Thoughts on Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei

Our parasha for this week tells us the story of the construction of the tabernacle, the organization of the religious cult and many other aspects related to it. In other words, it tells us about the construction of a holy space in which the Eternal was to dwell among the Israelites. This story and all these descriptions provide an opportunity to pose and answer a fundamental question: what is holiness?[…]

The villages of Svaneti, a mountainous region in the South-West of Georgia, are incredibly picturesque. No wonder – they are perched against a backdrop of snowy peaks of Caucasus, the highest mountain range in Europe. However, this prime location is not their defining feature. What sets them apart from Alpine villages of, say, Austria or […]

Thoughts on Parashat Terumah

Imagine that a great apocalyptic catastrophe happened on our planet and you are the only human that survived it. There is still a great abundance of everything, including food, so you don’t have to worry you would starve to death. Actually, at this moment the entire planet belongs to you, for there is no one with whom you have to share it. Thus, you have more than everything you have ever wanted, or even imagined to possess. Let’s also imagine that you have some sources of energy, like electricity, so your survival till your natural death would be easier.[…]