Who, really, were the Maccabees? We’ve always learned about the courage of the five sons of Mattathias: Yohanan, Shimon, Yehudah, Elazar and Yonatan. Yehudah–the Judah Maccabee of classic Jewish folklore, is the symbol of military strength in the face of persecution. Then there’s the heroism of Elazar, who took on the elephant in an act Continue Reading »
As a native Torontonian, it’s been nice to see my city getting so much attention in recent weeks. Well, that’s not quite true. As the world watches the train wreck that is Mayor Rob Ford speed faster and faster out of control, I can’t imagine that anyone with roots in Toronto is proud of the Continue Reading »
It’s been 20+ years since Ya’akov and Esav have last seen each other. Now, they are on a collision course, and given how they felt about each other when they parted, the upcoming scene is fraught with tension. All that tension seems to melt away when Esav approaches his estranged twin: “Esau ran to greet Continue Reading »
Reuven had the best of intentions. He saw that his mother, Leah, was in tough against her younger and prettier sister, Rahel, in the competition for dad’s attention. So he goes and picks dudaim, mandrakes, and gives them to his mom. He obviously knows the mythical power of mandrakes–a known aphrodisiac in the ancient world. This Continue Reading »
Esav the hunter comes in from the field and desperately wants to eat what his brother Ya’akov is cooking. “Stuff me with that red red stuff,” he stutters. Ya’akov drives a hard bargain, though, and asks for Esav’s birthright in return. ” Esav replies, “Hinei anokhi holekh lamut–I am at the point of death, so Continue Reading »
After burying his wife, Sarah, Avraham begins to confront his own mortality and realizes it’s time to solidify his legacy. After all, God has promised him a long-term covenantal relationship. It took long enough for Avraham to produce an heir to this covenant, and in order for the heir to have an heir, he needs Continue Reading »
As I headed for the ballroom where the big plenary session was about to begin, I saw a man in the hallway outside the doors. Because I had heard the upcoming speaker, Ron Wolfson, before, I knew who it was standing there. It was Ron Wolfson. Before speaking in front of a convention of 1200 Continue Reading »
Poor Avram just wants to be able to count to one. One child, that is. God has promised him that he will be the father of a great nation, yet for years he and Sarai remain, in fact, the only ones. They are childless. It’s understandable that Avram would worry about numbers. We can say Continue Reading »
Noah’s descendants bring human civilization forward by leaps and bounds. Their mastery of technology in their generation is as impressive as what we’ve accomplished in ours. “And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make Continue Reading »
The events at the Westgate Premier Shopping Mall in Nairobi last week reminded us of the extreme danger of extremist religious thought. The perpetrators were members of al-Shabaab, a Somali jihadist opposition group. At least one witness said that the attackers specifically targeted non-Muslims. They killed in the name of God. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, emeritus Continue Reading »
