Category Archives: Uncategorized

Slaves or slave-owners?

The Jerusalem Talmud often surprises us. At Passover it’s no different: an extraordinary comment there over-turns our self-image as “slaves in Egypt” and reminds us that we might have been slave-owners there too. In this reading, Passover commemorates not only … Continue reading

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For a consensus on rabbas, learn halacha

‘When all else fails, read the instructions’ The most surprising feature of the Office of the Chief Rabbi’s recent statement in the Jewish Chronicle, opposing women’s ordination, was that it did not mention halacha. Instead it labelled women’s ordination as unacceptable because … Continue reading

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Jewish Rights to the Land of Israel?

Many people believe that Jews have a right to the land of Israel.  Much ink and blood have been spilled on this claim.  So it might surprise us to learn that our last two Torah readings teach the opposite: the … Continue reading

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Four Songs

A poem by Rav Avraham Yitzhak Kook There is one who sings the song of his own life, and in himself he finds everything, his full spiritual satisfaction. There is another who sings the song of his people. 

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