Articles

The narrative of Esther is not simply a tale of palace intrigue. It is a layered
meditation on exile, identity, moral courage, and divine providence.

This isn’t the first period of Jewish history when Jews faced viciousness and violence. It likely won’t be the last period either. But long experience has taught us to stay strong, stay confident, stay positive. The challenge to our generation is to stand tall as Jews, to stand strong on behalf of Israel.

This week’s portion includes the Call to Holiness, which includes “Love your fellow as yourself” (Lev. 19:18).
It is noteworthy that this is not all that the verse says. The first part of the verse instructs us not
to take revenge or bear a grudge.

All groups need discerning judgment. Even Orthodox Jews who restrict their broader exposure and encounter mostly rabbinic influences must differentiate between more and less reasonable voices.

Something unique about the book of Ruth is that it does not say an unkind or critical word about any of the characters. This does not mean that the author approves of all that they say and do; he does not. There are ‘light’ and ‘shadows’ in the book of Ruth.

Kedoshim:

What Is Holiness?

On both the personal and communal levels, we are to strive to maintain holy lives. This entails living in the presence of God, knowing that our lives have transcendent meaning, that we are to be models of piety and righteousness. Everything we do must be geared toward this over-arching goal.

Though the Book of Ruth is not a law code, it engages with halakhah deeply and
meaningfully. It reflects a living halakhic tradition in which law is not only a command,
but a covenant—shaped by decency, mutual responsibility, and sacred memory.