Torah Commentary

Torah Commentary

The "Angel Who-Knows"

Parashat R'eih reminds us that we have a choice between the blessing and the curse, between a life of hope and faith, and a life in which the choice has already been made.
an image of two hands holding a lit up light bulb

Even if You Don't Listen, the Voice Will Still Be Heard

In a different place, long ago, in the core of Eikev, we can hear the slow, ungainly, quiet steps of Moses as he descends from the mountain, holding the two tablets of the covenant in both of his reverent hands. He holds them with two hands and breaks them with two hands.
an image of a cement tombstone, with a star of david carved in and some rocks siting on top of the tombstone

Fearing Death and Finding Life

In Va-et'chanan, Moses stands before God, pleading for his life. With misty eyes and tears of supplication dotted with desert sand, Moses asks God for just one more thing to enter the Promised Land with the Israelites, and to allow his body and heartto touch the earth on the other side of the Jordan.
two white hands holding a book against a dark background with light coming from the book and letters floating off the page

How Does a Story Begin? Not Like You Think

We might expect that the last book of the Torah would continue the story of the Israelites' amazing desert journey to a new land with new battles, diseases, places, and miracles. Instead, Deuteronomy is a book about mourning. Moses knows his life is drawing to a close. His death will mark the start of a new story.
an image of a man standing on top of a mountain with the sun setting in the background

The Ones Who Cross Over

Our people are called by many names throughout the Tanach, but my personal favorite is one of the earliest: ivri, which means “Hebrew.”

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