Going back to a significant starting point helps us put life into context. It reminds us of origins. It allows us to think things through quietly. As we visit—and depart from—our personal “Beersheva” we set off on the journey ahead with greater confidence, faith and wisdom.
Book Review
By Rabbi Hayyim Angel
Dennis Prager, The Rational Bible: Numbers (Regnery Faith, 2024)
With all the tensions relating to Israel, it's important to remember the age-old connection of the Jewish People with the land of Israel. Rabbi Hayyim Angel reviews the Biblical history of the land of Israel. This article appears in issue 43 of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. It is reprinted in issue 44 as well.
We pray for peace and prosperity. We pray for spiritual elevation. We pray that God’s covenant with Abraham will continue to resound in our generation and for many generations to come.
Living a proper halakhic life creates a deep, intimate relationship with God. Interiority, humility, love of humanity, and a desire to improve society are proper manifestations of a righteous life. Authentic religion is not about showiness, disdain for others, or authoritarianism.
Rabbi Marc D. Angel shares some thoughts on the life and spiritual legacy of one of America's foremost rabbinic figures of the 20th century.
In light of the new Pew study on Jewish affiliation, there will be a lot of hand-wringing about what the Jewish community can do to get people more engaged. My revolutionary suggestion? Get to synagogue
We sit at the threshold. We seek the presence of God through prayer and meditation. But our eyes wander outside to our fellow human beings. When we leave the threshold to help others, we aren’t actually leaving God’s presence. We are coming closer to Him and His will.
Although Sarah was the same person from childhood to old age, she was very different at the various stages of life. She died when she was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years—each of the “years” signifying a new stage in life. Don’t we all go through various stages in life? Aren’t we all the “same person” throughout our lifetimes; but aren’t we also different?
The more commentaries educators have in their own arsenal, the more they can fathom
Tanakh texts. They also are better equipped to provide more avenues for students to connect to
tradition and to respect legitimate diversity within a commitment to Torah.