Parshah Columnists

Our job is to learn from the experiences of others and not wait for total self-annihilation before asking for help.

The people in the desert were being gaslit, and big time.

Moses felt that the Israelites had no reason to fear the inhabitants, as they had all seen the great miracles wrought against the much more powerful Egyptians.

We often mix compliments with criticisms and wonder why the listener is offended.

In the spring and summer of 1968, an influx of hippies descended on Boston’s most famous public park, the Common, setting up mini-farms and tent colonies throughout the 50-acre park.

The garment surrounds our body; the fringes hang off it. They represent the two aspects of G-d’s being: His true self that is totally beyond our grasp, and the tiny fraction of His being we can experience.

The Torah teaches that if someone is sentenced to death, the exact location of the execution must be outside the city boundaries, very far from the courthouse. Why?

When we do good, lots of good, we may be lured into a sense of entitlement. I gave 20% to charity; I can now buy whatever I want with the rest, without regard for social responsibility. I volunteered at the school for two hours; I am now entitled to laze around for the rest of the week . . .

Virtually all the commentators ask the same question: How is it possible that the spies had a complete loss of faith after experiencing all the miracles of the Exodus firsthand?

If men chosen by Moses could have gone off the deep end, why should we be surprised when others do the same?

The question I’d like to pose is: why did the people not follow the two good spies, Joshua and Caleb, instead of the others? The obvious answer: they were outvoted and outnumbered. Ten vs. two. Majority rules.

We often get stuck with the familiar, afraid to make necessary changes outside our comfort zone.

I might not be legally liable for another person’s crimes, yet I should feel morally culpable that he was allowed to fall so low.

The true tragedy may be that the whole sorry spy saga might have been averted with just one counseling session by a good management consultant or psychologist...

The portion of challah that is separated is not just a reminder of our past, but even more importantly, a lesson for the present and the future

We live in an age of action. Even so, obviously, there are times when we have to stop and think. Action has more meaning and power when it is preceded by preparation - although sometimes in this process itself mistakes can be made...

We all have free choice. We could either ignore these people, these opportunities, these events, or we could see everything in our life as a G-d-sent opportunity.

The spies brought back an honest report. G-d was unhappy with its contents. Is it fair to punish someone for expressing an honest opinion?

Why did G-d want to "slaughter" the Jews in the desert? A better understanding of the meaning of "slaughter" will answer this question.

We too face the discouraging “reports” from our own internal “spies,” who try to induce fear, using three primary arguments. Here’s how to answer them . . .

You can live a higher spiritual lifestyle when you are living in serenity, away from temptation and social challenges, but how do you know how you might respond when challenged?

Is our loyalty to the company, society or marriage to which we have committed ourselves, or to our position within it?

We humans like to plant trees. But as we tend and care for them, we ought to reflect on what we can learn from them as well.

They’d stumbled into a surreal and morbid nightmare, it seemed. A successful offensive, whether by land or sea, seemed fantastical—to everyone in the reconnaissance unit, that is, but Caleb and Joshua...

What mortal sin did the spies commit, if they actually believed that the Land was unconquerable? And why was the nation punished for simply "listening" to an adverse report by their princes?

Moses was worried that his group of leaders and “visionaries” would fall into the alluring trap of elitism. It wasn’t a prophecy—it was just a hunch. What he did know was that Joshua would succeed him as leader of the Jewish people...

On recognizing our talents and how to perceive others.

How do we take religion out of the once-a-week class? How does one acquire a feeling of (and for) religion? Where does one derive the strength to live by religious ideals, even in moments of weakness?

The other morning, I woke up to discover a little truth. At least, it seemed like a truth to me, but I wanted to make sure. I figured a good philosopher could help me with that . . .

Think back twenty, forty, sixty or eighty years, to the day that you learned how to walk. What you sensed but could not understand then, will tell you much about what you understand but cannot sense today

Before baking her toil, talent and thaler into bread for herself and her family, she pinches off a choice bit . . .

How could ten of the spies come back with a defeatist report?

We sometimes fail to understand the connection between religion and morality.

One of the fundamental tasks of any leader, from president to parent, is to give people a sense of confidence: in themselves, in the group of which they are a part, and in the mission itself.

Like the scouts, we were tragically mistaken. G‑d desires that He be found in reality. Whether or not we are up to the task is irrelevant. It is not on our power that we rely, but on His...

In its more widely-known usage, challah refers to the two loaves of bread that form the core of the Shabbat meal. But in its more basic, biblical meaning, challah is the piece of dough that is separated and consecrated to G-d every time we bake bread

Unlike angels, we have a human neshamah, a G‑dly soul that is actually a part of Him.