Yom Kippur’s Kol Nidre payers is an enigma wrapped in a mystery, perhaps the strangest text ever to capture the religious imagination. First, it is not a prayer at all. It is not even a … more

This column was published in September 2014, at the end of a year — 5774 — during which Israel fought Operation Protective Edge in Gaza. In the year that we are now parting with, it … more

The great transition is about to take place. Moses’ career as a leader is coming to an end, and Joshua’s leadership is about to begin. Moses blesses his successor. Then G-d does. Listen … more

H ere’s an experiment. Walk around the great monuments of Washington. There, at the far end, is the figure of Abraham Lincoln, four times life-size. Around him on the walls of the memorial are … more

It is by any standards a strange, almost incomprehensible law. Here it is in the form it appears in Ki Seitzei, this week’s parsha: Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way … more

In Shoftim, Moses speaks about the great institutions of Judaism: courts, judges, officers, kings, priests, Levites and prophets. In the case of the prophet, Moses says in the name of G-d: I … more

Listen to these stories. Behind them lies an extraordinary insight into the nature of Jewish ethics: Story 1. Rabbi Abba used to bind money in his scarf, sling it on his back, and place it at … more

The Torah is a work of wondrous depth and subtlety, so much so that we can easily miss some of its most profound intimations. There is a fine example in this week’s sed-ra , Eikev. It concerns … more

In the last month of his life, Moses gathered the people. He instructed them about the laws they were to keep and reminded them of their history since the Exodus. … more

As we approach the 9th of Av, we recall the tragedies throughout history that have befallen the Jewish people, many of which, according to the Sages, were brought about as a result of sinat chinam , … more