God is a stickler for details. This week’s Torah reading, Terumah, contains all the design details for the Tabernacle, the portable Temple, and its contents. Look at all the details given in the instructions for building just one of the ritual objects, the menorah: “And you shall make a menorah (lampstand or candelabra) of...
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וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים “And these are the judgments.” And in this week's Torah portion, Mishpatim, there are many judgments, or commandments -- 53 to be precise. Most of the laws in this week's parsha are in the category of mitzvot “bein adam l’chaveiro,” between people. There are laws relating to prosecuting capital cases, and there...
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Yitro, our tradition's first management consultant, gives Moses some excellent advice in this week's Torah reading. Seeing Moses wearing himself out attending to disputes between people, Yitro tells him to delegate. Not only that, he tells Moses what kind of people he should seek out as leaders: Exodus 18:21. And you shall choose out...
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A few weeks ago, the Conservative movement released a survey, which was mostly intended to explore attitudes toward the recent decision to permit ordaining gay clergy, and also explored issues of observance of halacha among clergy and lay leadership in the Conservative Movement. The official press release (click here to read it) focused on...
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OK, the weather is not really an important factor in the decision to make aliyah…yet I can’t but help notice that the high temperature in Toledo on Monday is forecast at 9 degrees, and in Jerusalem it’s forecast to be 55 degrees. We’re looking at a couple of days of below zero lows here,...
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