Rabbi Sacks speaks to students of the Philos Project

How Perfect were the Matriarchs and Patriarchs? (Lech Lecha)

In an extraordinary series of observations on this week’s parsha, Ramban (Nahmanides, 1194 – 1270) delivers harsh criticisms of Abraham and Sarah The first has to do with Abraham’s decision to leave the land of Canaan and go to Egypt because “there was a famine in the land” (Gen 12:1) On this Ramban says: Know that Abraham our father unintentionally committed a great sin by... Read more

The keys to understanding American anti-Semitism — and fighting back (published by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The last two festivals to be added to the Jewish calendar prior to modern times — Purim and Hanukkah — are both about anti-Semitism There is one obvious difference between them: Haman, of the Purim story, wanted to kill Jews Antiochus, of the Hanukkah story, wanted to kill Judaism It was the difference between Nazi Germany and Soviet Communism But there is another difference that has... Read more