…the purpose of a justice system is not to satisfy our desire for a good narrative. Its purpose is to serve a society that is subject to its laws and institutions. Its purpose is to solve problems, without creating even larger problems. One way to serve society is to convince everybody that justice has been done.

The sad truth is that antisemitism has reared its ugly head in the United States and around the world in recent decades and not only has it happened more often, but also it has become normalized, ignored, forgiven.

I believe that God loves us and doesn’t want us to live in fear, sickness, loneliness, or any other forms of suffering. Nobody can know why God has allowed our current agonies and turmoil to menace the world, but I see a few silver linings. This includes seeing that more people recognize what God told us all along—that it is folly to trust in humankind.

As a term, cringe took off in forums in the early aughts, when the practice of humiliating oneself online was still somewhat novel. If it’s now mainstream—as a meme and an entertainment genre and an incredibly cutting insult—that’s not because human beings have become more cringe as a group. It’s because we’ve been given more opportunities to display our cringeworthy characteristics, and also to point out the cringeworthy behavior of others.

The liberatory power of ‘the canon’ is easily lost in the theoretical haze of the academic humanities. At the same time, institutions of higher education have been all too ready to abandon the idea of liberal education – of learning for its own sake – in favour of professional and specialised studies. But the old classics still have the power to move and transform young people in ways that no technical education can.

Once, vibe, mood, and energy were watchwords of the counterculture. Among hippies, dropouts, and other assorted voyagers in psychedelia, they were part of a private shorthand for sensations strongly felt but not so easily explained. Today, this vocabulary has diffused beyond any niche group. Yuppies profess to feeling certain energies; New York Times writers divine vibes; venture capitalists do a booming business in moods, pouring money into astrology apps. The occult is for everyone, and so for no one in particular.

Judy Gruen: At first glance, the two tablets of the Ten Commandments seem to focus on two different themes. The first five appear to stress the hierarchical relationship between human beings and God, while commandments six through ten focus on social laws– lateral relationships between people. However, Rabbi David Fohrman of AlephBeta.org teaches that in reality there is one single unifying principle of all ten. That theme is respect.

God begins the Ten Commandments with “Anochi,” “I am.” There is a discussion among the commentators as to whether this constitutes a declaration or a commandment. Abarbanel, the great Spanish sage, declares that it is a preamble, making clear to the Israelites Who was speaking to them. Rambam, however, insists that it is a commandment, a mitzvah, the mitzvah of belief in one God.

Yitro—both the parshah and the individual—reminds me of the importance of familial connections. While not his biological father, Yitro was almost a father to Moshe. The very phrase “father-in-law” being used to describe Yitro alludes to his relationship with Moshe, says Rashi.

Does it help the fight against antisemitism to show the haters your fears? In the wake of the latest attack in Colleyville, David and Shanni discuss the world’s reactions and the pros and cons of dealing with this ancient disease. And of course, COVID and Curb make an appearance.

Shmuel Rosner chats with Leah and Menachem Gottesman about their book: “Not at Risk: Education as a Work of Heart.”

Author and speaker Daniel Friedman shares transformative wisdom from our Sages, as well as surprising research from his doctoral thesis on American Christian attitudes toward Israel.