Torah Commentary

In building a sanctuary in the wilderness, God calls on the Israelites to contribute the gifts they don’t even know they have.

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

In a Torah portion long understood to be a lesson in leadership, we are led to believe Moses all but ignored those closest to him.

The lingering trauma of Isaac’s near-sacrifice is felt in his relationship with his wife Rebecca and in the generations that follow.

Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son should be seen as a unique situation never to be repeated.

A lesson in the role of discomfort in fomenting social change.

The story of the flood is an object lesson in the kinds of crimes that pose existential social threats.

The banishing of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden marks the beginning of humanity’s path to fulfilling its destiny.

Moses' final dramatic message to the Israelites introduces some new names and characteristics of God.

Moses' final address to the Jewish people takes on added significance because of its proximity to his death.