We frequently find that two people can observe the same set of facts and yet arrive at opposite conclusions. Our interpretive instincts are shaped by both personal experience and neurobiology. Facts that confirm our existing beliefs and well-established neural pathways are readily noticed, while those that contradict our assumptions are often dismissed as irrelevant. This…
Tag: god
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…
Shabbat Hanukkah–Mikketz 5786
מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר־חֲנֻכַּת הַבַּיִת לְדָוִֽד׃ “A Song for the Dedication of the House, for David.” This verse serves as the superscription to Psalm 30, a psalm which features prominently in our liturgy, appearing every day of the year in Shaharit, though that inclusion traces back only to the 17th century. Much older is the association of…
Rabbi Danny Nevins 