By Rabbi Adina Allen Parshat Vayeishev (Genesis 37:1-40:23) In his seminal work The Theory of Colors, 18th-century German polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe taught that color is not a thing but an event—a phenomenon that occurs only where light presses against darkness. In other words, color isn’t contained in an object itself, but arises from the relationship between illumination and shadow. According to Goethe, we don’t see color because an object “has” it; we see color because two opposing forces meet... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In
Parashat Tzav: Keeping the Sacred Fire Burning
Keeping Up the Fire This week’s parsha opens with fire. The fire burns on the altar all day and all night, at God’s command. The command here is key — it is the name of the parsha, the first word we hear: “Tzav.” In other places, God ‘says’ or ‘speaks,’ but God commands this fire. Rashi tells us that this word Tzav/command is used when an action is intended to be done immediately in the narrative and also in the future. The idea comes... Read more