Parashá

Shemot

Parashá Shemot

English

Why Does God Answer Moses in the Future Tense? Moses asks God for His name, and the answer is often translated "I am what I am." But that translation misses what God is actually saying.…

Parashá Vaera

English

If God Strengthened Pharaoh's Heart, Why Was Pharaoh Punished? From the sixth plague on, the Torah tells us that it was God who strengthened Pharaoh's heart. But if Pharaoh had no freedom to choose,…

Parashá Bo

English

Why Didn't Moses Talk About Freedom? Days before the Israelites walk out of Egypt, with the greatest empire of the ancient world on its knees, Moses stands up to speak. He…

Parashá Yitro

English

Was the Free Society Really Born in Athens? Ask where the free society began and most histories will point you to Athens. Yet long before the Greeks, a people stood at the foot of a…

Parashá Mishpatim

English

Why Does the Torah Suddenly Turn from Story to Law? For whole books the Torah tells a story: the patriarchs, the slavery in Egypt, the way out. Then, straight after Sinai, it turns to rules…