More Than “Because”
While the majority of the meanings of the words in the Torah are forthright, some appear to be syntax anomalies. One excellent example is the word “eikev,” which is used in Deuteronomy…
One Goat…and a Host of Other Things
Most American children know the play song There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. It’s a fun song that has a building pattern that helps develop children’s memory…
Cartoon Power
The mesmerizing imagery in Syd Hoff’s classic children’s books Danny and the Dinosaur and Sammy the Seal (and Herschel the Hero!) may evoke a bygone era, but the storylines remain…
Above Scrutiny
“The cobbler’s children have no shoes!” So declares the pithy aphorism regarding one of the ironies of life. Centuries prior to the first recording of this phrase, however, the Talmud…
Shabbat Chazon
This Shabbat is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of the Vision (prophecy), named after the opening word of the Book of Isaiah, the first 27 verses of which are read as…
How Many Tribes?
The challenge to name the number of tribes of Israel would fall into the category of “easy” by trivia fans. However, the term “The Twelve Tribes of Israel” can be enumerated in…
My Kids’ Inheritance
There’s a cute bumper sticker that says “I’m spending my kids’ inheritance.” If you were to ask whether the great Jewish scholars would approve of such an attitude, you might be surprised…
The Left-Handed Warrior
The Book of Judges tells of the men and women who led the Children of Israel from the time of the conquest of the land of Israel by Joshua until the selection of the first king, Saul.…
Shabbat Chazon
This Shabbat is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of the Vision (prophecy), named after the opening word of the Book of Isaiah, the first 27 verses of which are read as…
Can You Be The Tenth?
That the Hebrew word “minyan” derives from the infinitive “lim’not,” to count or number, is not at all surprising. A minyan is a quorum of 10, the smallest number necessary to…