https://www.jewishpress.com The Newspaper for Every Jewish Home. Sun, 11 Aug 2024 11:19:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8 https://www.jewishpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/JP-Logo-200.jpg https://www.jewishpress.com 32 32 https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-torahs-insists-uganda-is-for-the-ugandans/2024/08/08/ Thu, 08 Aug 2024 12:31:13 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=701522 The Land of Israel being the ideal homeland of the Jews is that it is the only one. It is ideal, and nowhere else]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/reading-between-the-lines-2/2024/08/01/ Thu, 01 Aug 2024 11:21:12 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=701286 once Aharon dies and they confront the king of Arad, they decide upon a different journey in which they will enter Israel through the “side door.” ]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/redeeming-relevance-parshat-balak-what-you-dont-know-wont-hurt-you/2024/07/18/ Thu, 18 Jul 2024 14:30:21 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=699130 How important are failed plans and plots, such that the Torah needs to mention any of them at all?]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/what-to-do-when-our-decisions-bring-casualties/2024/07/04/ Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:52:43 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=696994 When God gets angry at the people, all Moshe can do is fall on his face in grief at his own responsibility about what was happening-- But Moshe doesn’t stay on his face for long.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/when-silence-is-not-golden/2024/06/27/ Thu, 27 Jun 2024 08:13:47 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=695311 Being a real hero is not just about what we do, it is also about when we do it. ]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/moshe-and-the-missing-matriarch/2024/06/20/ Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:49:17 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=694520 One may then raise the question of why should Moshe have gotten married to begin with]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-place-of-the-displaced-the-replaced-and-the-misplaced/2024/06/13/ Thu, 13 Jun 2024 08:37:40 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=694204 The Kohen is the one who will accompany these three alienated individuals and, by so doing, become their connection to the rest of society.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/holidays/why-werent-the-non-jews-under-the-mountain/2024/06/09/ Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:11:53 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=693241 Judging from the sources in the Talmud, there is more than a tinge of ambivalence about the non-Jews being left out of Matan Torah. Though the Talmud was written in the context of a nascent Christianity that preached a gospel to all men, it was likely more than this that prompted the rabbis to justify […]]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/rabbi-shimon-bar-yochai-an-accident-of-history/2024/05/24/ Fri, 24 May 2024 01:00:41 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=691215 Since historical events like these have the potential to challenge our faith, they create a religious imperative to search for God’s loving hand even in the face of tragedy and sorrow. That is an important part of R. Akiva’s legacy as well as that of R. Shimon’s.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-word/2024/05/16/ Thu, 16 May 2024 11:09:55 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=690373 As we continue to speak less, we will continue to have less room for defilement… and for sanctity]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/words-that-define-reality-and-the-benefits-of-saying-maybe/2024/04/18/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 06:56:55 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=686972 It is well known that one of the causes for tzara’at is evil speech... However, the far more powerful example of the power of speech is the Torah’s conditioning the legal existence of tzara’at upon the priest’s declaration.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/knowledge-and-wisdom/2024/04/04/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 08:30:22 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=684189 it seems hard to understand how the rabbis could come right back with the conclusion that Nadav and Avihu were greater than Moshe and Aharon]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/a-bad-sin-and-a-good-drash/2024/03/28/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:11:53 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=684009 Peshat vs. Drash]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/gan-eden-the-temple-and-shushan-habirah/2024/03/14/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:22:54 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=681422 Dressing up]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-benefits-of-the-evil-amongst-us/2024/02/29/ Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:43:19 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=679137 Exposure to evil prevents us from an illusion of pleasant stability--and stability is the very thing that prevents the good from getting better. ]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-torahs-atomic-weapon/2024/02/22/ Thu, 22 Feb 2024 10:08:20 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=678564 The incense that burned on this altar has always attracted special interest for its unusual life-giving properties]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-symbolism-of-incompleteness-and-its-truth/2024/02/15/ Thu, 15 Feb 2024 20:18:24 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=677665 The measure of things...]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/can-an-angel-be-wrong/2024/02/08/ Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:30:20 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=675913 I believe that the Torah is telling us something more nuanced. I think it is telling us that God wants the people to listen to Moshe even when he is wrong!]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-good-midianite/2024/02/01/ Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:10:39 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=675385 Throughout history, the Jews have not had many friends Faced with a hostile world, when they came across a truly righteous gentile, it was a bit of a surprise. Rare indeed was the gentile who would be kind not only to his fellows but also to the Jew. Thus, when the Jews met a highly […]]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/follow-the-leader-the-legacy-of-nachshon-ben-aminadav/2024/01/25/ Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:47:09 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=673913 Leading by example must be calculatedly visible, not only from a point of view of where it is done, but even when and how it is done. Doing something privately is not an act of leadership.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/why-cant-god-get-more-involved/2024/01/18/ Thu, 18 Jan 2024 09:16:54 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=672756 The experience of the generation that came out of Egypt shows us that the clarity we think we so much want from God would actually hurt us more than it would help us.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/wasnt-moshe-a-prophet/2024/01/12/ Fri, 12 Jan 2024 10:57:31 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=672654 Moshe’s complaint to God is that even though he would have the best human understanding of the Divine will, he had difficulty bringing it down to regular people. ]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-subversive-forefather-and-his-conformist-son/2023/12/29/ Fri, 29 Dec 2023 13:11:31 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=670573 Shabbat Shalom]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/redeeming-relevance-parshat-vayigash-yosef-s-invitation-into-exile/2023/12/21/ Thu, 21 Dec 2023 12:19:08 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=669394 While there is an important place for reflecting about past mistakes, that is only with regards to preparing ourselves to do better in the future.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-cliffhangers-at-the-end-of-bereishit-and-in-our-lives/2023/12/14/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 09:08:55 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=668206 Neither Yosef nor Yehudah panicked. They did not know how the next parsha would begin, but they did know that the larger story had to have a happy ending.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/a-place-called-opening-of-the-eyes-tamar-and-re-cognition/2023/12/07/ Thu, 07 Dec 2023 09:37:39 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=666565 Do "clothes make the woman"?]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/when-yaakov-became-two-people/2023/11/30/ Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:21:51 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=665584 Ya'akov's youth resembles that of his passive and isolated[…] father, his adult life resembles the trials and tribulations of Abraham among the nations.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/takes-one-to-know-one/2023/11/23/ Thu, 23 Nov 2023 12:14:14 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=664444 If we are constantly looking for the ideal, we may never find it, but if we start doing the possible, we may find that the ideal is just down the road]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/the-untouchable-yitzchak/2023/11/16/ Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:10:50 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=663876 I am convinced that meeting Yitzchak was a much more intense experience than meeting Avraham.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/serious-laughter/2023/11/02/ Thu, 02 Nov 2023 14:15:11 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=661967 We should remember that though Avraham was the first Jew, Yitzchak was the first born Jew. In other words, a certain paradigm of Jewish existence is created by Yitzchak’s birth, a birth in total contradiction to the physical reality of other men.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/how-self-love-becomes-totalitarianism/2023/10/19/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 09:48:40 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=659443 Shabbat Shalom]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/gods-idolatrous-gentile-priests/2023/09/24/ Sun, 24 Sep 2023 05:37:57 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=657276 What does this have to do Yom Kippur?]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/redeeming-relevance-how-could-he-possibly-think-that-way/2023/08/17/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:03:29 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=651518 This inability to understand others with whom we disagree underlies the polarization in Israel today]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/was-moshe-a-success-or-a-failure/2023/07/26/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:58:27 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=648618 How might Moshe looked back upon his life? Ironically, the man unsurpassed in so many ways may actually have seen himself as a failure. Yet that is certainly the impression one gets from reading through most of this book.]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/i-am-more-than-me-myself-and-i/2023/06/29/ Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:37:56 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=644657 The concept of “Beshert" in life]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/wisdom-of-the-longer-path/2023/06/08/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 08:34:21 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=641322 This is not to say that there is no such thing as a wrong turn. Though we can even learn from a mistaken path, we have good reason to want to avoid it. ]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/when-questions-did-kill/2023/05/04/ Thu, 04 May 2023 07:54:40 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=636219 One doesn’t die from a question]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/is-there-anything-wrong-with-chametz-the-rest-of-the-year/2023/04/04/ Tue, 04 Apr 2023 03:54:03 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=632970 we need to first discuss the logical problem posed by chametz. ]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/are-you-sure-you-wouldnt-have-worshiped-the-golden-calf/2023/03/09/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 09:24:22 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=628055 The Torah is based on the spot-on premise that basic features of the human condition remain constant throughout history]]> https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/parsha/redeeming-relevance-in-the-bible-francis-nataf/bar-kapparas-off-color-jokes/2023/02/02/ Thu, 02 Feb 2023 18:05:28 +0000 https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=623212 By using humor, he could bring home what simple study in a beit midrash could not.]]>