Vengeance One of the most tragic moments in Western civilization came when Christians began distinguishing between what they called “the Old Testament G-d of vengeance” as opposed to the “New Testament G-d of love.” This is not a small error. One trembles to think how many Jews lost their lives because of it. It survives […]
Covenantal Politics At the end of his life, Moses gave the people the penultimate command – the 612th of the 613 that comprise the Torah. It was a command of far-reaching significance. The Israelites were about to cross the Jordan, and enter and take possession of the promised land. There they would begin life as […]
Covenant & Conversation In two sentences in this week’s sedra, the Torah summarizes the entire relationship between G-d and the people of Israel: You have affirmed [he-emarta] this day that the Lord is your, G-d, that you will walk in His ways, that you will observe His laws and commandments and rules, and that you […]
Rehabilitation of Offenders This week’s sedra provides us with a fine example of the humanity of Jewish law – as well as the way the sages interpreted the Torah. Our point of departure is this passage: When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, […]
The Consent of the Governed The contribution of Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, to political thought is fundamental, but not well known. In this study I want to look at institution of monarchy. What does it tell us about the nature of government as the Torah understands it? The command relating to a king opens with […]
The Limits of Grief You are children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be […]
The Meanings of Shema “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is one.” These words are the supreme testimony of Jewish faith. Each word is worthy of careful study, but it is the first – the verb Shema – that deserves special attention. There was a profound difference between the two civilizations of antiquity […]
The Birth of a Nation The book known as Devarim (“words”) was originally known as Mishneh Torah – the repetition or restatement of the Torah. Hence the name Deuteronomy, “a second (statement of the) law.” In it Moses restates, with some additions and some omissions, both the history and legislation contained in the previous three […]
Priorities The Israelites are almost within sight of the promised land. They have waged a victorious campaign against the Midianites. We feel the tempo quicken. No longer are the Israelites in the desert. They are moving inexorably toward the Jordan, to the west of which lies their destination, the land ‘flowing with milk and honey’. […]
The Pace of Change The passage (Num 27:12-23) in which G-d tells Moses to prepare for death, and Moses, in response, asks G-d to appoint a successor, is full of interest for what it tells us about leadership. Indeed when Moses is confronted with his own mortality, his first response is not to think about […]
