Jews Around the Globe

Jews of Iran: A Modern History

Iranian Jewry under the Islamic Republic of Iran.

8 Popular Jewish Superstitions

Like all cultures, Jews have developed numerous superstitious practices applicable to a variety of occasions.

7 Healthy Jewish Recipes to Make in January

From healing soups to a lighter kugel.

How to Pray for Happiness

The prayer Eilu Devarim reflects the seeming paradox that focusing on others more than ourselves makes us happier.

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Next Torah Portion

Summary

In this Torah portion, God tells Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh to demand freedom for the Israelites. Pharaoh refuses, and God unleashes plagues on the Egyptians. Pharaoh promises to free the Israelites, but God hardens Pharaoh’s heart. The portion ends with the plague of hail stopping and Pharaoh changing his mind once again.

FULL SUMMARY
HAFTARAH SUMMARY

Parashat Vaera

Exodus 6:2-9:35

Ezekiel 28:25-29:21

Who Really Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?

Was God responsible for the Egyptian leader’s intransigence?

Daf Yomi

A global project of Talmud study, Daf Yomi covers the entire 2,711 pages of the Talmud in 7.5 years of daily study. Click below to join by signing up for our Daily Dose of Talmud newsletter and to see our most recent Daf Yomi essays.

a year of zohar

A series of seasonal essays exploring Judaism’s most important mystical text.

The Garment of Days

The Zohar weaves a dramatic images of the garment in which the soul is clothed after death.

The Danger of Anger

Anger is a spiritual danger that can turn the body into a temple to foreign gods.

Descent For the Sake of Ascent

According to the Zohar, the Israelites had to endure Egyptian slavery in order to become spiritually purified.


FEATURED ON MY JEWISH LEARNING

Jewish Calendar: Solar and Lunar

How the Hebrew calendar works.

The Expelled Jews of Coro, Venezuela

This was the first time that Jews had been driven out of an independent nation in South America.

The Forgotten Jewish Queen: Shelamzion Alexandra

Her peaceful reign upends many assumptions about power, piety and what Jewish leadership should look like. 

A Guide to Jewish Acronyms and Abbreviations

Common Hebrew (and Aramaic) shorthand translated and explained.

Breaking the Glass at a Jewish Wedding

Why the Jewish wedding ceremony ends with a famous bang.

This Ancient Mizrahi Rice Dish Is Impossible To Mess Up

Somewhere between a soup and a stew, shorba is the ultimate winter cure-all.


Recharge Now

Our weekly Shabbat newsletter, Recharge, features a thoughtful, timely essay to enrich your Shabbat.

Fear of Heaven

The Torah’s description of an active God is awesome, but terrifying.

Be Like the Moon 

Even when we feel diminished, we have the ability to change, renew ourselves and shine.

Genesis Hangover

As we close the Torah’s first book, I feel the familiar pangs of finishing a beloved novel.

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