The People’s Party: Purim for All. Shabbat Ki Tissa/Zakhor 5786

It delights me when reading halakhic texts that are frankly dry to discover a glimpse of the dramas of daily life in centuries past. One such glimpse is on view in the discussion of the special Shabbat before Purim, known as “Zakhor” for its Maftir instructing us to remember the despicable attack of Amalek on…

Three Readings of the Third Commandment: Yitro 5786

The third commandment seems simple enough: לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת־שֵׁם־ה׳ אֱלֹקיךָ לַשָּׁוְא, כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה ה׳ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא׃  Translated literally it means, “Do not take up the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not clear one who takes God’s name in vain.” Sounds simple, but if we look…