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Chana Tannenbaum

Sep 15, 2023, 3:00 PM

The holy occasion of a shofar’s blast

Blowing shofar. (iStock)

There's no New Year's Day or Judgement Day in the Torah, but why was such an important day as Rosh Hashanah kept under wraps?

Jul 21, 2023, 1:10 PM

Moses’ last speech: Words to live by

Jethro advising Moses, Jan van Bronchorst, 1659. (Wikimedia Commons)

This last book of the Torah is part rebuke for past sins, part instruction to behave, and part reminder of God's love (Devarim)

Chana Tannenbaum

Jul 7, 2023, 9:37 AM

When you can’t avoid the abyss, climb out of it

The earth swallows Korah and 'all that pertained to him.' (via YouTube)

Everyone knows that Korah and his whole family died in the most famous sinkhole of all time. But what if they didn't all die?

Joanne Greenaway

Jun 16, 2023, 1:34 PM

Should we ever quash debate?

Korach, when the 'mouth' of the earth opens to swallow him and his followers. (screenshot, YouTube)

Korach's rebellion is the paradigm of an argument that is not 'for the sake of heaven,' but only God can determine that

Jun 9, 2023, 1:28 PM

There’s no place like home

(courtesy)

Where the ground is sacred, the air is breathtaking, and the people rebuke me for not shopping smarter (Shelach)

Joanne Greenaway

May 5, 2023, 12:48 PM

Are some Jews more holy than others?

The priests (kohanim) in the Temple. (via Facebook)

Like royals with hereditary privilege, the priests are an elite class - but with the special task of serving God and His people (Emor)

Chana Tannenbaum

Apr 28, 2023, 3:23 PM

The sinners have much more fun – at what cost?

'The Scapegoat,' by William Holman Hunt. (via Wikimedia Commons)

Why the scapegoat of the Yom Kippur service is important, even many months away from the Day of Atonement (Acharei Mot/Kedoshim)

Apr 14, 2023, 10:34 AM

Silence allows us to hear the music of the spheres

'Fire From Heaven Consumes the Sacrifice,' by James Tissot (1836-1902). (public domain)

Bereft of two sons, Aaron models not only how to respond when there are 'no words,' but also how to continue living (Shemini)

Rachel Sharansky Danziger

Mar 24, 2023, 11:52 AM

God’s call to Moses – and us

A burnt offering on the altar. (Screenshot)

Even if animal sacrifice was meaningful to our ancestors, how do bloody, flayed, dismembered limbs make sense today? (Vayikra)

Ilana Goldstein Saks

Mar 17, 2023, 10:00 AM

Sketchy by design: The Tabernacle

An artist's depiction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). (Aleksig6, via Wikimedia Commons)

Connecting to God is creative, a skill to be practiced and honed, and can't be dictated by someone else (Vayakhel/Pekudei)

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