One of the most important Jewish contributions to our understanding of leadership is its early insistence of what, in the eighteenth century, Montesquieu called “the separation of … more

T he best-known pasuk in our parasha, Terumah, is this: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary (mikdash) and I will dwell in their midst.” It is followed by many verses that specify every … more

In one of the opening statements of his essay “The Lonely Man of Faith,” Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik writes, “The nature of the dilemma can be stated in a three-word sentence. I am … more

There is a well-known joke that is told about the Jews, which I find particularly sad. The joke tells of a group of explorers who find a Jew who has been stranded on a desert island for years. As he … more

As soon as we read the opening lines of Terumah we begin the massive shift from the intense drama of the Exodus with its signs and wonders and epic events, to the long, detailed narrative of how the … more

A former chief rabbi accused and arrested for possible bribery and embezzlement, a rabbinic leader found guilty of inappropriate behavior with his students, and yet another rabbi accused of bribing … more

T he words na’aseh v’nishmah (we will do, and we will hear) are two of the most celebrated words that appear in our parasha, Mishpatim. When the Jewish people uttered this phrase during … more

Early in my postgraduate training, I became familiar with the important role that empathy plays in successful psychotherapy. As the eminent psychotherapist Carl Rogers wrote, “Empathy is the … more

Let’s begin with the old saying that reminds us: “It’s the Ten Commandments, not the Ten Suggestions.” This is more than a joke; it is the foundation of our moral behavior. … more

First in Yitro there were the Aseret Hadibrot, the “Ten Utterances,” the Ten Commandments, expressed as general principles. Now in Mishpatim come the details. Here is how they begin: … more