Weekly Torah Studies Kushi Schusterman

Is the Torah just a really nice moral code? A great history book? A book of laws? Can it, or will it, ever change? Discover the true value of our people’s defining book.

The benefits of feeling and expressing gratitude are well explored. A somewhat obscure law about dedicating fields to the Temple brings us to a surprising perk: expressing gratitude can bring tangible goodness into your life.

Even in the age of connectivity and the proliferation of something called “social media,” people have never been more lonely. A niche law in the Torah’s treatment of a servant provides a poignant companion to anyone at any time: G-d Himself

The Four Species we shake on the Sukkot holiday famously represent four different types of Jews. From the way the Torah describes each plant, we learn a valuable lesson about the immutable value of every Jew–regardless of what they do, or do not do.

The reality of life for so many is a series of banal, mundane, and oftentimes downright unholy moments. What are we supposed to make of this frustrating situation? A lesson from the lifespan of a fruit in Jewish law teaches us that G-d is best found in precisely these moments.

To a perfectionist, it’s “all or nothing,” right? But for the pragmatist whom Judaism champions, partial perfection is already a remarkable achievement. The matzah ball soup on the last day of Passover teaches us why.