Category: Uncategorized

  • Leadership and the Next Generation

    In this week’s portion Moses gets the Jews ready for his imminent death. He knows that he will not be the leader and prepares for the next generation through the appointment of Joshua.

  • Remember the Past

    To end his long speech Moses again reminds the Jews of the danger of idolatry. The real evil of idolatry is that there is no moral code. People do what they think is correct. The Bible is our guide to what is moral and what is not.

  • It is Not in Heaven

    One of the most famous statements in the Torah is in this week’s portion. That the Torah is not in Heaven. What is meant by that is that the Torah was given to us as a rule and guide on how to conduct our lives.

  • Love Your Spouse

    In this week’s portion we see what happens when someone marries for lust. They end up hating each other. The results is the rebellious son. To avoid this marry for the right reasons.

  • Beware of a False Prophet

    The Torah warns us about following false prophets. That they will always lead us astray. We should remember that the followers of totalitarian regimes think of their leaders as prophets.

  • Our Morality is From God

    The reason the Torah seem to harp on the evils of idolatry is that it is based on human morality, which changes with the times. God’s morality is unchanging.

  • Seek Justice

    The Torah calls on judges to seek justice. Not to do justice. The important distinction is that we are human and bound to make mistakes but that our goal should always be to do our best to be just in judgements.

  • Introduction to Shoftim

    The Torah first worries about how we behave privately, then as a community. Finally, it shows how a Torah government should act. Here we see how the judges should judge.

  • The Danger of a False Prophet

    The danger of a false prophet is that though what he says seems to be true it is not and will therefore lead people astray. This will cause idolatry and then the courts will have to take action against people committing idolatry.

  • The Jewish Bondsman

    The Torah is against us treating slaves as property. The slave has rights that the master cannot violate. This means that the Torah was against the institution of slavery. The anti-slavery movement of the 18th & 19th centuries was based on the Torah.