Ki Tisa brings forth the Torah’s ultimate vision of fairness and accountability. With respect to the costs for thr Tent of Meeting, the following edict was issued: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: When you take the sum of the Children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to the Lord anContinue reading “A Ten Commandments’ Moment from Ki Tisa: Coveting”
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A Book of Samuel Ten Commandments’ Moment: Hannah
As far as present day impact, Hannah may be the Book of Samuel’s true superstar. While David, who is credited with writing the Psalms, also appears in Samuel, Hannah inspired generations as to devotional prayer. Hannah’s zeal is emulated by worshipers daily around the world as they pray. Beyond her ability to wax out aContinue reading “A Book of Samuel Ten Commandments’ Moment: Hannah”
A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Civil War
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”
A Book of Judges Ten Commandments’ Moment: Micah’s Graven Image Part I
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”
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”
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”
The Ten Commandments Project 