Religious/Secular
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REVISED 10 COMMANDMENTS
An emotional Moses leaves B’nei Yisrael with his parting words: a revamped and modernized version of the Ten Commandments. Each directive is about more than what might appear at face value, and Moses makes sure the people know each deeper meaning before he leaves them in Joshua’s very capable hands. Unfortunately, not everyone seems to get the message and the Israelites begin their march into Canaan, leaving Moses to wonder what will become of them.
CIRCUMCISION
Abraham relays God’s command to seal the covenant between them with the act of circumcision, but Isaac and Ishmael have other, less painful ideas. Before Abraham does anything rash, the kids do everything they can to get God’s sign-off on some more reasonable alternatives. Trying to interpret what God intends is a time-honored tradition in Judaism, just ask your rabbi: where do Tefillin come from?
MOSES’ SPEECH POST-OCTOBER 7
Moses apologizes for his harshness and praises the people of Israel in the wake of October 7 for their kindness, strength, and resilience and for the ways they showed up for each other during this difficult time. After October 7, when Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 250 more hostage, Israeli society came together beneath the shared banner of defeating Hamas and returning the hostages.
WHY FOLLOW MOSES?
After the splitting of the Red Sea, the Israelites question what God and Moses are actually capable of doing. Most importantly: can they find a lost wallet? The power placed in mankind and the extent of God’s omnipotence have been subjects of debate throughout Jewish history. Theologians, scientists, philosophers, and everyone in between have argued to no end about free will, miracles, divine intervention and more since the days of Moses.
JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS
Joseph recounts his dreams of grandeur to his brothers who would rather sell him into slavery than hear a second more of his arrogance. The story of Joseph is one that should remind us all of what it’s like to be a part of some complicated family drama. In the Torah, the account serves as an explanation of how the Israelites came to reside in Egypt, subject to 400 years of slavery, before their eventual redemption and their arduous journey to the Promised Land.
RAPE IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Moses hands down the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, but his wife Tzipora argues that “Thou Shall Not Rape” needs to be included. As the Israelites try to understand when you can and can’t rape someone, the moral—as well as practical—importance of including the additional Mitzvah becomes clear. Viewed through a modern lens, the sketch raises moral questions about what religion permits and forbids, as well as the challenges of life in a patriarchal society.
Caution: While this sketch may appear to be speaking flippantly of a very serious topic, it can actually be used to launch a serious discussion of rape culture.
THE BINDING OF ISAAC
Abraham prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice: his eldest son. Isaac is less than keen, but only the voice of God can change his father’s mind. Luckily, Isaac is a talented ventriloquist. Isaac’s brush with death is the epitome of a leap of faith. Regardless of whether or not God actually intended for Abraham to offer his child as tribute is of little consequence; what matters is that Abraham was fully prepared to do so.
THE HIGH PRIEST’S BREASTPLATE
The High Priest of the Israelites consults God via the sacred breastplate, but his inquiries are only heard if he can complete a rigorous test of faith — or is it memory? The Urim and Thummim were a set of objects, traditionally portrayed as gemstones, used by the High Priest to receive revelations from God. The term comes from the Hebrew words Urim (“lights”) and Thummim (“perfection” or “truth”), which made up the Choshen or breastplate.
אולי יעניין אתכם גם
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