Chanukah, a REAL holiday. — By Ben
Chanukah is a lie. Or rather that’s what I came away with after a seminar taught at my reform Temple when I was 12. I don’t remember much, I just […]
Category Archives: Posts by Ben
Reward for Failure – Vayeishev
This week’s Torah portion, parsha Vayeishev, begins Joseph’s story. And it’s quite a story at that. There’s betrayal, seduction, a prison set piece, some dreams sequences, and (of course) mistaken identity. But the event […]
Pulp Fiction and Vayishlach
I know what you’re thinking. I’m going to go into Jules’s use of Ezekiel 25:17 as a speech before he “takes care of” his clients. Maybe go into how he dissects it […]
Vayeitzei – 12 Rocks and 70 Faces — By Ben
“There are 70 faces to the Torah” -Midrash As the Midrash is pointing out, there’s no one way to read the Torah. There’s gematria, Aggadata, the four levels of understanding, Rashi’s […]
Toldos – Not the Way it was Suppoed to Be –By Ben
In this week’s parsha, we have the infamous deception of Yitzchak by Yaakov for the coveted brucha. It’s a particularly troubling passage as it paints (without proper interpretation) our forefather in […]
Chayei Sarah – When a Father Can No Longer Give — By Ben
In Chayei Sarah, Avraham makes his last appearance in the Torah. After all he has done; brining monotheism back into the world, fighting a war, being the father of two […]
Vayeira – The Doomed Nation of Sodom — By Ben
Noah’s flood and Sodom and Gamorrah are two of the most chilling examples of God’s judgement in all of Torah. I’ve often talked about how Noah reacts to the coming of […]
Lech Lecha – Being Right in a World of Wrong — By Ben
Mark Twain’s famous line, used to open the Oscar nominated film The Big Short, speaks far beyond the ramifications of the housing crisis. When a person is so sure of them […]
Noach – A World of Difference — By Ben
Parshas Noach is one of the most troubling portions in all of Torah. The idea that God wiped out all humanity, save one family, is terrifying. Ironically, this is the Bible story […]
Bereishis – Why the Snake was Punished — By Ben
Adam and Eve have just eaten from the Tree. God is wrathful. Judgment! Judgment! Judgment! Man is sentenced to an existence of sweat and toil for his food, Women will […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 