Pesach: 4 Drinks Deep – By Ben
Passover has its staples. Eating matzah, telling over the story, kids selling back the afikomen, wondering When Do We Eat? But one tradition may just be more essential (and more […]
Author Archives: eltram
Tazria – Don’t Cast Out the Leper — By Ben
One of the things that has bothered me about the Torah is the insensitive treatment of a person who has contracted leprosy. Exiling said person like a piece of garbage, […]
Knowing Your Role — By Ben
One of my favorite experiences of my early career was working as a writers apprentice on the TV show Robot Chicken. I had watched the pop culture sketch animation show […]
Purim – Becoming The Main Character — By Ben
In screenwriting there is what is known as an act break. Movie structure generally has 3 acts, the set up, the fun and games, and the final act. (Technically there […]
Purim – Live or Die by the Mitzvahs — By Ben
Purim is rapidly approaching and before we know it we’ll all be sporting costumes, eating hamentashens, and drinking till we don’t know which way is up or down. Just kidding, […]
Is There a Jewish Hell? — By Ben
Even though I didn’t grow up very religious, I always liked the idea that Judaism doesn’t have a hell. The concept of a never ending torture fest because you didn’t […]
Ki Sisa – Remember What You Have
I’m pretty sure even the most disconnected uneducated atheist has some awareness of the infamous sin of the Golden Calf. Much like the “apple” from the Garden of Eden and […]
Tetzaveh – Moses Redacted
Tetzaveh may be considered a bit of a dry parsha as it mostly details the clothing and duties of the Kohanim (Priests of the Temple). But there’s an interesting oddity […]
Joy – A Tale of Two Adars — By Ben
This year Purim won’t be in the month of Adar. Well, it’s not going to be in the first Adar. It’ll be in the second one. Second one? Funny story. […]
Mishpatim – Agreeing Before Understanding — By Ben
The phrase Naaseh V’Nishma is considered possibly the most lauded utterance of the Jewish people. Just before the event of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, God asks the […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 