Judaism

“On the Seventh Day the Walls of Water Split”
(Revised and updated from Passover 5765-2005)

According to tradition, the Children of Israel marched through the Sea of Reeds (the Red Sea) on the seventh day of Passover. The Torah, in Exodus 14, declares twice that “the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left.” This unusual repetition of the phrase begs elucidation, and, of course, there is much to learn from this repetition.

“The Passover Seder–Focus on the Children”
(Revised and updated from Passover 5760-2000)

Even before the enslavement of the Jews began, Pharaoh instructed the midwives to kill all the newborn Jewish babies. The Midrash goes further, asserting that Pharaoh’s disproportionate hatred of Jewish children led him to try to remedy his leprosy affliction by bathing in the blood of Jewish children. On Passover night, every Jew is a child, and every Jew becomes a parent, to underscore the importance of nurturing the next generation.

“The Ultimate Value and Sanctity of Human Life in Judaism”
(Revised and updated from Metzorah 5760-2000)

In ancient times, not only a menstruant woman, but also a man who has had a seminal emission, were rendered ritually impure. These complex laws of emissions and purification, that seem so crude at first blush, are truly enlightened. They come to underscore the sanctity of human life and Judaism’s ultimate regard for the value of life.

“Death and Life are in the 'Hands' of the Tongue!”
(Revised and updated from Tazria 5760-2000)

We tend to dismiss the power of the tongue, and yet it is so powerful, that it often has the ability to give life and take life.

"Substance Abuse in Judaism"
(Revised and updated from Shemini 5760-2000)

The severe punishment meted out to the sons of Aaron, leaves us with a powerful reason to carefully examine the Jewish attitude toward intoxicants and drugs. Alcoholism and drug abuse is serious business, not something that can be ignored. Wine is a divine gift, that plays a key role in Judaism. Yet, we need to make certain that it is treated as a special gift and imbibed with respect.