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Why do we need Moses to keep talking?

According to the commentator, Nachmanides, Moses finishes reviewing the commandments and stipulations of the Torah by Deuteronomy 26:16. This already comes most of the way through a book of the Torah that some commentators view as a recapitulation of the other four books – and which some contemporary scholars view as a later addition altogether. So why are we here, three chapters after the most generous reading of the Book of Deuteronomy indicates Moses has fully conveyed the content of the Torah? Why is Moses relating a review of a review within......

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I have a story for you... and a 'wee dram.'

There’s something about whisky and story-telling that makes them a special kind of blend. In any setting where a ‘wee dram’ (a small pour) is shared, conversation flows. If you’ve ever been to a whisky tasting seminar, the story of the whisky is an important part of understanding the liquid in the glass. I’m a Rabbi and also an amateur whisky enthusiast. In the midst of the pandemic, when connecting with others to share a dram and some stories, the sharing took place on Zoom and in the Clubhouse audio app. I......

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How Long-Term Should Our Vision Be?

Recently, California announced that it will not sell gasoline-based cars starting in 2035. Like many political decisions surrounding climate change, it’s a decision that looks to help those that will come decades or centuries from now. So naturally, there is some pushback. Part of the reason addressing climate change is so hard is that we humans tend to focus on the challenges that are right in front of us, both physically and temporally – when real people are in danger or in need (or, to be honest, even just “in want”) right......

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Fear, Confidence, and Competence

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been having a repeated conversation with our almost seven-year-old surrounding the waterslide at our town pool. He’s naturally a bit anxious and nervous (which he certainly gets from his parents), and while my wife and daughter love going down the slide, he has yet to do it. He wants to, in theory, but every time he gets to the top, he walks back down. Fear can be a powerful motivator, but most of the time, it’s a paralyzing force. It’s not just an emotion, it’s also......

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The Stars in the Past Give Us a Powerful Present

Late Monday night and Tuesday morning, the James Webb Telescope showed its first images after its launch six months ago. And while the images from the Hubble telescope were incredible, these blow away even astronomers. As these images inspire everyone from NASA astrophysicists to ordinary laypeople, they remind us that seeing the size and scope of the universe never gets old. Stars have captured the human imagination for millennia, and we’ve often linked the workings of the heavens with the actions here on earth. In antiquity, the movement of the stars were often used......

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