91快活林

Kept By Shabbat

Mar 6, 2026 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Ki Tissa

Ahad Ha鈥檃m famously said: 鈥淢ore than Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.鈥� Pretty remarkable coming from the founder of cultural Zionism!

Parashat Ki Tissa either supports or challenges Ha鈥檃m鈥檚 words. This week鈥檚 parashah relates one of the lowest moments in Israel鈥檚 story鈥攖he sin of the golden calf鈥攊n which Israel dances before a god of their own making. Coming down Mount Sinai with the stone tablets inscribed by God鈥檚 finger (Exod. 31:18), Moses sees Israel鈥檚 frenzy and smashes the tablets. Moses spends the rest of the parashah picking up the pieces and working to restore Israel鈥檚 relationship with God. The parashah ends with God giving a new set of tablets to Moses. The holy covenant between God and Israel is restored.

Heroes and Humans

Jul 12, 2024 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Hukkat

But Moses also has shortcomings. His initial reluctance when God first approaches him to become Israel鈥檚 liberator could indicate cowardice, or worse, a lack of faith(Exod. 4:11鈥�12). Moses also has a temper. He gets angry at the people(Exod. 32:19) and at God(Num. 11:10鈥�15).

鈥淎waiting the Good Hour鈥�: Hope in the Bible as a Resource for Religious Life

Apr 8, 2024 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Public Event video | Video Lecture

The capacity to hope is integral to religious life, yet contemporary realities can make it hard to feel and express hope. We explore what hope means in the context of the Bible, looking particularly at how the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah use maternal imagery to convey hope, and consider how the Bible can be a valuable resource for cultivating a language of hope for us today.

Dancing with Torah

Oct 6, 2023 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Simhat Torah

Judaism鈥檚 richness comes from having two Torahs鈥攖he Written Torah [Torah shebikhtav], which Moses receives from God, and which we will soon celebrate on Simhat Torah,and the Oral Torah [Torah shebe鈥檃l peh], the Torah of commentary that extends from the ancient rabbis to today鈥檚 rabbis, scholars, and students of Judaism鈥檚 sacred texts and traditions.

Women of Faith

Nov 11, 2022 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Vayera

Abraham passed God鈥檚 litmus test of faith. God commands Abraham to take his beloved son Isaac to the land of Moriah and kill him. Faithful Abraham does not hesitate.Genesis 22may be the most loved and hated story in the Torah by every reader, no matter what their faith. Certainly, generations of Jews have struggled to make sense of this story, and of the father and God it portrays.

Prophets of Faith

Sep 2, 2022 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Shofetim

I often distinguish between faith and belief and consider myself to be a person of faith. Whereasbeliefimplies a degree of certainty that I am uncomfortable with,faithembraces doubt. To my ear, the statement that Ibelievesomething to be true communicates that youknowsomething is true. The statement that I havefaiththat something is true suggests that youdesireorsuspectsomething is true. Belief seems restrictive to me鈥攃onfined by only what is known or can be known鈥攁nd is at risk of dogmatism.

Divine Rage

Mar 28, 2022 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Public Event video | Video Lecture

God鈥檚 anger has been a problem for generations of theologians.Dr. Amy Kalmanofskyexplores the power and purpose of divine rage and the different ways the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel use God鈥檚 anger.

Heroes and Humans

Jun 18, 2021 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Hukkat

One of the things I love most about the Bible is that it presents humans, not heroes. Even the Bible鈥檚 greatest figures have virtues and vices.

Entering Our Mother鈥檚 House:
The Book of Ruth as a Model for Welcoming the Other

May 3, 2021 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Public Event video | Video Lecture

The book of Ruth tells the story of a Moabite woman who marries an Israelite man and ensures the future of the house of Israel. Join Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky to examine how this remarkable book understands the formation of identity and how it offers a model of inclusion that remains relevant and essential today.

Holy Bling

Mar 12, 2021 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Pekudei | Vayak-hel

I loved rummaging through my grandmother鈥檚 jewelry. To my child鈥檚 eye, her jewelry box was a treasure chest filled with sparkling gems, pearls, and gold. All 鈥減aste,鈥� I learned, but to me they were the crown jewels.

Esau鈥檚 Primal Scream

Nov 20, 2020 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Toledot

Sometimes words fail us. When they do, depending on the cause and our own propensities, we resort to song, dance, or other forms of wordless expression. And sometimes we scream. Primal screams that communicate an agony beyond verbal expression resound throughout the Torah.

Israel鈥檚 Prophets as Innovators During Crisis

Jul 27, 2020 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Public Event video | Video Lecture

Prophets were social and political change-makers and theological mavericks. They offered bold responses to grave challenges that enabled their communities to survive crisis and that paved the way for Judaism. This session explores how prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah offered innovation in the face of destruction.

Ruth鈥檚 Torah Matters Now

May 28, 2020 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Shavuot

Like every Jewish holiday, Shavuot has seasonal and historical components. It celebrates the gifts of Torah and of the spring harvest. Both bounties manifest God鈥檚 glory, sustain Israel, and are captured masterfully by our liturgy. 

Spiritual Poetry Makes the Good Book Great

Jan 17, 2020 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Shemot

For many readers, the Torah is more than the good book. It is a great book. The Torah鈥檚 greatness can be attributed to its literary uniqueness (there really is no other book quite like it) and to its remarkable place at the foundation of three major religions.

For me, the Torah鈥檚 greatness comes from the way it integrates artistry and meaning. 

Prophets of Faith

Sep 6, 2019 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Shofetim

I often distinguish between faith and belief and consider myself to be a person of faith. Whereas belief implies a degree of certainty that I am uncomfortable with, faith embraces doubt. To my ear, the statement that I believe something to be true communicates that you know something is true. The statement that I have faith that something is true suggests that you desire or suspect something is true. Belief seems restrictive to me鈥攃onfined by only what is known or can be known鈥攁nd is at risk of dogmatism.

Opt-In Judaism

Feb 1, 2019 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Mishpatim

鈥淚鈥檓 gonna make him an offer he can鈥檛 refuse鈥� may be the most well-known line of any movie. Spoken by Don Corleone to Johnny Fontane in The Godfather, it communicates the chilling reality of doing business with a mobster.

The Talmud suggests that God made a similar offer to Israel at Mount Sinai (BT Shabbat 88a). The Torah鈥檚 description that Israel stood under the mountain (转讞转讬转 讛讛专) to receive revelation in Exod 19:17, inspires the Rabbis to imagine God holding the mountain over the people鈥攖hreatening them to accept the Torah . . . or else.

Metaphorically Speaking

Sep 14, 2018 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Shabbat Shuvah | Yom Kippur

I am sometimes surprised at how literal liberal Jews can be. Many wonder whether they can refer to God as 诪讞讬讛 诪转讬诐, Restorer of Life to the Dead, if they do not believe there is life after death. Many wonder whether they should recite the blessing which praises God for choosing Israel from among the other nations, 讗砖专 讘讞专 讘谞讜 诪讻诇 讛注诪讬诐, if they do not believe that God chose Israel.

Body Language

Jun 1, 2018 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Beha'alotekha

Jews love words. We love to talk and we love to read. It is telling that we celebrate our holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, by gathering and reading aloud a 250-page book.

Parashat Beha鈥檃lotekha reminds us there is more to religious observance than words. There is profound power in body language鈥攊n nonverbal rituals that involve, even mark, the body.

Kept by Shabbat

Mar 2, 2018 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Ki Tissa

Ahad Ha鈥檃m famously said: 鈥淢ore than Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.鈥� Pretty remarkable coming from the founder of cultural Zionism!

Parashat Ki Tissa either supports or challenges Ha鈥檃m鈥檚 words. This week鈥檚 parashah relates one of the lowest moments in Israel鈥檚 story鈥攖he sin of the golden calf鈥攊n which Israel dances before a god of their own making. Coming down Mount Sinai with the stone tablets inscribed by God鈥檚 finger (Exod. 31:18), Moses sees Israel鈥檚 frenzy and smashes the tablets. Moses spends the rest of the parashah picking up the pieces and working to restore Israel鈥檚 relationship with God.

Women of Faith

Nov 3, 2017 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Vayera

Abraham passed God鈥檚 litmus test of faith. God commands Abraham to take his beloved son Isaac to the land of Moriah and kill him. Faithful Abraham does not hesitate. Genesis 22 may be the most loved and hated story in the Torah by every reader, no matter what their faith. Certainly, generations of Jews have struggled to make sense of this story, and of the father and God it portrays.