Shabbat and Meditation: Just Be It
How mindfulness can deepen your Shabbat experience — and vice versa
Jews and Guns
What Judaism teaches about firearms, hunting and more.
The Jews of Russia
The territories of the former Russian Empire were the cradle of Jewish modernity, the birthplace of Zionism and Jewish socialism, and a major center of the Hasidic movement.
How to Organize a Shiva
A checklist and advice for preparing a Jewish house of mourning.

Why Some Jews Celebrate Purim One Day Later
Shushan Purim is the day when residents of walled cities, like Jerusalem, observe the holiday.
Next Torah Portion
Summary
In this Torah portion, Moses stays with God on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. There, he is given the 10 Commandments on stone tablets. Fearing Moses will never return, the Israelites turn to Aaron, who demands that everyone bring him their gold, so he can make a golden calf. When Moses comes down the mountain and sees the people dancing around this idol, he smashes the tablets on the ground. God punishes with a plague all the Israelites who were involved. Moses builds a tent to be his meeting place with God.
Featured Commentary
Holiness Cannot Be Mass Produced
The artisan is as important as the ingredients used.
Daf Yomi
STUDY RESOURCES
Recharge Now
Our weekly Shabbat newsletter, Recharge, features a thoughtful, timely essay to enrich your Shabbat. Here are a few of our recent pieces:
Vashti’s Bad Rap
Why the deposed queen is the under-appreciated heroine of Purim.
A Taste of the World to Come
On Purim, we get a flavor of a redeemed world — and it is intoxicating.
Trees in the Wilderness
Each generation carries the weight of previous generations, and the potential to transform that weight into something magnificent.
MORE from MY JEWISH LEARNING
7 Ways the Torah Can Actually Sharpen Your Mind
Engaging with Torah is like yoga for the mind: It keeps our perspectives flexible and creativity strong.
Ask the Expert: Do All Religions Worship the Same God?
Jews don’t have a monopoly on God, but we do privilege and prefer our own access.
Similar Jewish Words You Don’t Want to Mix Up
From kibbitz/kibbutz to mitzvah/mikveh, we round up some easily confused Hebrew and Yiddish terms.
Who Was Moses in the Bible?
The greatest Jewish prophet led the Israelites out of Egypt and received the Torah at Sinai, but he never entered the promised land.
How to Talk to God
The Hasidic prayer practice of hitbodedut — talking to God freely in one’s native tongue — helps to build intimacy over time.
Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World
This phrase with kabbalistic roots has come to connote social justice.