Rabbi Wolpe - ADL Impressions

When did the redemption from Egypt begin in the Torah? According to the Rabbis, it began when the Israelites themselves became angry and impatient with their slavery. The worst consequence of slavery, taught the Belzer Rebbe, was that they got...

A Hasidic parable tells of a king who quarreled with his son. In a fit of rage, the king exiled his son from the kingdom. Years passed. The son wandered alone in the world. In time, the king’s heart softened,...

In Pekudey, we read about the construction of the tabernacle. The tabernacle is a portable sanctuary, a place for God to be manifested to the people. It is a harbinger of the Temple, but it does something the Temple cannot...

We might be tempted to skip some of the descriptions of the Temple and its appurtenances; they are not as gripping as the stories the Torah tells. But if we pause and look a little deeper, there are metaphorical and...

The Purim story is one of heroes and villians. We all recognize the names of Mordecai and Esther, Haman and Ahasuerus. But I would like to propose a new hero of the story, one who bears a lesson for our...

Confronted with the demand to fix the world, many of us content ourselves with complaining about it. Conscious of the immensity of the problems we feel helpless to change things. In our Haftorah this week, Samuel rebukes King Saul for...

This Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh, the celebration of the new moon. Since Judaism works on a lunar calendar, each month is a renewal. When the new moon falls on Shabbat, we recite the shorter Hallel, psalms of praise. If you...

Early in my career, after years of teaching, I became a pulpit rabbi. I asked a variety of rabbis how they lead. One was broadly inspirational and philosophical. Another rabbi explained to me that education was the key. At the...

This week’s section of the Torah is primary in importance as it contains the Ten Commandments. It might seem surprising then, to learn that this section is named after a non-Jew, Moses’ father-in-law, Yithro. We know of the Torah’s concern...

If we translate the Torah literally, a strange asymmetry appears in the story of the Exodus. Verse 14:10 reads: “As Pharoah drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes and Egypt was coming after them.” Commentators note that while...