Parashat: Sh’lach Numbers 13:1–15:41 “Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, ‘Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.’” — Numbers 13:30 In the face of those who said the task was too challenging, Caleb, one of the spies sent to scout Continue Reading »
Parasha: Behar-Bechukotai Leviticus 25:1–27:34 “I will grant you rains in their seasons, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit.” — Leviticus 26:4 This reward for being faithful to the commandments of the Torah is a difficult one. We know, empirically, that the cycles of weather act Continue Reading »
Rabbi Daniel Plotkin introduces us to Todd Golden, University of Florida coaching wunderkind. Photo of Golden Courtesy of Gatorfan252525 on Wikimedia Commons, covered under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Parashat: Shemini Leviticus 9:1–11:47 “’…had I [Aaron] eaten the purgation offering today, would The Eternal have approved?’ And when Moses heard this, he approved.” — Leviticus 10:19b–20 In the wake of the death of his two older sons, Aaron and his two younger sons are still in a period of mourning. At the same Continue Reading »
Rabbi Daniel Plotkin gives us some background on Irving Berlin, the man who “was” American Music. Photo of Berlin by the Pach Brothers Studio, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery (Public Domain)
Rabbi Daniel Plotkin delves into the life and accomplishments of Israel’s first, and ONLY, female Prime Minister. Photo of Meir courtesy of the Dan Hadani collection / National Library of Israel / The Pritzker Family National Photography Collection through Wikimedia Commons, and is covered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.