I have just read a book of interviews between the French rabbi and radio host Victor Malka and the Jewish philosopher Stéphane Moses (1931-2007).
Stéphane Moses was born in Berlin. His family fled Nazi-Germany in 1936 to settle in Morocco and then France where he studied German and philosophy. He became a university professor and taught [...]
לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת-בָּנָיו וְאֶת-בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו, וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה, לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט
… that he may instruct his children and those after them to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right…
In Judaism it is not enough to believe the right things, what matters is to do the right thing. Faith [...]
When we reach the story of Abraham, we have the feeling that we are approaching a completely new dimension in the relationship between God and man.
When God addresses Abraham and tells him to leave his land, He is addressing an individual, a man with a destiny – not just with a mission. This idea of [...]
כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-נֹחַ
as God commanded Noach.
We usually have the feeling that Noach isn’t as great as the other men mentioned in the Torah. Although he is described “a just man and perfect in his generations” (Bereshit 10:9), the degree of his righteousness is much discussed in the different Midrashim. Some of the [...]
The latest edition of Haveil Havalim – otherwise known as The Post-Chagim Edition – is up at Ima on and off the Bima. Thanks Phyllis for your hard work and for including a post of mine.
וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.
Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
This week’s parshah reminds us that, among the whole of creation, only man is a combination [...]
I mentioned last week that I had received the latest volume of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. Now I made it my Shabbat Reading yesterday (in betwwen bouts of migraine) and found it incredible.
- How Not to Make Halakhic Rulings by Daniel Sperber can be read on their [...]
I have just received The new issue of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. This issue deals with Orthodoxy: Family and Gender Issues. I had not realized the journal had been released so it was a nice surprise to find it when I came back from work today.
A few days [...]
This week’s edition of Haveil Havalim is featured at What War Zone???, Benji Lovitt’s blog.
May you all have an easy and meaningful fast!
רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם, אֶת-הַחַיִּים וְאֶת-הַטּוֹב, וְאֶת-הַמָּוֶת, וְאֶת-הָרָע.
Look closely – I have placed before you today life and good, and death and evil…
This passage (Devarim 30:15-19) is probably my favorite in the whole Torah as it beautifully encompasses what The Torah means for me: God has given us a set of rules so that we [...]
