In recent years we have often felt plagued by reports of Israeli and Jewish leaders whose immoral actions had been exposed. A president guilty of sexual abuse. A prime minister indicted on … more

Carl Jung had an anti-Semitic streak and was, at least for a time, sympathetic to the Nazi cause. Yet he was one of the major psychological theorists of the 20th century, and his insights into … more

The sidra begins, “Say to the kohanim the descendants of Aaron.” The definition of the kohanim as descending from Aaron seems too obvious to need iteration. We know who they are … more

Chapter 23 of our parasha, Emor, known as parashat hamoadim,” contains the Torah-based chagim we encounter throughout the Jewish year. “And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, … more

Parashat Kedoshim includes many well-known mitzvot, such as reverence for parents (Vayikra 19:3), the prohibition of lashon hara (19:16), and the obligation to demonstrate love toward other … more

In the listing of ingredients for the proper pursuit of holiness, the Torah puts reverence of one’s parents and the observance of the Sabbath at the fore front, on just about an equal … more

I love visiting residences for senior citizens. For one thing, being around older people invariably helps me feel young by comparison. Recently, I was a weekend guest scholar at such a … more

S omething fundamental happens at the beginning of this week’s parsha, Kedoshim, and the story is one of the greatest, if rarely acknowledged, contributions of Judaism to the world. Until … more

On Dec. 20, 2013, a young woman named Justine Sacco was waiting in Heathrow airport before boarding a flight to Africa. To while away the time, she sent a tweet in questionable taste about the … more

He did most of his writing and public speaking almost exactly 100 years ago. He had no secular education, and it is doubtful that he even read the newspapers of his day. Nevertheless, he had … more