on paper, delivers knowledge of the law to the entire populace. From a cognitive science perspective, however, the commandment is a failure. Can this problematic teaching methodology explainContinue reading “Peak Justice or Cognitive Disaster? Vayelech”
Nitzavim: Of Rabbit Holes & Rashi: A Ten Commandments’ Moment
The Torah Portion Nitzavim starts with a beautiful passage advancing the Ten Commandments’ collective nature. This post explores whether the collective theme’s passage contains a hidden message. The Nitzavim passage is as follows: “You’re standing today, all of you, in front of the Lord, your God- your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers,Continue reading “Nitzavim: Of Rabbit Holes & Rashi: A Ten Commandments’ Moment”
The Chosen People? Ki Tavo’s Ten Commandments’ Moment
“The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for it is not you whom they have rejected, but it is Me whom they have rejected from reigning over them….. So are they doing to you, as well. And now, heed their voice, but beContinue reading “The Chosen People? Ki Tavo’s Ten Commandments’ Moment”
The Ten Commandments Project 