(Introduction 2021: Our Torah portion, Chayei Sarah, is a good example of how the Bible changes its rhythm for literary purpose. The Bible is usually very laconic and moves through long periods of ...

One of the core teachings in Torah portion Massei (the second of our double-portion) is the concept of the “cities of refuge” that will be established in the land (Numbers 35:9-34). The Cities of ...

This is an adaptation of Looking Forward, a weekly email from our editor-in-chief sent on Friday afternoons. Sign up here to get the Forward’s free newsletters delivered to your inbox. I was thrilled ...

The parsha does not show a clash of good vs evil, but a deep disagreement about leadership and the path by which the people of Israel should take. Throughout all the Torah portions in the Book of ...

The story of every nation is the story of its leaders — and how they leave, writes the author of the forthcoming “The Torah of Leadership.” We often invoke the Hebrew phrase “l’dor v’dor,” from ...

Yiddish World Blog ties weekly Torah portion with works of Yiddish writers For last week’s portion, the blog matches the story of Jacob’s daughter Dina with a poem about her by the poet Itsik Manger.

This week’s Torah portion is Vayetze: Genesis 28:10 – 32:3 The D’var Torah for Parshat Vayetze inadvertently appeared in our Nov. 20 issue, and we are ...

Last week, our communities gathered to mark the one-year yahrzeit observance of the tragedy of Oct. 7. While each communal event was different, there were common themes. Foremost, of course, was the ...