91快活林

A Song of Hope

Dec 26, 2025 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Vayiggash

In a curious foreshadowing of the book of Exodus, in this week鈥檚 Torah reading (Gen. 46:8) we read, 鈥淰e鈥檈leh shemot鈥擳hese are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt . . .鈥� This is verbatim the same report as the opening verse of the book of Exodus. But there, the names are limited only to Jacob鈥檚 actual sons, and the full enumeration of their own offspring is absent.

In Each and Every Generation

Apr 19, 2024 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Pesah

Twice in the Passover liturgy we hear the phrase, 鈥渋n each and every generation.鈥� We are taught that 鈥渋n each and every generation a person is obligated to see himself as though he had participated in the Exodus from Egypt.鈥� On the other hand, we are reminded that 鈥渋n each and every generation they arise against us to destroy us.鈥� The consolation is that The Holy, blessed be God, presumably saves us from their hands.

What Does It Mean to Be Called?

Mar 24, 2023 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Vayikra

This week we begin reading the middle book of the Five Books of Moses, Leviticus. Its position in the Torah scroll is not just coincidental; the laws of Leviticus are central to the earliest rabbis鈥� understanding of Judaism. The rules in the book are indicated by its name in English (Latin, actually): Leviticus. These are the detailed regulations for the tribe of Levi, particularly that branch of the clan known as thekohanim, the priesthood.

Two Nations in Your Belly

Nov 25, 2022 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Toledot

In the world of the ancient Rabbis who gave us Judaism鈥攖he world of the Talmud and the Midrash, from the first century through the seventh century CE鈥攐ur Rabbis identified Esau / Edom with the Roman Empire. In doing so, they took on both aspects of that Empire鈥攖he earlier pagan Roman Empire and the later Christian Roman Empire, and conflated them into one image of Esau, forever at odds with Jacob / Israel. For the Rabbis, Esau most often was depicted as the enemy, our oppressor, 鈥淭he Man鈥� who kept us beneath his boot.

Count Your Blessings

Sep 16, 2022 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Ki Tavo

Ki Tavo is a Torah portion with three parts of interest. First, there are the curses and imprecations with which God threatens the Jewish people if we do not do God鈥檚 will. As we do when we read the Torah in synagogue, we will quickly and quietly move past the scary stuff.

Second, we are commanded to bring our first fruits to the Jerusalem Temple once we have settled the land. And then we are commanded to offer them to the priest in acknowledgement of God鈥檚 beneficence. When we do so, we recite a fixed liturgy, reinforced, no doubt, by hearing the many Israelites ahead of us in the line reciting the exact same words as the priest prompts them. 鈥淩epeat after me . . .鈥� he says.
Arami oved avi鈥擬y ancestor was a wandering Aramean.鈥� (Deut. 26:5)

Greater than Moses?

Jun 25, 2021 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Balak

Although this week鈥檚 Torah reading is named for the Moabite king Balak, who sought to curse the Israelites, the real star of the show is the gentile prophet Balaam ben Be`or鈥攚ith a special comedy cameo by his talking ass. Three whole chapters of the Torah (Num. 22鈥�24) are given over to the efforts of Balak and Balaam to curse the Jews. In the end, of course, God prevails, and on Friday nights in Schul we still sing Balaam鈥檚 blessing, 鈥淢ah tovu ohalekhah Yaakov鈥擧ow goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel.鈥�

A Song of Hope

Dec 25, 2020 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Vayiggash

In a curious foreshadowing of the book of Exodus, in this week鈥檚 Torah reading (Gen. 46:8) we read, 鈥�Ve鈥檈leh shemot鈥擳hese are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt . . .鈥� This is verbatim the same report as the opening verse of the book of Exodus. But there, the names are limited only to Jacob鈥檚 actual sons, and the full enumeration of their own offspring is absent.

Judaism (Religions of Humanity series)

Oct 26, 2020 By Burton L. Visotzky | Public Event video

How do you portray 2,000 years of Judaism in only three volumes? That’s what co-editors Dr. Burton L. Visotzky of 91快活林 and Professor Dr. Michael Tilly of T眉bingen University discuss at this celebration of Judaism. Their new three-volume compendium offers a global view of Jewish history, an overview of Jewish literature, and insight into Jewish culture and modernity.

Isaac Unbound: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam read the Offering of Abraham鈥檚 Beloved Son

Aug 31, 2020 By Burton L. Visotzky | Public Event video | Video Lecture

By reading texts from the New Testament, Church Fathers, and Quran we can see how Christians and Muslims read this seminal story. A medieval midrash shows how Rabbis responded to the interpretations of the other 鈥淎brahamic religions.鈥� The class concludes with a discussion of the problem with the ideology of martyrdom that all three religions read in the harrowing tale of Genesis 22.

Don鈥檛 Wait Until Next Week

Oct 25, 2019 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Bereishit

Authored together with Karenna Gore, Director, Center for Earth Ethics, Union Theological Seminary

The Earth is the Lord鈥檚 and all that is in it, the world and all its inhabitants. God founded it upon the oceans and set it on the rivers. (Psalm 24:1-2)

As the Jewish community once more begins its annual reading of the Torah, and as we recount the grandeur of God鈥檚 creation, we focus on God鈥檚 charge to newly created humanity: 鈥淭he Lord God took Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to serve and protect it.鈥� (Gen. 2:15, authors鈥� translations).

The Rabbis, the Romans, and Us

Nov 3, 2017 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary

In my most recent book I take up a quintessentially American Jewish subject: can we adopt the broader culture in which we live and still be Jewish? Is it possible to have a strong Jewish identity while living as Americans who are university educated and share our lives with our gentile neighbors? To answer this I turned to the centuries and texts which birthed Judaism as we know it.

Two Nations in Your Belly

Dec 2, 2016 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Toledot

One of the most poignant and profound verses of the Bible appears early in this week鈥檚 Torah reading, Toledot. Our matriarch Rebecca, beset with a difficult pregnancy, asks God, 鈥淲hy me?鈥� (Gen. 25:22). And God replies to her with one of the most fateful verses of the Bible: 鈥淭here are two nations in your belly鈥� (Gen. 25:23). From that moment on, the die is cast: we are locked in a struggle with Esau / Edom. This week鈥檚 haftarah from the prophet Malachi teaches us the stakes: 鈥淚s not Esau Jacob鈥檚 brother? asks the Lord. Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated鈥� (Malachi 1:2-3).

Aphrodite and the Rabbis

Sep 27, 2016 By Burton L. Visotzky | Public Event audio

Judaism as we know it is a western Roman religion, argues Rabbi Burton Visotzky. Yes, the very empire that destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE served as the culture in which Judaism was nurtured and became the religion of the rabbis that we still celebrate today.

Family

Nov 18, 2015 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Vayetzei

This week鈥檚 Torah reading, Vayetzei (Genesis 28:10-32:2), opens and closes with flights of angels accompanying our forefather Jacob (aka Israel, though, he won鈥檛 get named that until next week), as he flees from and returns to the Promised Land. When Jacob leaves, he is running in fear for his life. For our father Jacob has cheated his macho older brother Esau once too often, so much so that he has threatened to kill him. Of course, Esau isn鈥檛 that much older, for the two brothers are twins. But as any set of twins will tell you, the one who came first, even if by mere seconds鈥攖hat one is the elder. We might assume, along with the Bible, that birth-order matters. But Genesis is all about the younger supplanting the older and we are on solid ground suggesting that this sibling rivalry stuff is at the very heart of this week鈥檚 Torah lesson.

Why Is Yom Kippur Every Year?

Aug 31, 2015 By Burton L. Visotzky | Short Video | Yom Kippur

Hanukkah Amongst The Christmas Trees

Dec 15, 2014 By Burton L. Visotzky | Short Video | Hanukkah

The Difference a Day Can Make

Oct 3, 2014 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Yom Kippur

Wouldn鈥檛 it be grand to wipe the slate clean? What if there were a day in the calendar when the slate was simply wiped clean once again? No marks against you. No petty quarrels remembered, no grudges borne, no more grievances for trespasses petty or grievous. What if?

Brothers: Isaac And Ishmael

Sep 9, 2014 By Burton L. Visotzky | Short Video | Rosh Hashanah

Why Is This Historic Event Different From All Other Historic Events?

Apr 8, 2014 By Burton L. Visotzky | Short Video | Pesah

Vayikra鈥擫ean Out

Feb 24, 2014 By Burton L. Visotzky | Commentary | Vayikra

This week we begin reading the middle book of the Five Books of Moses, Leviticus. Its position in the Torah scroll is not just coincidental; the laws of Leviticus are central to the earliest rabbis鈥� understanding of Judaism.