Divrei Torah

This week we read a double Torah portion, Nitzavim-Vayeilech, in which Moses and the Israelites are preparing for the conquest of Canaan. Rabbi Larry Milder writes about the disturbing instructions to destroy the inhabitants of that land, including Moses saying that God will  “wipe out those nations from your path and you shall dispossess them” […]

The great Israeli feminist professor and leader of numerous organizations, Alice Shalvi, wrote about this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, and its relevance to the Jewish calendar and this season of reflection and renewal. She notes that life transitions are often “accompanied by self-scrutiny, a vow, and a determination to improve, to ‘turn over a […]

This Torah reading is packed with distinctive mitzvot, from the requirement to send away a mother bird before removing the eggs from her nest to the responsibility to keep our property safe from preventable accidents.  Here is one more: When you make a loan of any sort to your compatriot, you must not enter the […]

We have now entered Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, and a period of both reflection and anticipation. While the nature of time and our lives seems to cause many of us to feel surprised when Rosh Hashanah arrives, connecting with our calendar and the practices associated with the months and seasons can help us […]