Shavu'ot
Experiencing the revelation of Torah in our lives
Chosenness, rightly understood, should make Jews more committed to the dignity and flourishing of non-Jews, not less.
How far are we willing to go to prove that we are right?
By telling and re-telling difficult, even ethically repugnant, stories in the Torah, we may move from silence to healing and from narrowness to expanse.
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s arguments against chosenness still ring true.
At Sinai, all of Israel directs their hearts to one place -- one Makom.
The rabbis model how to transmit, transform, and ultimately, sweeten troubling texts.
A genuinely egalitarian religious tradition can only exist when we consciously work to include voices that have been excluded, from the ancient world forward.
The enterprise of Talmud Torah tunes our ear to listen for the Divine voice. It is a lifelong project that connects us to the shared consciousness of the Jewish people as we/they have sought God throughout time.
The Bible's description of the shuddering of the people at Mount Sinai reflects a deep truth about how moments of revelatory insight can be frightening.
