Parasha

Haftarat Ki Tetze: When others destroy, Jews rebuild and make things greater

Jerusalem has endured exile and loss, but Isaiah tells her not to look only at what has been destroyed. She must look ahead to what will be rebuilt.

|ByMICHAEL FREUND
Jewish worshippers and visitors gather at the Western Wall in Jerusalem a day before the eve of Tisha B’Av, July 21, 2026.
‘NO MAN is an island, entire of itself...’

Parashat Ki Tetze: Set adrift on the island of Elul

Parashat Ki Tetze abruptly shifts from collective responsibilities to personal ones. It is the densest legal section of the Torah, containing more commandments than any other parasha.

|ByMOSHE TARAGIN
UNDER THE HUPPA.

Parashat Ki Tetze: Creating a deep bond and the secret of marriage

The relationship between a man and a woman is also, in a sense, a reflection of the relationship between a person and his Creator.

|ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
‘MAN IS like the tree of the field.’

What is the connection between Zionism and planting trees in Israel?

Trees have repeatedly been destroyed by war, fires, and other causes, but we have always planted again as an expression of Jewish resilience and rebuilding.

|ByMOSHE TARAGIN

The Chosen People: But Why Us?

FEBRUARY 11, 2025ByMARK FISH
An orthodox man prays at the Western Wall

From fear to song: Haftarah of Parashat Beshalach mirrors Israel's current state - opinion

As in the Jewish Bible, Israel also now stands at a moment that offers the hope of quiet. With a fragile cessation of hostilities holding for now, we feel just about ready to lift our heads and heart

FEBRUARY 7, 2025ByKENNETH BRANDER
Exodus - the splitting of the Red Sea.

Parashat Beshalach: The path to victory

Unite the nation through love and kindness, and we will defeat the descendants of Amalek.

FEBRUARY 7, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
An illustrative image of chess pieces.

Parashat Beshalach: How to cross the Reed Sea

We are at a watershed moment, and we need to respond from courage, artfulness, and faith, – not from despair. It’s time to cross the Reed Sea together.

FEBRUARY 7, 2025ByRAPHAEL SHUCHAT
An illustrative image of feet walking through the water.

Parashat Bo: Beautiful as the moon

The commandment of sanctifying the month is not merely a technical instruction for those who establish the calendar on how and when to determine the new month.

JANUARY 31, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
SUPERMOON RISES over Jerusalem this past November.

More Than a Pharaoh: The Clash of Human Desire and Divine Power

JANUARY 29, 2025ByMARK FISH

Parashat Va'era: Pharaoh’s sin of hubris

The blessing that led Pharaoh to the sin of arrogance is the very thing that will turn into a curse.

JANUARY 24, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
In a recent article, Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Egyptian former Minister of Antiquities, addressed the enduring myth of the Curse of the Pharaohs.

Parashat Shemot: Compassion and respect for others

Redemption and progress cannot come at the expense of another’s dignity.

JANUARY 17, 2025ByRABBI SHMUEL RABINOWITZ
Moses was a leader with humility, which is what we should be looking for today.

Parashat Shemot: Women as leaders

The remarkable story of six heroines – six courageous women without whom there would not have been a Moses.

JANUARY 17, 2025ByRABBI JONATHAN SACKS
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Patience is the Key: Life Advice from Rabbi Yeshayahu Pinto

JANUARY 17, 2025ByDAVID BERGER