Why does the Torah often say that if someone does something wrong “he shall die.” It seems rather bloodthirsty. But the fact is that two thousand years ago the rabbis claimed that “he shall die” usually means “he deserves to die.” Remember that according to Jewish law it was almost impossible to condemn anyone, much more than in the USA…
Sefer Shemot
Sinai as a Personal Experience
The Torah returns to the revelation on Sinai in Chapter 24 and adds an extra dimension, that of individuals, having a personal revelation of God. But there are significant differences between the two versions. Previously we were told that the people had to wait at the bottom of the mountain while Aaron and the priests went half way up and…
Jethro
Moses’s father in law, Jethro, comes to visit and notices that he is sitting throughout the day dealing with issues and problems that the people are bringing to him. And they in turn are having to stand and wait for hours to have the opportunity to speak with him. He tells Moses that this is a disaster waiting to happen…
Father in Law
Jethro appears several times in the Torah and in fact has several different names. But he is known primarily as the Father in Law of Moses and this title is given to him seven times in this single chapter. It emphasizes the incredible respect that Moses had for him and equally the fact that if in Midian he was a…
Ten Principles
It is really misleading to call them the “Ten Commandments”, because they are more like principles than specific commandments, and within the “ten” there are, according to different commentators, anything from 12 to 16 specific commands. That is why in Hebrew they called the Aseret HaDibrot or Devarim, the “Ten Statements”. They are the foundations on which Torah has been,…
Family
The chapters we read this week include the Ten Commandments, the basic principles of Jewish life and one of its core principles is family. ‘Honor your father and your mother.” And I should point out that later on in Leviticus it says, ‘Respect your mother and your father.’ Notice the juxtaposition. The Torah is anxious to achieve balance. But also…