Jonathan Sacks
ARTICLES BY: Jonathan Sacks
Parshat Pinchas: Moral vs. Political Decisions
The coronavirus pandemic raised a series of deep moral and political issues. How far should governments go in seeking to prevent its spread? To what...
The Hidden Meaning of the Bilam Story: The Power of Love
Many questions have rightly been asked about the story of Balak and Bilam and the would-be curses that turned into blessings. Was Bilam a true...
Kohelet, Tolstoy, and the Red Heifer
The command of the parah adumah, the Red Heifer, with which our parsha begins, is known as the hardest of the mitzvot to understand. The...
A Lesson From Korach: Stop Demonizing Those You Disagree With
Korach was swallowed up by the ground, but his spirit is still alive and well, and in the unlikeliest of places -- British and American...
The 12 Spies and the Coronavirus: What Stories Do We Tell?
In March 2020, whilst launching a new book, I took part in a BBC radio program along with Mervyn King, who had been governor of...
Parshat Beha’alotcha and Coronavirus: Loneliness and Faith
I have long been intrigued by one passage in this week’s parsha. After a lengthy stay in the Sinai desert, the people are about to...
The Blessing of Love
I confess to a thrill every time I read these words: Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say...
Equality Begins With Education
The parsha of Bamidbar is generally read on the Shabbat before Shavuot, z’man matan torateinu -- “the time of the giving of our law,” the...
The Power of a Curse: the Need for Deterrence
The book of Vayikra draws to a close by outlining the blessings that will follow if the people are faithful to their covenant with God....
Parshat Emor and Coronavirus: The Only Guarantee Is Uncertainty
There is something very strange about the festival of Sukkot, on which our parsha is the primary source. On the one hand, it is the...
The Ethic of Holiness
Kedoshim contains the two great love commands of the Torah. The first is, “Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:18). Rabbi Akiva called...
A Lesson from the Torah: Vilification and Evil Speech Are Destroying the World
At the risk of disclosing a spoiler, I would like to begin this week’s Covenant & Conversation by discussing the 2019 film A Beautiful Day...
Parshat Shemini: How Judaism Warned of Climate Change and Other Dangers
The story of Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s two eldest sons who died on the day the Sanctuary was dedicated, is one of the most tragic...
Parshat Tzav: Left- and Right-Brain Judaism
The institution of the Haftorah -- reading a passage from the prophetic literature alongside the Torah portion -- is an ancient one, dating back at...
