weekly insights

Among ancient ‘rules of war’ set down in Deuteronomy 20, in verses 19-20 we find an interesting directive on how to treat the trees...

In the Book of Deuteronomy Moses urges his people to gird themselves with spiritual and moral strength to be worthy to enter the promised...

In the Book of Deuteronomy, as Moses continues his farewell discourse just outside the promised land, he reminds the Israelites of the...

The Hebrew title for the book of Deuteronomy is Devarim, ‘words’. What ‘words’? The opening verse tells us that these are the farewell...

Having just been victorious in battle, in Numbers 32 we find the Israelites encamped on the plains of Moab ready to cross the Jordan...

“Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward” (Numbers 27:1). Do you know the story of Zelophehad’s daughters? The Bible depicts them...

On their way to the promised land the Israelites encounter one obstacle after another: hunger, thirst, rebellion, war. Here we explore...

"Miriam died there, and was buried there" (Numbers 20:1). That’s it. In one brief sentence, the Bible records the death of Miriam, sister...

“Any dispute which is for the sake of Heaven, its end will endure. But if it’s not for the sake of heaven, its end will not endure. Which...

Have you ever faced a critical decision where the way forward was unclear, risky, and the stakes high? Yet everything in your life had...

As the Book of Numbers continues the story of the Israelites’ epic wilderness journey, episodes of rebellion and conflict emerge. With...

Sitting in church, Kathy gives the homilist the full impact of her gaze. Her look is direct, her eyes alert, her smile warm; at the very...

With an eye to the Jewish cycle of readings, this week we open the Book of Numbers, also known by its Hebrew title ‘Bamidbar’ (In the...

The Book of Leviticus holds detailed instructions for the formation of a people as they learn to walk in the ways of God. In chapter 26...

“If anyone maims another [person]: what was done shall be done in return—fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Leviticus...

We begin with two verses: one from the Bible and one from the Babylonian Talmud. “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Leviticus...

Following the festival days of Passover and the Easter Octave, Light of Torah resumes its weekly schedule of exploring the Torah portion...

During the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II designated the Second Sunday of Easter as “Divine Mercy Sunday” in the Catholic calendar,...

A key biblical text that fuels the interpretative energies of both Jews and Christians during Passover and Easter respectively is the...

Tomorrow night (27 March 2021), Jewish communities commence the Passover Festival. Meanwhile, Catholics enter Holy Week, and prepare to...