NYJW Sabbath Week

‘You shall appoint judges … [who] will not pervert justice. … Justice, justice shall you pursue. … You shall not plant for yourselves an Asheira [tree used for purposes of idolatry] near the altar of the Lord your God” [Deuteronomy 16:18-21]. The juxtaposition of these verses — the demand for an honorable legal system  immediately […]

Watch for piles of synonyms! They usually herald an important cultural phenomenon that we are trying in as many ways as possible to understand. Take the word “tired” — not just “sleepy,” but “exhausted, weary, fatigued, and drained,” even “fed up, disillusioned, and disenchanted,” the opposite of “inspired, stimulated, motivated and enthused.” I mean the […]