philo, the jewish author and philosopher from antiquity, composed an essay “the decalogue” on the ten commandments. philo’s writings are valued by both jews and christians as his writings cover theological matters during the roman occupation of the holy land. some of the writings were around the time when jesus lived. philo’ss writings offer muchContinue reading “Philo & The Ten Commandments”
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“In His Image” Day?
the list goes on forever, there is “taco” day, “hamburger” day and “donut” day. today, this friday, according to some, is being offered up as “jihad” day. with no rules and regulations concerning “day” claiming, the ten commandments project has chosen to declare today as today “in his image” day. “in his image” day pertainsContinue reading ““In His Image” Day?”
The Jewish Apocrypha & The Ten Commandments: The Book of the Maccabees, Volume 1
in antiquity, beyond the torah, how were the ten commandments received? the jewish apocryphal texts may offer some insight. while these texts are not part of the hebrew bible canon- the tanach- the torah, neveim, and ketuvim- these writing existed either prior to or shortly after the bible’s formalization. some of these writing address theContinue reading “The Jewish Apocrypha & The Ten Commandments: The Book of the Maccabees, Volume 1”
When You Can`t Say Something Nice…You Write
before the horrible news came out about hamas’ invasion of israel, i had been reading the first book of the maccabees. the ancient text, which is not part of the hebrew bible, details the judean-greeek conflict. the book chronicles enemies of the jews taking advantage of religious observance and commencing attacks on the sabbath. maccabeesContinue reading “When You Can`t Say Something Nice…You Write”
Should God’s Understanding Matter With Torah Interpretation?
professor richard elliott friedman, in his commentary on the torah, pages 180-181, as well as in his book the exodus and in his lectures, tackles the famous passage of describing moses as being “heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue”. this passage- part of the exchange between the master of the universe and moses duringContinue reading “Should God’s Understanding Matter With Torah Interpretation?”
Richard Elliott Friedman’s “The Exodus” In Review
as a lawyer, one of my most exhilarating moment was a special hearing i did on behalf of a friend who was a client. the hearing was essentially a trial and appellate argument combined. all of my lawyering skills were taxed. it represented a culmination of years of study, practice and research. it was myContinue reading “Richard Elliott Friedman’s “The Exodus” In Review”
The Two Most Important Words
it happened again. for the sake of goodness, i decided to do something special. in the tradition of my wonderful aunts and uncles, i decided to give something to a member of the up and coming generation. over the years, my aunts and uncles went out of their way to enhance my life. my firstContinue reading “The Two Most Important Words”
The Jewish Apocrypha & The Ten Commandments: The Book of Susanna
beyond the torah, how are the ten commandments received into society? the jewish apocryphal texts offer some insight. while these texts are not part of the hebrew bible canon- the tanach- the torah, neveim, and ketuvim- they existed either prior to or shortly after the bible’s formalization. some of these writing addressed the ten commandmentsContinue reading “The Jewish Apocrypha & The Ten Commandments: The Book of Susanna”
Can You Be Inscribed in The Book of Change?
for many years, our family’s yom kippur, tradition to determine whether one’s fate concerning being inscribed in the book of life for another year was simple. we jaywalked across the busiest and dangerous street to get to synagogue. the successful crossing- with an occasional dodge of an oncoming speeder- was enough to cement that thereContinue reading “Can You Be Inscribed in The Book of Change?”
Casting A Song
this week’s torah portion- haazinu- is moses’ departing song to the children of israel. this moment highlights music’s connection to cultural memory. the bible’s earliest portions, as recognized by scholars, are songs. two of the most important being the song of the sea and the song of deborah. while we cannot re-telling oration at theContinue reading “Casting A Song”
The Ten Commandments Project 