Torah Commentaries

This Torah portion illustrates what happens when we put our individual needs first.

Two linguistic features of this Torah portion remind us of the need to speak carefully even when our message is true.

How do we make sense of the census commanded in this Torah portion, which specifies only men be counted?

Parashat Behar-Bechukotai: The Dark Side of Torah Ethics

Engaging with difficult passages in the Torah requires sitting with complexity and tension.

An unusual juxtaposition in this Torah portion highlights an oft-overlooked piece of observing the major festivals.

Why does the Torah require that a gratitude offering be accompanied by loads of bread?

This Torah portion teaches that it’s better to give than receive.

This Torah portion teaches that holiness is not meant to suppress our physicality, but to elevate it.

The Torah’s elaborate description of the priestly vestments reminds us that clothing has the power to change how we feel.

In building a sanctuary in the wilderness, God calls on the Israelites to contribute the gifts they don’t even know they have.

This Torah portion offers a vital ethical message for a people who have suffered centuries of oppression.

In a Torah portion long understood to be a lesson in leadership, we are led to believe Moses all but ignored those closest to him.

Why the creation of the Jewish nation in Parashat Beshalach was marked by singing praises to God.

Parashat Bo reminds us of the beautiful world that can be built in an instant, even after destruction and heartache.

This Torah portion features a passage recounting the genealogy of Moses and Aaron -- with some glaring omissions.