Ki Tisa: Crisis of the Golden Calf
A mistake that nearly had catastrophic results for the entire people of Israel ultimately revealed Moshe’s true greatness as a national leader.
rav kook
Tetzave: The Purpose of the Kohanim
By submerging individual identity into the collective Hebrew nation, the kohanim work to cleanse the children of Israel from all transgressions and to inspire the people with a powerful show of kedusha.
T’ruma: Mystery of the Kruvim
What can the Mishkan teach us about the ways Divine revelation is channeled into our world?
Mishpatim: The Living Torah
How should we understand the difference between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah within the context of Israel’s identity and development?
Yitro: Israel’s Universal Mission
Why were the Hebrews so surprised by the sudden realization that they would receive the Torah as a set of laws & a mission for the rest of humanity?
Beshalaḥ: Between Freedom & Liberation
Between the smashing of Egypt’s military at the Sea of Reeds and the war against Amalek at Rephidim, the Hebrews had to develop a national perception of emuna in preparation for receiving the Torah.
Bo: Israel’s Internal Transformation
What were the necessary steps for Israel to develop a national consciousness ahead of leaving Egypt?
Va’eira: The Divine Revelation to Humanity
The ten plagues were part of a deliberate process to educate not only Egypt and Israel but also humanity.
Sh’mot: The Revolutionary Lawgiver
After despairing of a slave revolt, did Moshe seek to create a new nation in Midian to replace Israel?
Toldot: The Prophetic Destiny of Rivka’s Twins
How do the character traits of Esav and Yaakov find expression in the rival civilizations they produced?
Understanding the Zealot Movement
While the Zealot movement fought a class struggle alongside its national struggle for independence, it would be wrong to understand the Great Revolt solely through the prism of revolutionary theory.
Lag Ba’Omer
Rabbi Shimon bar-Yoḥai refused to accept Roman dominion over Judea. As a fugitive from the empire, he hid out in a cave where the legendary Eliyahu taught him the Torah’s deepest secrets.