14 October 2026 – 3 Heshvan 5787 | Torah Commentary
Parashat Noach: May you be like Nimrod As families in our community gather on Shabbat, some have the lovely tradition – just after the candles are lit – of blessing the children. With hands laid on their heads, some parents will their daughters to be like the complex...
30 September 2026 – 19 Tishri 5787 | Festivals, Torah Commentary
In a rabbinic legend, the Roman governor Turnus Rufus asks Rabbi Akiva: ‘Whose works are better – God’s or humanity’s?’ Rabbi Akiva gives a short answer: ‘Humanity’s.’ To prove his point, he places stalks of wheat next to loaves of bread. What is better – bread...
3 September 2026 – 21 Elul 5786 | Torah Commentary
There is something about this week’s Torah portion which is particularly appealing. It relates to brevity. Parashat Nitzavim is a mere forty verses long, the second shortest portion in the annual Torah cycle, amounting to not quite two chapters of the book of...
26 August 2026 – 13 Elul 5786 | Torah Commentary
Do Jews have a future in Britain? This Shabbat is the last but one before Rosh Hashanah. Our Torah cycle nears its end, and Moses begins his summing up. Much of this week’s reading (Ki Tavo) describes the many blessings which will come to those who obey Torah, and the...
13 August 2026 – 30 Av 5786 | Torah Commentary
There was an advert some time ago that stuck in my mind. Of course that’s exactly what adverts are supposed to do, but fortunately this one by the side of the road didn’t distract me from my driving, it just got me thinking. The advert was for Easyjet, the budget...
5 August 2026 – 22 Av 5786 | Torah Commentary
The whole of the Book of Deuteronomy is written as though it is Moses’ farewell address as he prepares to die, unable to accompany the Israelite people into the Promised Land, Canaan. It unsurprisingly includes a review of Israelite history, particularly a...
