American Jews

Sports & Immigrant Jews

Immigrant Jews delved into sports to prove their mettle as Americans.

Creating the Jewish Pregnancy

From Shehechiyanu to psalms, how I brought Jewish ritual into this momentous life stage.

Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and the Making of Modern Hebrew

The Lithuania-born visionary turned an ancient language into a spoken one.

How to Organize a Shiva

A checklist and advice for preparing a Jewish house of mourning.

Advertisement

Next Torah Portion

Summary

In this Torah portion, Moses details many of God’s laws to the Israelites. These include laws about worshiping other gods, kashrut, business ethics and treatment of animals. God outlines the details of three holidays: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. God provides an angel to protect the Israelites from their enemies and warns the Israelites not to worship other gods. Moses ascends Mount Sinai to meet with God for 40 days and 40 nights, leaving Aaron and Hur in charge.

FULL COMMENTARY
HAFTARAH COMMENTARY

Parashat Mishpatim

Exodus 21:1-24:18, 30:11-16

II Kings 12:1-17 | Shabbat Shekalim

Parashat Mishpatim: Overcoming Victimhood

This Torah portion offers a vital ethical message for a people who have suffered centuries of oppression.

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.

Would You Know My Name?

The Zohar claims we will recognize each other in the afterlife.

Cleaving to God Through Song

How the Zohar understands the function of song in the quest to connect to God.

The Well of Torah

Moses’ last speech to the Israelites establishes the paradigm for spoken Torah.


FEATURED ON MY JEWISH LEARNING

8 Jewish Pickle Recipes

A cozy collection of Jewish pickling and fermentation recipes to try at home.

Julius Rosenwald

The man who revolutionized the Sears catalog supplemented a traditional Jewish approach to philanthropy with modern business practices and progressive ideals. 

The Jews of Iran

The history of Iranian Jewry features stories from the Hebrew Bible, flourishing medieval poetry and fruitful exchange with the wider Iranian culture.

The 10 Best Quotes from the Book of Proverbs

This biblical book of sayings and advice is full of wisdom.

Jewish Immigration to America

The size and character of the American Jewish community has been defined by the 3.5 million Jews who have emigrated since the 17th century.

Who Was Rabbi Akiva?

The second-century sage was the inspiration for many legends and may have died as a martyr.


Recharge Now

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

On Falling

There are seasons of standing and seasons of falling and both of these are held softly, somewhere, by the One.

Tu Bishvat: Trusting What We Cannot See

Just as life moves beneath the soil and sea, the Jewish holiday of trees reminds us that the world is fuller than it often appears.

Torah is Pedagogy

What if the Bible’s multiple voices aren’t a contradiction, but a curriculum?

Advertisement