How does a goat in the wilderness bring us on the path to holiness? This week’s Torah portion teaches us about Aaron, Moses’s brother. As the high priest, Aaron was charged with taking two goats and designating one for God and one for “Azazel.” ...
Pesach and Shavuot, the Jewish holidays that bookend the 49 days of the Omer, mark a key episode in the story of the Jewish people. We usually think of this episode as a journey from slavery to freedom (Pesach) and on to revelation (Shavuot), ...
The Talmud in Yevamot 46b teaches in the name of Rabbi Joshua that the whole Jewish people immersed in water before receiving the Torah at Sinai. This immersion, the Talmud suggests, was an essential step towards being “brought under the wings of the Divine ...
Rabbi Leon Morris is the President of Pardes and is the first alumnus to head the institution. Leon made aliyah in June 2014, after serving as the rabbi of Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, NY. Before coming to Pardes, ...
Dr. Jane Shapiro is passionate about all aspects of Jewish teaching and learning. She is a co-founder of Orot: Center for New Jewish Learning ( www.orotcenter.org). She lives in Skokie, Illinois with her husband David and is also mother to four sons, ...
For the last 20 years, I have taught philanthropists and foundation professionals from around the world. Essential to that curriculum is “philanthro-ethics” – the responsibility of funders to behave and fund in ways informed by best ethical practices. Implicit is the inherent power imbalance ...
It's not enough to leave Egypt -- we need to understand what we are leaving behind and where we are heading. To do that, we need to explore not just the 49 steps of the journey from Egypt to Sinai, but also the 49-year ...
My dad has taught many things that have stuck with me throughout my life, but one of his “stickiest” is, "Spiritual experiences don’t happen to you, they happen because of you." Especially at this time of year, I find myself reflecting on this lesson ...
I am ecstatic to welcome you back to 49 Steps, our annual series providing you with daily tidbits of Jewish wisdom and Jewish longings from Passover to Shavuot. This publication was received with such great reception last year that we could not be happier ...
