Last Updated 07/09/10
My musings are also sent out to a Yahoo Groups list (only the musing can be posted). To subscribe, send an e-mail to randommusingsbeforeshabbat-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Here are some of my most recent and selected "Random Musings" from previous years, since 1996
Other Musings on this Parasha
Masei 5768 - Accidents Matter
Matot 5768/5765-Even Moshe Rabbeinu Had to Punt
Matot-Masei 5766 - First
Fruit
Matot-Masey 5764-Putting
the Kids Before the Kids
Matot--Masey 5763-Over the Top
Matot--Masey 5762--The Rebel's Complaint and Promises, Promises
Quick Link to Books: B'reishit Sh'mot Vayikra Bemidbar D'varim
Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah 5770 - Circles
Can Bite You in the Tuchis
Sh'mini
Atzeret/Simkhat Torah 5767 - Joyful and Glad of Heart
Simchat Torah
5766--Have We Met The Ally And Is They Us?
Simchat Torah
5757-5765-Unbroken Circle (With additions for each year)
Simchat Torah 5764-Circling the Torah--A Story of Chelm
Simchat Torah 5762--Not So Fast
B'reishit 5770 - One G"d, But Two Trees?
B'reishit 5769 - Do Fences Really Make Good
Neighbors
B'reishit 5767-Many
Beginnings
Bereshit 5766-Kol D'mei
Akhikha
Bereshit 5765 (5760)-Failing to Understand-A Learning
Experience
Bereshit 5764-Gd's Regrets
Bereshit 5762--The Essential Ingredient
Bereshit 5763--Striving to be Human
Bereshit 5761--Chava's Faith
Bereshit 5760-Failing to
Understand
Noakh 5770 - Don't
Ham It Up
Noah 5768 - Redux 5761 - Getting Noticed
Noakh 5766-What
A Nimrod! (Revised)
Noakh 5765-A Pshat In The
Dark
Noach
5764-Finding My Rainbow
Noach 5763-Striving to be Human
Noach 5762-To Make a Name for Ourselves
Noach 5761-Getting Noticed
Noach 5760-What a Nimrod!
Lekh Lkha 5770 -
Revisiting the Ten Percent Solution
Lekh L'kha 5769 - Of
Nodding Heads, Whistling Airs, and Snickersnees
Lekh
Lekha 5768 - The Covenant That (Almost) Wasn't - Excerpts from the Diary of
Terakh
Lekh Lekha 5767-Penile
Pilpul
Lekh Lekha
5766-The Other Siders
Lekh Lekha 5765 - Redux
5760
Lekh Lekha 5764-Ma'aseir
Mikol-The Ten Percent Solution
Lekh Lekha 5763-No Explanations
Lekh Lekha 5761-The Intellectual Echad
Lekh Lekha 5760-Things Are Seldom What They
Seem An Excerpt from the "Journal of Lot"
Lekh L'kha 5758-Little White
Lies
Vayera 5770 - Not Even Ten?
Vayeira 5769 - He's a Family
Guy (?)
Vayera
5767-Revised 5759-Whoops! (or Non-Linear Thinking)
Vayera
5766-The Price of Giving
Vayera
5765-From the Journal of Lot Pt. II
Vayera
5762-Plainly Spoken
Vayera 5760/5761-More From the "Journal of Lot"
Vayera 5759-Whoops! (or
"Non-Linear Thinking?")
Vayera 5757-Technical
Difficulties
Hayyei Sarah 5770 - Call Me Ishamel II
Hayyei Sarah 5769 - Looking for Clues
Hayyei Sarah 5768 - A
High Price
Hayei Sarah 5767-Never
Warm?
Chaye Sarah 5766-Semper
Vigilans
Chaye Sarah 5763-Life Goes On
Chaye
Sarah 5762-Priorities, Redundancies And Puzzles
Chayeh
Sarah 5761-L'cha Dodi Likrat Kala
Hayyei Sarah 5760 - Call Me Ishmael
Chaye Sarah 5757-The Shabbat That Almost Wasn't
Toldot 5769 - There's Gotta Be Something Better
Than This
Toldot 5768 - Alternate
Histories, Alternate Shmistories
Toldot 5767-They Also
Serve...
Toldot 5765-Purposeless Fire
Toledot 5764-What a Bother!
Toledot 5763-Not Sticking in The Knife
Toledot
5762-Winners and Losers
Toledot
5761-Is This All There Is?
Toledot
5758-Like Father, Like Son
Vayeitzei 5769 - Going Down and Loving It!
Vayeitzei 5768 -
Encounters
Vayeitzei 5767-Hapax On
All Your Hapaxes
Vayetze 5766-Pakhad HaShem?
Vayetze 5765-Cows and
Cranberries
Vayetze 5764-Terms and
Conditions
Vayetze 5763-Now and Then
Vayetze
5762-Change in Perspective
Vayetze 5760-Taking Gd's Place
Vayishlakh 5769 - A Fish
Called Wonder
Vayishlakh 5768 - No
One's in the Kitchen With Dinah
Vayishlakh 5767-Wrestlemania
Vayishlakh 5766-Like Deity, Like Deity's Child
Vayishlakh 5765-B'li Mirmah
Vayishlakh 5762-Don't
Get Mad--Get Even!
Vayishlakh 5761-No Doubt? No Wonder!
Vayeishev 5768 - Strangers Walking Together
Vayeishev/Hanukah 5767-I Believe in
Miracles
Vayeishev 5766-Who Was That Guy?
Vayeshev 5761 - In Gd's Time
Vayeshev
5765-Mikol HaMishpakhot HaAdamah
Vayeshev
5758-What's Worth Looking After
Miketz/Hanukkah 5769 - Redux
5763 - Assimilating Assimilation
Miketz/Hanukah 5768 Learning
From Joseph and His Brothers (revised from 5757)
Miketz 5767-Clothes Make the Man?
Miketz
5766-Eizeh Hu Khakham?
Miketz 5757& 5761-Would You Buy A Used Car From This Guy?
Miketz 5763/5764/5765-Assimilating Assimilation
Vayigash 5769 - He's
A-Cookin'-a-Somethin'-A-Up
Vayigash 5768 - G"d By the
Light of Day
Vayigash 5767-Two Sticks
As One?
Vayigash 5765-One People
Vayigash 5763-Things Better Left Unsaid
Vayigash
5761/5766-Checking In
Vayigash 5762-Teleology 101: Does Gd Play Dice With
the World?
Vayigash 5764-Incidental Outcomes and Alternate Histories
Vayekhi 5770 - Musing Block?
Vayekhi 5769 - Enough With the Hereditary
Payback Already!
Vayekhi 5767-HaMalakh
HaGoel
Vayechi 5766-Thresholds
(Redux 5764 with Reflections
Vayechi 5761/5-Unethical Wills
Vayechi 5764-Thresholds
Vayechi
5763 - I Got it Good and That Ain't Bad (Redux 5760)
Vayechi 5759-Trading Places
Vayechi 5762-The Wrong Good
Quick Link to Books: B'reishit Sh'mot Vayikra Bemidbar D'varim
Sh'mot 5767-Logic &
Metaphysics
Sh'mot 5766-Free
Association III
Shemot 5765-Why Us?
Shemot 5764-Uncomsumed-ness
Shemot
5763 - Free Association II
Shemot 5760-Tzaz Latzav, Tzav Latzav
Shemot 5761-The Spice of Life
Shemot 5762-Little Ol' Me?
Bo 5769-Keretz MiTzafon
Bo 5768 - Good
Loser (Redux 5763)
Bo 5767-Teach
Your Children Well (Redux 5762)
Bo 5766 - Random Disjunctions and
Convergences (Redux 5760)
Bo 5765-Four Strikes and You're...Well...
Bo 5764-Keretz
Ani
Bo 5763 -Good
Loser
Bo 5761-Cover of Darkness
Bo 5762-Teach Your Children Well
Beshalakh 5768 - Man Hu
Beshalakh 5767-March On
Beshalakh 5766-Manna
Mania II
Beshalakh 5765-Gd's War
Beshalach 5763-Mi Chamonu
Beshalach 5760-Moshe's Musings
Beshalach 5761-Warrior Gd
Beshalach 5762-Manna mania
Yitro 5770 - Special Effects
Yitro 5769 - Evolution Shabbat
Yitro 5768-B'Kol HaMakom-In
Every Place
Yitro 5767-Kinat Ad"nai
Yitro 5766-Top Ten?
Yitro 5765-Outsiders (Updated
from 5759)
Yitro 5764-Outsiders II
Yitro 5763-El Kana
Yitro 5762-Manna Mania
Yitro 5761-From Cheap Theatrics to Impossible
Possibilities
Yitro 5760-The Rest of the Ten Commandments
Yitro 5759-Outsiders
Mishpatim 5770 - Divine
Picnic
Mishpatim 5769 - Redux
5757/5761 Change from the Inside
Mishpatim 5768 - Justice for All
Mishpatim 5767-To See, To Behold, To Eat, To Drink
Mishpatim 5766 - Mishpatim
with a Capital IM
Mishpatim 5765-Eid Khamas (revised)
Mishpatim 5764-Situational Ethics
Mishpatim 5763-My Object
All Sublime
Mishpatim 5762-Enron Beware!
Mishpatim 5761-Change from the Inside
Mishpatim 5760-Chukim U'mishpatim
Mishpatim 5759-Eid Khamas-Witness to
Violence
T'rumah 5770 - Finessing Idolatry, or
Outgrowing It?
T'rumah 5769 - Planning for Always
T'rumah 5767-You Gotta Wanna
- The Sequel
T'rumah 5766-No Tools
Allowed
T'rumah 5765-Ish Al Akhiv
T'rumah 5764-Redux
5760-Doing It Gd's Way
T'rumah 5763-Semper Paratus
T'rumah 5762-Virtual Reality or Real Virtuality?
T'rumah 5760-Doing It Gd's
Way
T'rumah 5761-You Gotta Wanna
Tetzaveh 5770 - A Nation of Priests? (And a
Shtickel of Purim)
Tetzaveh 5768-Light and
Perfection
Tetzaveh/Purim 5767-The
Urim & Thummim Show (Updated)
Tetzaveh 5766-Silent Yet
Present
Tetzaveh 5765 and 5761-Aharon's
Bells
Tetzaveh 5764-Shut Up and
Listen!
Tetzaveh 5763-House Guest
Tetzaveh 5762 (Redux 5760)-The
Urim and Thummim Show
Tetzaveh 5758-Something Doesn't Smell Quite Right
Ki Tisa 5770 - A Fickle Pickle
Ki Tisa 5768-Not So Easy?
Not So Hard!
Ki Tisa/Shabbat Parah
5767-New Hearts and New Spirits
Ki Tisa/Shabbat Parah
5766-Fortune and Men's Eyes
Ki Tisa 5765-Re-Souling
Ourselves
Ki Tisa 5764-A Musing on
Power Vacuums
Ki Tisa 5763-Shabbat is a Verb
Ki Tisa 5762-Your Turn
Ki Tisa 5760-Anger
Management
Ki Tisa 5761-The Lesson Plan
Vayakhel-Pekudie/Shabbat HaHodesh
5770-Corroborative Detail
Vayakhel-Pekudei 5769 - There Are Some
Things You Just Have To Do Yourself
Vayakhel 5768-An Imaginary
Community?
Vayakhel-Pekudei/Shabbat
HaHodesh 5767-Redux 5760-The Lost Episodes: Too Much of a Good Thing
Vayakhel-Pekudei/Shabbat
HaHodesh 5766 - So How Did Joseph Get Away With it?
Pekude 5765-Redux
5760-Pronouns
Vayakhel 5765-The Wisdom of the Heart
Vayakhel/Pekude
5764-Comma or Construct?
Vayakhel 5763-Dayam
V'hoteir
Vayakhel/Pekude 5762-Sacred Work
Vayakhel/Pekude 5761 (Revised from
5758)-Craftsman. Artisan. Artist.
Vayakhel/Pekude
5758-Craftsman. Artisan. Artist.
Vayakhel 5760-The Lost
Episodes: Too Much of a Good Thing
Quick Link to Books: B'reishit Sh'mot Vayikra Bemidbar D'varim
Vayikra 5770 - You Can Fool Most of the People
Most of the Time
Vayikra 5768 - Redux 5763 - Kol Kheilev
Vayikra 5767-Stuff That's
Bugging Me
Vayikra 5766 - Osymandias
Vayikra-Shabbat Zachor 5765-Chatati
Vayikra 5763 - Kol Cheilev
Vayikra 5759 &
5762-Salvation?
Vayikra 5760-Meaningful Gifts
Vayikra 5764 and 5761-Mambo #613: A Little Bit of Alef in My
Torah...
Tzav 5769 - Payback: An
Excerpt From the Diary of Moses
Tzav 5768 - Jeremiah's solution (Updated from 5761)
Tzav/Shabbat HaGadol
5767-Redux 5762-Irrelevant Relavancies
Tzav/Shabbat HaGadol 5766 - Dysfunction
Junction
Tzav 5765 (updated 5760)-Of
IHOPs, Ordination and Shabbat
Tzav/Shabbat HaGadol 5764-Two
Way Street
Tzav 5763 - Zot Torahteinu?
Tzav 5761/5759-Jeremiah's Solution
Sh'mini 5770 - Don't Eat That, It's Not Kosher
Sh'mini 5769 srettirC ypsirC
Sh'mini 5767-Don't Be a
Stork
Sh'mini 5766-Palmwalkers
Shemini 5765-It All Matters
Shemini 5764-Playing Before
Gd
Shemini 5763 - Belly of the Beast
Shemini
5762-Crispy Critters
Shemini 5761-Lessons From
Our Students
Shemini 5760-Calm in a Crisis
Shemini 5759-Porking Out
Tazria-Metzora 5770 - Excessive Prevention
Tazria-M'tzora 5767-Once
Impure, Not Always Impure
Tazria-Metzora 5766 -
Comfort in Jerusalem
Tazria-Metzora 5758/5764-Getting Through the Messy Stuff
Tazria-Metzora 5761-Lessons For Our
Stuents
Tazria-Metzora 5762-Sing a Song of
Leprosy
Tazria 5768 - Just Not Good Enough is Just Not Good Enough
Tazria 5765-If Naaman Can
Be Forgiven...
Tazria 5760-Preventing
Spiritual Rot
Metzora 5768 - Human Nature
Metzora 5765-Defiling the Tabernacle
Metzora 5763-Not So Irrelevant
Metzora
5760-Even Lepers Bring Good News
Shabbat Hol HaMoed Pesakh 5769 -
Valley of the Dry Economy
Pesach VII 5768 - Department of Redundant Anamnesis Department
Hol HaMoed Pesach
5767-Not Empty
Intermediate Shabbat of
Passover 5766-A Lily Among Thorns
Pesach VII 5761 (Revised 5765)
Hol HaMoed Pesach
5764-Dem Bones & Have We Left Gd behind? (5578-60)
Hol Hamoed Pesach 5763-No Empty Gestures (Redux 5762)
5761-Pesach VII-Redundant Anamnesis
Aharei Mot-Kedoshim 5770 - Redux
5762 - Dis tinct Unities and United Dis junctions
Aharei Mot-Kedoshim 5769-Schroedinger's Cat
5769 (Redux 5761 w/new comments)
Akharei Mot/Shabbat HaGadol 5768 - Why Wait for Elijah?
Akharei
Mot-Kedoshim 5767 - Insults Don't Weigh Anything?
Aharei
Mot-Kedoshim 5766-Redux 5761 & 5762
Acharei
Mot-Kedoshim 5764-Whither Zion?
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5762 - Dis
tinct Unities and United Dis junctions
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5761 - Schroedinger's Cat & Torah
Akharei Mot 5765-The Ways of Egypt and
Canaan (revised)
Acharei Mot 5763--Immoral Relativisms?
Acharei Mot 5760-The Ways of Egypt & Canaan
Kedoshim 5768-Unfamiliar Spirits
Kedoshim 5763 - Oil and Water
Kedoshim
5760 & 5765 - Torah for Dummies
Emor 5770 - G"d's Shabbat II
Emor 5767-Redux and Revised
5761-Eternal Effort
Emor 5766 - Mum's the Word (Redux 5760 with new
commentary for 5766)
Emor 5765-Out of Sync
Emor 5764-One Law for All
Emor 5763-Mishpat Ekhad
Emor
5758-Gd's Shabbat
Emor 5759-Lex Talionis
Emor 5760-Mum's the Word
Emor 5761-Eternal Effort
B'har-B'khukotai 5770 - Bad Parenting 301
Behar-Bekhukotai 5769- Scared of Leaves?
Behar-Bekhukhotai 5767-A
Partridge in a Tree of Life
Behar-Bekhukhotai
5766-Only An Instant
Behar-Bekhukotai
5764 - The Price of Walls
Behar-Bekhukotai
5762 - Tough Love
Behar-Bekhukotai
5761-The Big Book (Bottoming Out Gd's Way)
Behar 5765-Ki Gerim
v'Toshavim Atem Imadi
Behar 5763-Ownership
Behar 5760-Slaves to Gd
Bekhukotai 5765-I'll
Take the Hard Way
Bechukotai 5763-Keri Is
So Very...
Bekhukotai
5760-Repugnant Realities
Quick Link to Books: B'reishit Sh'mot Vayikra Bemidbar D'varim
Bemidbar 5770 - Sense Us
Bemidbar 5769 - That V'eirastikh Li Feeling
Bamidbar 5767-What Makes It Holy? (Redux & Revised 5761)
Bemidbar 5766-Redux 5760-Knowing Our Place
Bemidbar 5764-Doorway to Hope
Bemidbar 5763-Redux 5759 (with additions for 5763)
Bemidbar 5762-They Did As They Were Told? You Gotta be Kidding!
Bemidbar 5759-Marrying Gd-Not Just for Nuns
Bemidbar 5760-Knowing Our Place
Bemidbar 5761-What Makes it Holy
Shavuot II 5766-Redux
5760-Getting Through the Crap
Shavuot II 5763-But Just In Case
Shavuot II 5762-Redux
5760-Getting Through the Crap
Shavuot II 5760-Getting
Through the Crap (Habakkuk)
Nasso 5770 - Cherubic Puzzles
Naso 5768 - G"d's Roadies
Naso 5767 (Redux 5759) - The
Fourth Fold
Naso 5765-Northeast Gaza-Side
Story
Naso 5763--Lemon Pledge
Naso 5759-The Fourth Fold
Naso 5760-Bitter Waters
Naso 5761-Keeping Me On My Toes
Naso 5762-Wondrous Names (Haftarah Naso from
Judges)
B'ha'alot'kha 5770 - Ecstasy (Redux 5760)
B'ha'alot'kha 5766 - Vay'hi Binsoa - Movin'
Out, Movin' On
B'ha'alot'cha
5765-Unintended Results?
Beha'alotekha 5762 - Redux 5759 - The Kiss of Moshe
Beha'alotekha
5760-Ecstasy
Shelakh L'kha 5769 - One Law
Sh'lakh-L'kha 5767-Cover
Up II - G"d's Scarlet Letter?
Sh'lakh L'kha 5766 - Another Missed
Opportunity?
Shelakh Lekha 5764-They
Might Really Be Giants
Shelakh-Lekha
5762-Minority Report
Shelakh-Lekha
5761-Cover Up?
Shelakh Lekha 5760 and 5765-Anamnesis
Shelakh-Lekha 5759-Do You Spy What I Spy?
Korakh 5770 (Redux 5758/62) Camp Rebellion
Korakh 5769 - And who Put G"d In Charge (or
2009: A Space Odyssey)
Korakh 5768-If Korakh Had Guns
Korach 5767-Who's Afraid of
the Big, Bad, Tabernacle?
Korach 5766 - Investment
Korah 5765 - Stones and
Pitchers and Glass Houses
Korach 5764-B'tzelem Anashim
Korach 5763-Taken
Korach 5761-Loose Ends
Chukat 5767-What A
Difference A Vowel Makes
Chukkat 5765-Not Seeing
What's Inside
Chukat 5764 - Man of Great Character
Chukat
5762-The Spirit of Miriam
Chukat-Balak 5766 - Community Sing
Chukat Balak 5763-Mi ChaMicah
Chukat-Balak 5760-Holy Cow!
Chukat 5759/61-Wanting to See More Than The
View From The Mountaintop
Balak 5770 - Beating Our Donkeys II (Revised and
Updated 5758)
Balak 5764 - Bad Habits
Balak 5758/5761-Beating Our
Donkeys
Pinkhas 5770 - Thanking Those Who Didn't Make
It
Pinkhas 5769-Why is This Rebuke Different From
All Other Rebukes?
Pinkhas 5768 - Still Zealous After all These
Years
Pinhas 5766-Let's Give Moshe
a Hand
Pinkhas 5765-Kol D'mamah
Dakah
Pinchas 5762 -- I Still Get Zealous
Pinchas
5764/5760-It Just Is!
Matot-Masei 5770 - Treasure Trove of
Trouble
Masei 5768 - Accidents Matter
Matot 5768/5765-Even Moshe Rabbeinu Had to Punt
Matot-Masei 5766 - First
Fruit
Matot-Masey 5764-Putting
the Kids Before the Kids
Matot--Masey 5763-Over the Top
Matot--Masey 5762--The Rebel's Complaint and Promises, Promises
Quick Link to Books: B'reishit Sh'mot Vayikra Bemidbar D'varim
D'varim 5769-Torah of Confusion
D'varim-Shabbat Hazon 5766 -
Refractory Recalcitrant Recidivists
D'varim 5764--Eleven Days
D'varim 5763--Remembering to Forget or Forgetting to
Remember?
D'varim 5762-L'chu v'niva'ch'chah and the Twelve Steps
D'varim 5759-Owning Up
D'varim 5760-1-Kumu v'Ivru
Va'etkhanan 5769-This Man's Art, That Man's
Scope
Va'etchanan
5764--Sometimes A Cigar...
Va'etchanan 5758-63-66-67-The promise
Ekev 5769-Not Like Egypt
Ekev 5766 - Kod'khei Eish-Kindlers of Fire
Eikev 5765-Are We Forgotten?
Ekev 5764-KaYom HaZeh
Ekev 5760 (from 5759)-Not Holier Than Thou
Re'eh 5766-Lo Toseif V'lo
Tigra
Re'eh 5765--Revised 5759-Open Your Hand
Re'eh 5761--Our Own Gifts
Re'eh 5760/5763--B'lo l'sav'a
Re'eh 5759--Open Your Hand
Re'eh 5757/5758--How To Tell Prophet From Profit
Shoftim 5767 (Redux and
Updated 5760/61) From Defective to Greatest
Shof'tim 5766-Hassagut
G'vul
Shoftim 5765/5759-Whose
Justice?
Shoftim 5763--Pursuit
Ki Tavo 5764-Al Kol Eileh
(in memory of Naomi Shemer, z"l)
Ki Tavo 5763--Still Getting Away With It?
Ki Tavo 5760--Catalog of Calamities
Ki Tavo 5761--Rise & Shine
Ki Tavo 5762--Al Kol Eileh
Nitzavim/Vayeilekh 5769 -
Disconencting the Reconnecting the Dots
Vayeilekh_Shabbat Shuvah
5769 - Cows and Roses
Nitzavim/Vayeilekh 5766 - Keep
Looking
Vayelekh 5765-The Time Is
Still Now
Nitzavim 5765-To Lo Or Not To Lo
Nitzavim/Vayelekh 5763-Connect the Dots
Nitzavim 5757/5759/5764-Lo Bashamayim Hi
Nitzavim 5758-Not By Ourselves
Nitzavim/Vayelekh 5760-L'eyd B'vnei Yisrael-The Real Denouement
Nitzavim 5761 was the week of Sept. 11, 2001. There was no
Musing.
Rosh Hashanah 5770-The Dualities
of Life II
Rosh Hashanah
5764-Inscriptions
Rosh Hashanah 5763-The Dualities of Life
Ha'azinu/Shabbat Shuvah
5570-Pur Prayers Aren't Bull
Haazinu
5766-Trifles (Updated from 5762)
Haazinu 5765/5763-How would It Look If...
Haazinu
5764-More Bull From Our Lips
Haazinu 5762--Trifles
Haazinu 5760-Bull from Our
Lips
Yom Kippur 5765 - Blanket apologies
Sukkot I 5770 - Fire and
Rain
Sukkot
5767-Precious Congealed Light - Or Y'kator V'kipa'on
Sukkot 5764--Bayom Hazeh
Sukkot 5763--Sukkot Time Travel
Quick Link to Books: B'reishit Sh'mot Vayikra Bemidbar D'varim
©1996-2006 by Adrian A. Durlester