Torah Portion

Politics, the haftarah reminds us, is not inherently corrupt. It becomes corrupt when it forgets that leadership is service, not self-promotion.

Until our people are gathered and the land is restored, we remain wanderers yearning for wholeness.

Sarah’s greatest achievement was her ability to live calmly and serenely

Can faith prevail over reason and reality? Scripture’s answer is clear. What seems impossible to man is never beyond the power of God.

We have paid a steep price for the return of our hostages. We have no choice but to uphold and reinforce the value we place on human life.

Abraham believed in the power of his connection to God and in its ability to bring about true transformation – far more powerfully than any punishment, no matter how justified.

From Yemenite Jews in Operation Magic Carpet to Soviet refuseniks, Ethiopian families, and Bnei Menashe from India, Isaiah’s vision has been realized in our own time.

The Torah presents Abraham not as a spiritual giant chosen by default but as Everyman. He is not depicted as a polished hero with prior accomplishments but as an ordinary person.

The story of Hagar reminds us that sovereignty brings with it responsibility – to see, to hear, and to act with compassion toward those who remain vulnerable in our midst.

Even the loftiest goal on Earth must never be achieved through harming or insulting another person.