Michael M. Cohen

Comprehension begins within us, including our understanding and encounter with God – the universal web that connects us to everything and everybody.

The Torah reminds us of a slower tempo. That cadence can enhance our ability to act more long term and proactively, as we face so many dilemmas, to be more like Joseph and practice “provention.”

If there are 57 Arab and Muslim countries willing to live in peace with Israel, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi's proposal is not something to dismiss out of hand.

How can we bring joy into our Sukkot observance this year?

What instruction does our shared environment teach us about creating healthier and more vibrant democracies derived from a communal understanding of freedom?

The trauma of this war has wiped away compassion for the other. We need courageous voices, reaching between sides, to emerge.

A myriad of factors, nuances, and influences of this conflict, including this war, complicate its mitigation and resolution.

What happens once war begins and you find yourself in a community of people, of different identities, who are at war with each other?

The parsha opens with: “This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites farewell before he died” (Deut. 33:1).

In the evolution of Judaism, the emergence of citing “And Moses declared…” on festival mornings as a preface to the blessing over the wine is cloudy.