Torah

True Reverence for God Has a Touch of Fear in It

YITRO, Exodus 18:1-20:23

By:

Rabbi Howard A. Addison

Fear plays a controversial yet enduring role in our lives. While an Old Norse saying asserts, "Fear profits a man nothing," the Greek playwright, Aeschylus, observed that fear "must keep its watchful place at the heart's controls." The modern philosopher Bertrand Russell counted "those who fear life as three parts dead," while the British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli, claimed "fear .....

Torah

To Believe, 'Get Your Feet Wet'

By:

Rabbi Fred V. Davidow

The Israelites were "caught between the devil and the deep blue sea" when they reached the Sea of Reeds. Pressing from the rear was Pharaoh's army. Lying before them was an impassable barrier of water. The Israelites complained bitterly to Moses that he had not done them any favor by liberating them from slavery. They assailed him with a sarcastic...

Torah

The New Moon, and the Setting of the Months

BO, Exodus 10:1-13:16

By:

Joshua Runyan

This week's Torah portion is its 15th out of 53, and describes the final three plagues to befall the Egyptians before Pharaoh lets the fledgling Israelites free. It begins and ends smack dab in the middle of the Passover narrative, leaving off the splitting of the Sea of Reeds for next week. But for all intents and purposes, the Torah...

Torah

True Perception Never Loses Sight of Humanity

VAERA, Exodus 6:2-9:35

By:

Rabbi Howard A. Addison

"We see things not as they are but as we are." Taken from Milton's poem Paradise Lost, this haunting aphorism offers us a penetrating look into human nature. None of us sees the world through untinted lenses. Even when we think we're being objective, our backgrounds, values and interests condition how we understand life. Few tales demonstrate this better than...

Torah

On Jacob's Passing --and Future Generations

VAYECHI, Genesis 47:28-50:26

By:

Rabbi Joshua Runyan

A week after the holiday of Chanukah and its eight glorious nights of ever-increasing light, it's fair to say that when we approach this week's Torah portion, we're still on a spiritual high. And with the darkness of winter fast approaching, this portion's title, Vayechi -- which literally means "and he lived" -- signals the promise of life and fulfillment...