About the Author


Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt”l was an international religious leader, philosopher, and respected moral voice. The author of over 35 books, he received multiple awards in recognition of his work including the 2016 Templeton Prize. He was the recipient of 18 honorary doctorates, and was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 2005 and made a Life Peer, taking his seat in the House of Lords in October 2009. Rabbi Sacks zt”l served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. Rabbi Sacks zt”l was born on the 8th March 1948 and passed away on the 7th November 2020 (Shabbat Kodesh 20th MarCheshvan 5781).
These weekly teachings from Rabbi Sacks zt”l are part of the ‘Covenant & Conversation’ series on the weekly Torah reading. Read more essays from the series on www.rabbisacks.org.
Also available: The FAMILY EDITION of Covenant & Conversation, designed to enhance your parsha conversation with everyone from teenagers to great-great-grandparents. To read and print this family-friendly learning resource, for an inter-generational discussion around your Shabbat table on Rabbi Sacks’ ideas for the week, please click here.


Parsha: The Divided Sea: Natural or Supernatural?

Parsha: Against Their Gods

Parsha: The God Who Acts In History

Parsha: The Light at the Heart of Darkness

Tyranny cannot destroy humanity. Moral courage can sometimes be found in the heart of darkness.

Parsha: The Future of the Past

 

Jewish Strength is Not in Their Numbers

Don’t count Jews; count their vast contributions.

Parsha: Does My Father Love Me?

Parsha: The Universal and the Particular

Parsha: Refusing Comfort, Keeping Hope

Parsha: Physical Fear, Moral Distress

Parsha: When the "I" is Silent

In the silence of the "I," we meet the "Thou" of God.

Parsha: The Courage of Persistence

Isaac and anti-Semitism.

Parsha: On Judaism and Islam

Parsha: God and Strangers

Parsha: Abraham’s Journey: Four Dimensions

To be a child of Abraham is to have the courage to be different, to challenge the idols of the age.

Parsha: A Drama In Four Acts

The maturation of humanity through the prism of responsibility and moral development.

Parsha: Three Stages of Creation

The enormous challenge and privilege to be like God.

Parsha: Emotional Intelligence

Parsha: The Second Mountain

Parsha: The World Is Waiting For You

 

Investing Time: Ten Life-Changing Principles

Judaism is the satellite navigation system of the soul, and Rosh Hashanah is the day we stop and see whether we need to change direction.

Parsha: The Story We Tell

Judaism’s uniqueness of transforming history into memory.

Parsha: Social Capital: Gauging the Health of Society

Wealth has nothing to do with money and everything to do with the level of trust within a society.

Parsha: Jewish Monarchy: To Lead Is To Serve

Parsha: Listen, Really Listen

If we can't truly listen to other people, then we certainly can't listen to God, whose otherness is not relative but absolute.

Parsha: Making Love Last

Mitzvot are the framework that keeps love alive.

Parsha: The Effective Critic

Parsha: Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Parsha: The Lost Masterpiece

We inherit what we truly love.

Seven Principles for Maintaining Jewish Dialogue

How to overcome disagreements respectfully to ensure we continue to thrive as a people.

Parsha: A People That Dwells Alone

Assimilation is no cure for Anti-Semitism.

Parsha: Mortality and Meaning

Despite being human and imperfect, we are God's partners in creation.

Parsha: The First Populist

What matters in Judaism is why the argument was undertaken and how it was conducted.

 

Are Religion and Science Destined to be in Conflict?

Each one is important, and when we understand the relationship between them, we will be able to appreciate how they can form a great partnership.

Parsha: Seeing What Isn't There

Applying cognitive behavior therapy to the story of the spies.

Parsha: Faith and Friendship

Parsha: Lifting Heads

We are as important as we make other people feel.

Parsha: The Two Journeys

The journey from is always easier than the journey to.

Parsha: We Are What We Do Not Own

Parsha: Love Is Not Enough

Relationships need rules and boundaries.

Parsha: In the Diary

Parsha: The Power of Praise

How to save your marriage.

Parsha: Don't Define Yourself as a Victim

In any given situation we can look back or we can look forward.

9 Quotes about Israel from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Israel is the home of hope.

Parsha: When Weakness Can Become a Strength

What we think of as our greatest weakness can become, if we wrestle with it, our greatest strength.

Parsha: Giving Thanks

Gratitude is the bedrock of Judaism.

Parsha: The Call

The difference between a gift and a vocation.

Parsha: Making Space

Creating a home for God on earth.

Parsha: Anger: Its Uses and Abuses

We should never feel anger. But there are times when we should show it.

Parsha: Crushed for the Light

Great faith can turn pain into love and holy light.

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