Growing up as a Jewish kid in Montreal, I loved Christmas. Snowy winter lawns were bejeweled at night with twinkling trees. People got tipsy and were nice to each other. What could be bad about all that? And a baby nursed in a Bethlehem stable seemed like friendly ‘family content’. Secular Westerners love the tinsel […]
When a child can finally differentiate between his left and his right hand, even God takes notice (see Jonah 4:12)! Nearly 3,500 years ago the God of Jacob spoke to Joshua about having a clear vision regarding left and right: “Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to do according to all the teaching […]
Once upon a time there was no rain. Moses tells us that “YHVH God had not sent rain upon the earth . . . but a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground” (Genesis 2:5-6). But then God gave rain on the earth and sent water on the fields (see Job 5:10). “Who has […]
Every child dreams of discovering a pot of treasure at the end of the proverbial rainbow – a heavy iron chest overflowing with rubies, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires, and bursting at the seams with gold coins. Visitors to the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London marvel at rich beauty, the flashing reflections glinting […]
Jewish spice – a little dab’ll do ya Some people look upon the subject of Hebrew roots as a marketing strategy. Others truly are interested in the Jewish perspective on the Gospels. More than a handful see it as akin to a food additive – a ‘hamburger helper’ which will spice up a bland […]
Passover actually happened. It was a real historical event. Real Hebrew slaves, real Egyptian bondage, and real Ten Plagues: “They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel started out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians, while […]