Observation ·
The Case of the Non-Jewish Prophet
By Atar HadariWith his fatal weakness for the lure of fame and fortune, the prophet-for-hire Balaam seems completely our contemporary.
The Monthly Portion
Latest Mosaic Content for The Monthly Portion
Observation ·
The Bible’s Coalition of Complainers
By Sarah RindnerKoraḥ's failed rebellion against the leadership of Moses shows that a culture based on grievance cannot last.
Observation ·
The Great Book of Grievance
By David WolpeThere's a reason the Torah refers to the endlessly complaining Israelites, who need a golden calf to comfort them, as "the children of Israel."
Observation ·
Why Does the Bible Require New Mothers to Atone after Childbirth?
By Sarah RindnerThe law in Leviticus seems morally questionable, not to mention out of line with the Bible's otherwise encouraging stance toward the bearing of children. What's it really about?
Observation ·
Why the Lord Doesn’t Allow David to Build the Temple
By Atar HadariDavid remains a revolutionary hero, a guerrilla leader and desert tribal bandit—too much of a renegade at heart to be entrusted with His house.
Observation ·
In Judaism, Holiness Is as Holiness Does
By David WolpeThe fire at the core of Leviticus.
Observation ·
The Darkest Day in the History of Judaism?
By Atar HadariWhen Israelites who stood for God were ordered to kill their fellows who had stood for the Golden Calf.
Observation ·
Ancient Israel’s National Anthem
By Sarah RindnerThe great song marking the Israelites' safe crossing of the Sea of Reeds is the Hebrew Bible's only full-length poem recited collectively by the people as a whole. What is it really about?
Observation ·
Prayers for the Departed
By Atar HadariThe two disparate texts intoned at Ariel Sharon's funeral tell us much about contemporary Jewish attitudes toward life, death, and the land of Israel.
Observation ·
Who Is “I Am That I Am”?
By David WolpeIn the Jewish tradition, the summit of religious awareness is to know that God is ultimately unknowable.
Observation ·
One of the Most Spectacular Songs of Praise in the Jewish Liturgy
By Atar HadariNishmat starts with the wide-open sky and the wings of eagles; it ends deep inside the recesses of the body, in our vital organs.
Observation ·
Which is Better: to Be Righteous, or to Be Quick to Sin and Quick to Repent?
By Sarah RindnerThe story of Joseph sets up two archetypes: the righteous dreamer (Joseph) and the flawed but penitent sinner (his brother Judah). Both have a place in the tradition, but one is preferred.
Observation ·
The Murder-Ballad of Abraham and Isaac
By Atar HadariCan you imagine the person who bathed you and put you to bed at night tying you up one day and holding a knife to your throat?
Observation ·
The Siddur Is a Battlefield
By Atar HadariThe ancient priesthood, the Pharisees, the kabbalists, the Ḥasidim—each of these and more have made a stand in the prayer book for what they think Judaism should be.
Observation ·
For the Torah, Women Aren’t Commodities, and Marriage Isn’t a Pro-Forma Prelude to Sex
By Atar HadariThe point of the Torah's rules on foreign brides and divorce.
Observation ·
One of the Most Profound Paradigm Shifts in Jewish History
By Atar HadariA biblical story marks the moment when Judaism turned from charismatic authority to institutional authority, and from the rule of judgment to the rule of law.
Observation ·
Why the Generation that Left Egypt Was Kept in the Desert
By Atar HadariThey looked inside themselves and saw only their own fear, not the confidence needed to make the land of Israel their own.
Observation ·
For Every Material Punishment, A Spiritual One, Too
By Atar HadariRead enough of the Hebrew Bible and you could come to the conclusion that the two are intertwined, or even interdependent.
Observation ·
Why the High Priest Is Not Allowed to Mourn
By Atar HadariHe is dehumanized, his life circumscribed by the need to achieve perfect purity and be a vessel for the forgiveness of the people's sins.
Observation ·
The Most Boring Torah Portion of the Year?
By Atar HadariVayakhel records in painstaking detail the making of the tabernacle. It also makes clear one crucial truth: the central task of Jewish leadership is not atonement but teaching.
Observation ·
Why Moses Resists Being Chosen to Lead the Israelites
By Atar HadariHe insists he's not cut out for the job, and his reason has something to do with the way he speaks.
Observation ·
The Crucial Contrast Between Joseph and Moses
By Atar HadariMoses acts, while Joseph sees himself as being acted upon.
Observation ·
The Final Reverberations of Sarah’s Life
By Atar HadariHow her fear and her mistreatment of Hagar the Egyptian helped forge the descendants of Abraham into a people, in a forge of 400 years.
Observation ·
How Moses Let Go
By Atar HadariFor 40 years, Moses held tight to the Jews lest they relapse into idol worship. As his time drew to an end, he forced himself to loosen the reins.
Observation ·
Were Reuben and Gad Right to Ask Moses for Land on the Other Side of the Jordan?
By Atar HadariWherever Jews live, God lives within them.
Observation ·
Mutiny in the Bible
By Atar HadariWhat happens when the people rebel against the leadership of Moses and Aaron?
Observation ·
Did It Really Happen, or Was It a Dream?
By Atar HadariGod ordered the prophet Hosea to marry a whore and father her children. The rabbis can't decide if the story actually happened or was purely symbolic.
Observation ·
Why Israel’s Memorial Day Turns into Its Independence Day
By Atar HadariAnd why this week's Torah portion fits into the spirit of both days.
Observation ·
The Bible’s More Than Three-Dimensional Pharaoh
By Atar HadariYou can hear the man’s voice as he keeps changing his mind. What’s the point of such a Shakespearean portrayal?
Observation ·
What to Do When the Lord Orders Vengeance
By Atar HadariGod wanted all of Amalek dead. Saul thought he knew better. What happened next?
