Is it possible to have a face-to-face conversation with God?

In Exodus 25:22, the Lord said that he would speak to Moses “from above the ark-cover, from between the two k’ruvim [or Cherubim] which are on the ark for the testimony.”

The book of Numbers begins with God telling Moses to take a census of the entire assembly of Israel. This census seems to appear out of nowhere. Which leads us to ask, what is the purpose of this census anyway?

Recently a friend of mine was helping her friend pack and get ready to move, and found this handwritten Post-it note on a bookcase: “If God is all we have, that is all we need.” She commented, “Hmmm . . . but we all have a lot more. Maybe we don’t need it all?!”

The land is an important biblical character in its own right. The first portion (tithe) always belongs to the Lord, whether of produce or animals. In Parashat Behar, God commands Israel to give the land a holy Sabbath rest every seven years.

It seems to me that God could use a good press secretary. You know, like C.J. on the classic TV show West Wing—the perfect prototype of the professional spin-doctors who protect and often augment the images of public figures.

A principle in Judaism known as pikuach nefesh roughly translates to “saving a life.” The principle holds that human life is of the highest value—so high a value, in fact, that the commands of Torah can and should be set aside if a life can be spared in the process.

Acharei Mot. What a way to start a parasha—with the words Acharei Mot: “After the death!” This phrase refers to the death of Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, who had offered “strange fire” before the Lord.

The story told and celebrated on Passover and Easter is essentially one and the same story, viewed from two different angles. It’s the story of God’s redeeming power, bringing freedom to Israel, the nations, and all creation.

In a world that is coping with unrelenting plagues and an autocrat's callous war on helpless civilians, observing Passover has never seemed more relevant. We’ve rediscovered the value and fragility of our freedom.

A lot of ink has been spilled over the centuries about the evils of lashon hara. Nothing much has been said, however, on its corollary, lashon hatov, good speech. That’s what I would like us to focus on today.