Evergreen

The biblical approach stands in sharp contrast to American federal sentencing guidelines.

Moses sends scouts to explore the Land of Israel; ten of them convince the people that it will be too difficult to conquer the land.

The tzitzit (fringes) on our clothes remind us not to be discouraged or lose hope for social change, based on the realities we see around us.

The person who gathered wood on Shabbat in Parashat Sh'lach violated the atmosphere of tranquility essential to the Sabbath.

Unable to see beyond their own fears and insecurities, 10 of the 12 spies despaired of conquering Canaan.

We can all heed Moses' reminder to God, to live up to God's reputation of being slow to anger.

The role of the spies was to determine whether they and the Israelites had the confidence and certainty of God's love to enter the land of the covenant.

Social justice as a sacred communal obligation

The closer we are to God, the more we are able to put our cravings into perspective.

A midrash on the Sotah ritual emphasizes the lengths to which we go to bring peace between spouses.