There is a verse so familiar that we don’t often stop to reflect on what it means. It is the line from the first paragraph

In Vayakhel we meet, for the second time, the man who became the symbol of the artist in Judaism, a man by the name of

The more I study the Torah, the more conscious I become of the immense mystery of Exodus 33. This is the chapter set in the

Beethoven rose each morning at dawn and made himself coffee. He was fastidious about this: each cup had to be made with exactly 60 beans,

As soon as we read the opening lines of Terumah we begin the massive shift from the intense drama of the Exodus with its signs

One of the most famous phrases in the Torah makes its appearance in this week’s parsha. It has often been used to characterise Jewish faith

The American writer Bruce Feiler recently published a best-selling book entitled The Secrets of Happy Families. It’s an engaging work that uses research largely drawn

The Torah sometimes says something of fundamental importance in what seems like a minor and incidental comment. There is a fine example of this near

This week’s parsha could be entitled “The Birth of a Leader.” We see Moses, adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, growing up as a prince of Egypt.

Every Friday night we reenact one of the most moving scenes in the book of Bereishit. Jacob, reunited with Joseph, is ill. Joseph comes to

“What do porcupines do in winter?” asked Schopenhauer. “How can they stay warm?” If they come too close to one another, they will injure each