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Happy Birthday, Moses
According to Jewish tradition, today is the day on which Moses was born and also the day on which he died. Some Jewish communities fast today, the 7th of Adar according to the Hebrew calendar, and in Israel it is a day for remembering fallen soldiers whose bodies have not been recovered — just as the location of Moses’ burial is unknown.
Purim starts Thursday, March 13th
Purim 101
Purim is a joyous holiday that celebrates the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre in ancient Persia.
Must-Know Purim Words and Phrases
Key vocabulary for this raucous holiday
Purim in the Community
Megillah reading, mishloach manot and more
Purim 2025
In 2025, Purim begins at sundown on Thursday, March 13 and ends at sundown on Friday, March 14.
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Summary
In this Torah portion, Moses stays with God on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. There, he is given the 10 Commandments on stone tablets. Fearing Moses will never return, the Israelites turn to Aaron, who demands that everyone bring him their gold, so he can make a golden calf. When Moses comes down the mountain and sees the people dancing around this idol, he smashes the tablets on the ground. God punishes with a plague all the Israelites who were involved. Moses builds a tent to be his meeting place with God.
Featured Commentary
Holiness Cannot Be Mass Produced
The artisan is as important as the ingredients used.
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Daf Yomi
Sanhedrin 81
Execution in a vaulted chamber.
Sanhedrin 80
You’ve been warned.
Sanhedrin 79
Transferred intent.
STUDY RESOURCES
Recharge Now
Our weekly Shabbat newsletter, Recharge, features a thoughtful, timely essay to enrich your Shabbat. Here are a few of our recent pieces:
A Taste of the World to Come
On Purim, we get a flavor of a redeemed world — and it is intoxicating.
Trees in the Wilderness
Each generation carries the weight of previous generations, and the potential to transform that weight into something magnificent.
The Screams Of the Oppressed
Despite the Torah’s stern warning against oppressing the stranger, we still struggle to get this right.
MORE from MY JEWISH LEARNING
7 Ways the Torah Can Actually Sharpen Your Mind
Engaging with Torah is like yoga for the mind: It keeps our perspectives flexible and creativity strong.
Ask the Expert: Do All Religions Worship the Same God?
Jews don’t have a monopoly on God, but we do privilege and prefer our own access.
Similar Jewish Words You Don’t Want to Mix Up
From kibbitz/kibbutz to mitzvah/mikveh, we round up some easily confused Hebrew and Yiddish terms.
Who Was Moses in the Bible?
The greatest Jewish prophet led the Israelites out of Egypt and received the Torah at Sinai, but he never entered the promised land.
How to Talk to God
The Hasidic prayer practice of hitbodedut — talking to God freely in one’s native tongue — helps to build intimacy over time.
Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World
This phrase with kabbalistic roots has come to connote social justice.