weekly insights

Can Christians find the words to honour Judaism at Christmas time? Jesus was born a Jew. He was born in the first century of the common...

As the Book of Genesis draws to its conclusion, in chapter 48 we find a poignant deathbed scene. The elderly Jacob shares final words...

The story of Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers is one of the great dramas of the book of Genesis, and Judah’s passionate speech...

In this week’s Torah portion Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy food while their own land is in the grip of famine. However he does not...

Chapter 37 of Genesis begins the saga of Jacob and his children. We soon learn that seventeen year old Joseph is the favoured, gifted...

It is hard to think of a more disturbing passage in the Torah than the rape of Dinah and the bloodbath that follows as described in...

"Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and broke into tears” (Genesis 29:11). Thus begins the passionate and troubled love affair between Jacob and...

The relationship between Jacob and Esau is a colourful saga within the larger family story that fills the book of Genesis. By this stage...

How do you choose a spouse in marriage? What qualities do you seek? What virtues do you hope and pray for your children to find in their...

‘How great is the outcry against Sodom and how very grave their sin!’ (Genesis 18:20). Exactly what was the sin of the biblical cities of...

The biblical matriarch Sarah is loved and revered in Jewish tradition. Yet this does not mean she is perfect or beyond critique. A great...

This week is an opportunity to extend our knowledge of a familiar bible story, perhaps known since childhood: Noah’s ark. We may already...

The story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16) is a tale of sibling rivalry of archetypal significance. Have you ever stopped to consider...

As we draw near to the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a striking example of biblical poetry traditionally referred to as ‘the...

As the Book of Deuteronomy moves towards its conclusion, Moses prepares for his death and bids his people farewell. His leadership has...

Shana Tova U'Metuka Festival greetings to Jewish friends for Rosh Hashanah, and a wish for all the goodness and sweetness of the new...

In this reflection we explore rabbinic thought patterns and the insights of Jewish commentators concerning a single verse of Scripture:...

In Deuteronomy 21-24 we come across a number of laws that reflect a concern for the welfare of women. For example: “When a man has taken...

“If, in the land that the LORD your God is assigning you to possess, someone slain is found lying in the open, the identity of the slayer...

“If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among you and promise you omens or portents, and the omens or the portents declared by...