Evergreen

The images of the angel of God and the pillar of cloud accompanying the Israelites in the desert raise questions about effective leadership.

When tradition is silent, symbolic explanations arise.

How did this Sukkot tradition develop?

This lively ancient Sukkot ritual included juggling and gymnastics.

We are often blind to the dimension that lacks physical substance, and that can lead to enslavement to things.

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law suggests a system for establishing lower courts to settle disputes; God speaks the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel amidst fire, smoke, and the sound of the shofar.

Jewish tradition places great emphasis on the way in which we hear and how we interpret the messages we receive.

Raising questions about our complex relationship with God.

Establishing an equitable human judicial system is the necessary condition for receiving the divine moral wisdom of the Torah.

Holiness derives from encounters with God in Torah study; it is not intrinsic to locations like Mount Sinai.