In his Dvar Torah for Parshat Korah (June 25, 2023), TBE member Josh Jeffreys observes that questions about leadership are rarely just about the leaders and suggests that Korah’s rebellion is actually about suffering. In response to our own suffering, will we choose bitterness or compassion?
In his Shabbat message for Parashat Naso (June 3, 2023), Rabbi Knopf argues that, from the Torah's perspective, laws that target transgender and nonbinary people are crimes against humanity. Pride Month was originally established as a movement to protest bigotry against LGBTQIA+ people. The need to continue protesting and fighting for equality continues.
Description: On the festival of Shavuot, we read the Ten Commandments. The first of those commandments is a little baffling, considering it doesn’t appear to command anything at all. Drawing from the haftarah portion for the 1st day of Shavuot (May 26, 2023), Rabbi Knopf explains that the 1st commandment is actually the essence of what was commanded at Sinai, and continues to call upon us today.