Torah

Parashat Vayishlack: Nuance in an age of absolutism

Experiences that could refine us and mature us are processed too quickly to leave a lasting imprint. Instead of being transformed by life, we merely skim it.

HOW MUCH subtlety can survive in 100 cramped words?
 Money and a calculator

Parashat Vayishlack: I lack nothing

Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer holds a press conference at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, December 1, 2025.

Ofir Sofer is the first religious Zionist leader to say the king is naked - comment

 Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, speak on stage during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 21, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin reflects how Rabbi Sacks's teachings helped her manage Hersh's captivity


A defense of Israel's ultra-Orthodox - and a plea to their leadership - opinion

Haredim should organize large prayer gatherings not for their own needs but for the well-being of all our soldiers and all Israelis.

HAREDIM SCUFFLE with police outside Jerusalem’s IDF Recruitment Center, Nov. 12.

Parashat Vayetze: Unlistened truths

We speak the truth because it is the right thing to do, not because we assume it will immediately reshape the world.

LABAN’S SILENCE signaled indifference to the truth.

Parashat Vayetze: When a nation forgets its source

If Israel, like Jacob, holds fast to its mission – even in exile, even in danger, even in darkness – then the promise of Hosea still stands.

An illustrative image of a nest and egg in human hands.

Parashat Vayetze: 'Wise people, be careful with your words’

If we were truly aware of the power embedded in our words, in casual conversation, in a sentence spoken in anger or sarcasm, we would be far more cautious.

Close-up of letter cubes spelling "Words Have Power" (illustrative)

Your Investments: Lentil soup and inheritance

A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair. – Niccolo Machiavelli

Husband and wife discussing investment plans with financial advisor

Parashat Toldot: A call for impassioned Jewish renewal

If the parasha is a saga of inheritance, of blessings fought over and destinies forged, then the haftarah is its echo, reminding us that a spiritual legacy must not merely be received, but upheld.

 SCRIBES FINISH writing a Torah scroll.

Parashat Toldot: Directing our natural inclinations

This is humanity’s eternal challenge: Not to give in to impulses and the desire for immediate gratification but to steer it toward a higher purpose.

'Only now, the color red becomes a symbol of essence'

Beyond the Headlines: The message of Ayala Shkuri - opinion

“People ask me how I am, how I’m doing. They ask how I managed to return to living alone in our home in Sderot. And I answer, ‘I’m not alone." said Ayala Shkuri

Sivan with Ayala Shkuri.

The biblical echo of ‘I will go’ - and the women moving Israel beyond October 7 - opinion

Jewish women today echo the values of Biblical foremothers, maintaining courage and faith in times of crisis.

Torah scroll 521

Parashat Chayei Sarah: Politics, power, perils of ambition

Politics, the haftarah reminds us, is not inherently corrupt. It becomes corrupt when it forgets that leadership is service, not self-promotion.

 SCRIBES FINISH writing a Torah scroll.

Parashat Chayei Sara: ‘Ger v’toshav’ – unfinished belonging 

Until our people are gathered and the land is restored, we remain wanderers yearning for wholeness.

PATIENCE REQUIRED...