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Aug 28, 2026, 6:31 AM

A Sense of History (Ki Tavo, Covenant & Conversation)

Ki Tavo begins with the ceremony of bringing first-fruits to the Temple. The Mishnah gives a detailed account of what happened: Those that were near to Jerusalem brought fresh figs and grapes, and those that were far away brought dried...

Aug 27, 2026, 2:20 PM

When Leadership Fails to Lead

A little more than a year ago a group of 80 Rabbis wrote a letter espousing their moral outrage for Israel’s behavior in Gaza, Yehuda and Shomron. The term people use for these rabbis is Orthodox. I have always...

Aug 26, 2026, 4:58 AM

Rabbis Have a Moral Imperative to Use AI

Why Rabbis Should Use AI This High Holy Day Season Every year around this time, rabbis begin disappearing. We disappear into books, notes, drafts, abandoned openings, half-finished sermons, deleted paragraphs, and the peculiar anxiety that comes with knowing that more people...

Aug 21, 2026, 6:49 PM

Long Sermons: Good for the Soul, Dangerous for the Kiddush!

The Long and Short of the Rabbi’s Sermon The Pros and Cons of a Rabbi Who Has a Lot to Say There is an old synagogue joke: A congregant approaches the rabbi after services and says, “Rabbi, that was a wonderful...

Aug 21, 2026, 5:32 AM

The Parameters of Justice (Ki Teitse, Covenant & Conversation)

In Deuteronomy 24, we encounter - for the first time - the explicit statement of a law of far-reaching significance: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for parents. A...

Aug 20, 2026, 6:01 AM

The High Holy Day Survival Guide for Partners of Rabbis

Wisdom Within

If you find yourself in a new relationship with a Rabbi, this short survival guide for making it out of the High Holy Day Season alive is a must-read. If you know of, or are related to someone in a...

Aug 14, 2026, 8:16 AM

Testing Prophecy (Shoftim, Covenant & Conversation)

In his enumeration of the various leadership roles within the nation that would take shape after his death, Moses mentions not only the priest/judge and the king, but also the prophet: “The Lord your God will raise up another prophet...

Joseph C. Kaplan

Aug 6, 2026, 11:08 PM

Exchange with a very good friend

A number of friends of my generation who rarely comment on my columns emailed me about my latest, where I discussed my contrasting feelings toward America’s bicentennial and semiquincentennial (“Belated Anniversary Wishes”). Many, including one who actually attended our...

Aug 6, 2026, 7:10 PM

Judaism’s Social Vision (Re’eh, Covenant & Conversation)

If you seek to understand Judaism’s social vision, look at its anti-poverty legislation: If there be a poor person among your kinsfolk in any of your towns in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not...

Jul 31, 2026, 6:01 AM

Greatness and Humility (Eikev, Covenant & Conversation)

A sequence of verses in this week’s sedra gave rise to a beautiful Talmudic passage – one that has found a place in the Siddur. It is among the readings we say after the Evening Service on Saturday night...

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