Torah Wisdom

I confess! I am a freeaholic. What is a freeaholic? I am addicted to offering things to other people for free. But there is no such things as a free lunch, so it is time to look at my own behavior.

When you come to the Promised Land, the earth should rest. A Shabbat to God. Sow your fields for six years. Prune your vineyard for six years. Gather the produce for six years. In the seventh year, give it a rest. A Shabbat to God.

I fear sometimes that in our efforts to create more just societies, we can become self-righteous, indulging in the idolatrous practice of worshipping our own ideals.

I know so many people who have all the pillows they need and yet have trouble sleeping at night; they walk through their lives sleep deprived. What many don't realize is that the Torah already told them why they can't sleep.

It is a simple yet profound challenge -- be holy, imitate God in our own lives. It is the fundamental lesson that for Jewish civilization, the ultimate goal of life is not "happiness," it is "holiness."

While the right to self-defense is a principle deeply rooted in Jewish biblical and rabbinic sources, this week's Torah portion actually calls on us to think about how not to stand our ground as we respond to the needs of others.

We can all learn from those around us, and oftentimes we are forced to think in new and different ways when we keep an open mind to those who think differently than us.

Enter Jethro, the high priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses. He's heard all about God's kindness to the Israelites: the redemption from Egypt, the split sea, the war with Amalek, the manna and the water in the desert.

In recent weeks, there have been reports of the escalating tensions in Israel between some in the ultra-Orthodox community and the general Israeli populace.

It is a seemingly never-ending cycle that entangles the lives of even the most righteous of individuals. Unrequited desire usually leads to dire consequences.

In original and fairly outrageous translation of parts of Genesis 46 performed last week at the Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living in Glencoe, Ill.

Love is essential to healing, love is essential to fairness, love is essential to creating the world we want. My whole focus on this changed when I had heard two leaders from the Jerusalem Peacemakers.

Every Wednesday, Rabbi Yael Buechler prepares to teach Midrash, the Jewish tradition of Bible interpretation, to 19 middle school girls at a Jewish da...

The Messiah will come when we stop building gatehouses and start opening our doors. Redemption will come when the questions about homelessness are not left to a dedicated few.

There are many misconceptions about the nature of religion and faith. Indeed, for many, prayer raises several serious concerns.

If God had wanted to establish a religion at Sinai, there would have been no need for a kingdom or nation. The Torah aims at far more than collective belief or individual enlightenment.

Long ago, the Kabbalah knew that creativity was housed in the right brain and analytical thought in the left. The Sefer Yetzirah is a guidebook that explains the tools and techniques that are required to enter these different states.