Joyful Compassionate Abundance
If the first three chapters of Genesis outline the relationships between G-d, creation and human beings, Yitro repeats that equation in the section on the 10 “Words” but with the significant additional element of a particular society (Israel, signified by “neighbor”). Mishpatim (Ex 21:1
Yitro (Ex 18:1-24:18) begins with a story of working out the relationship between Moses and the Israelites and ends with a story of working out the relationship between the Israelites, G-d and the natural world. Choreography mediates these negotiations, which seem to suggest
INTRODUCTION The first three chapters of Genesis tell us the entire story of the Torah. As one of my teachers used to say about Jewish ritual, it’s the “microcosm of the macrocosm.” If I am actually able to work through a year
INTRODUCTION Today I begin a new project of looking at the weekly Torah portions, searching for insights on food, “animal rights,” agriculture and ecology. Immediately a difficulty presented itself. My approach to the text doesn’t always fit neatly with the portions. This week,
One of the things I love about teaching is that I always learn. My favorite session in the series I just taught was the one on Bible, and as happens almost every time I read the passages from the first three chapters
We know the minimum essentials of an early diet in the Land of Israel from a brief notice in the Mishnah, M. Ketubot 5:8. The excerpt refers to what husbands separated from their wives must provide them: “He who maintains his wife
Patterns, patterns everywhere. Is it because everything is structures and patterns…or is it because we can only comprehend reality by seeing it through patterns? I tend to think both are true. Once upon a time I was interested in chaos theory. I’m
As I have begun to explore a vegan pathway, I am once again thinking about the laws of kashrut. How does this practice relate to my life as a vegetarian and my journey toward a vegan lifestyle? The Torah tells us the purpose of