weekly insights

"Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and broke into tears” (Genesis 29:11). Thus begins the passionate and troubled love affair between Jacob and...

The relationship between Jacob and Esau is a colourful saga within the larger family story that fills the book of Genesis. By this stage...

How do you choose a spouse in marriage? What qualities do you seek? What virtues do you hope and pray for your children to find in their...

‘How great is the outcry against Sodom and how very grave their sin!’ (Genesis 18:20). Exactly what was the sin of the biblical cities of...

The biblical matriarch Sarah is loved and revered in Jewish tradition. Yet this does not mean she is perfect or beyond critique. A great...

This week is an opportunity to extend our knowledge of a familiar bible story, perhaps known since childhood: Noah’s ark. We may already...

The story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16) is a tale of sibling rivalry of archetypal significance. Have you ever stopped to consider...

As we draw near to the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a striking example of biblical poetry traditionally referred to as ‘the...

As the Book of Deuteronomy moves towards its conclusion, Moses prepares for his death and bids his people farewell. His leadership has...

Shana Tova U'Metuka Festival greetings to Jewish friends for Rosh Hashanah, and a wish for all the goodness and sweetness of the new...

In this reflection we explore rabbinic thought patterns and the insights of Jewish commentators concerning a single verse of Scripture:...

In Deuteronomy 21-24 we come across a number of laws that reflect a concern for the welfare of women. For example: “When a man has taken...

“If, in the land that the LORD your God is assigning you to possess, someone slain is found lying in the open, the identity of the slayer...

“If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among you and promise you omens or portents, and the omens or the portents declared by...

In the Torah (Old/First Testament) we find repeated instances of the Israelites being warned to ‘remember’ and ‘observe;’ that is, to...

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is a passage that finds a central place in Jewish liturgy. The first verse constitutes a Jewish credal statement, known...

The opening verse of Deuteronomy reads, “These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel . . .” Words. What ‘words’? These are the...

“These were the marches of the Israelites…” Thus begins Numbers 33. This chapter reviews the travels of the Israelites from their...

In Numbers 27, the Israelites are close to entering the promised land. God prepares Moses for his death, reminding him that he is not to...

Numbers 22-24 tells the story of a pagan king (Balak) who commissions a magician (Balaam) to curse the people of Israel. Despite his best...