While reading the Book of Judges, one will pull their hair out. The scripture’s outrageousness never disappoints. Even one brief passage is sufficient to make one go bald. Micah’s Graven Image Tale is an overflowing fountain of meshugas. Micah and his mother are barely digestible in one sitting. Accordingly, Micah’s tales are the subject of two posts.Continue reading “A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Micah’s Graven Image Part I”
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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?”
Marking Time By Yitro
There are many ways to date or mark time. With Christianity, the world’s current calendaring is based upon belief. As a result, look at the world with pre-Jesus and post-Jesus periods. With Judaism, time moved forward from “in the beginning” when the Universe. The Torah portion Yitro also dermacates time; there is a pre and post Mt. Sinai. ThisContinue reading “Marking Time By Yitro”
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: Samson
Samson’s tale of martyrdom has a few Ten Commandments’ moments. While his beginnings are quite promising, his life devolves into an endless cycle of suffering and vengeance. At the beginning, his barren mother encounters an angel who promises her a special son. She is instructed that the child would be raised as a Nazarite and thatContinue reading “A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Samson”
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: Gideon
Readers can cheat. They can jump to the back of the book to get that sweet ending. ” Who done it?” is solved. With the Book of Judges, however, while the last line sums up most everything, the reader would be cheated. The journey through Judges is as rewarding as the ending. The tale of Gideon- planted in the middleContinue reading “A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Gideon”
The Ten Commandments Project 