| Introduction |
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xvi | |
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Who Is This Torah Commentary For? |
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xvii | |
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xvii | |
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xviii | |
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xix | |
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The Torah Is Not Man-Made |
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xx | |
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Man-Made or God-Made: Why It Matters |
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xxi | |
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How Was the Torah Transmitted? |
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xxiii | |
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xxiii | |
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Why Read This Commentary? |
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xxiv | |
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xxvi | |
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xxvi | |
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xxvi | |
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xxvi | |
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xxvii | |
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On How to Read This Commentary |
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xxvii | |
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The Use of Post-Biblical Jewish Sources |
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xxvii | |
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xxviii | |
| Preface |
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xxxiii | |
| The Story Thus Far |
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xxxvii | |
| Chapter 1 |
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1 | (18) |
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Essay: The Jews: A Second Creation |
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2 | (1) |
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The Jews: God's Third Attempt to Create a Moral World |
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2 | (1) |
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Why Didn't God Give the Ten Commandments to the First Human Beings? |
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3 | (1) |
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Why Do People Think There Are So Many Jews in the World? |
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4 | (1) |
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The Indispensable Importance of Remembering |
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5 | (1) |
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The Individual and Massive Evil |
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6 | (2) |
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The Guilt of the Egyptian People |
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8 | (1) |
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Were the Midwives Who Disobeyed Pharaoh Egyptians or Hebrews? I |
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9 | (1) |
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The Torah Gives the Midwives' Names, But Not the Pharaoh's |
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10 | (1) |
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Essay: The Moral Significance of Fearing God |
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10 | (2) |
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Were the Midwives Who Disobeyed the Pharaoh Egyptians or Hebrews? II |
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12 | (1) |
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13 | (1) |
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Essay: Moral Absolutes, Moral Relativism, and Situational Ethics |
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14 | (2) |
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More on the Midwives: Egyptian or Hebrew? III |
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16 | (3) |
| Chapter 2 |
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19 | (12) |
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The Preeminent Role of Women in Moses' life-and in the Torah |
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19 | (1) |
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There Is No Miracle in Moses' Birth |
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20 | (1) |
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Why Moses Was Saved In the Same Type of Vessel Noah Was Saved In |
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20 | (1) |
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The Daughter of the Israelites' Killer Saves the Man Who Will Save the Israelites |
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21 | (2) |
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Our Mother Is the Woman, and Our Father Is the Man, Who Raises Us |
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23 | (1) |
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Why Moses Will Be Chosen to Lead Is Already Apparent |
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24 | (1) |
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God Apparently Strongly Approved of Moses' Act of Homicide |
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25 | (1) |
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Moses' Three Responses to Injustice |
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26 | (2) |
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If God Intervened During the Exodus, Why Didn't He Intervene at Other Times? |
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28 | (3) |
| Chapter 3 |
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31 | (20) |
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Essay: Belief in God is a Choice-and Why to Make It |
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32 | (9) |
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The Only Sovereign States that Have Ever Existed in Canaan were Jewish States |
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41 | (3) |
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God's Name Is a Verb-"To Be" |
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44 | (7) |
| Chapter 4 |
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51 | (12) |
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51 | (2) |
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One of the Most Influential Leaders in History Didn't Speak Well... |
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53 | (1) |
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...And Didn't Want to Be a Leader |
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54 | (1) |
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Why Doesn't Moses Tell His Father-in-Law about His Encounter with God? |
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55 | (1) |
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Did God Deprive Pharaoh of Free Will? |
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56 | (1) |
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Essay: The Difference between Belief in God and Faith in God |
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57 | (6) |
| Chapter 5 |
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63 | (8) |
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Where Did All the Elders Go? |
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63 | (1) |
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Moses Doesn't Talk to Pharaoh as He Was Told To |
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64 | (1) |
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Moses Then Says What He Was Told to Say |
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65 | (3) |
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It Can Be Difficult to Love Both Humans and God at the Same Time |
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68 | (1) |
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It Is OK to Get Angry with God |
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69 | (2) |
| Chapter 6 |
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71 | (8) |
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Why Seven Is the Most Important Number in the Torah |
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73 | (3) |
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Essay: Prominent Parents and Their Children |
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76 | (3) |
| Chapter 7 |
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79 | (12) |
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The Plagues Had Three Major Purposes |
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80 | (1) |
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Essay: Is There Such a Thing as Collective Guilt? |
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80 | (3) |
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Specific Egyptian Gods Targeted by the Plagues |
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83 | (1) |
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Worship of Nature vs. Worship of God |
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84 | (1) |
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Why the Torah So Opposes Magic |
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85 | (1) |
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The Plagues Follow a Pattern |
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86 | (5) |
| Chapter 8 |
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91 | (12) |
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Essay: The God of the Torah: The Most Important Idea in World History |
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93 | (10) |
| Chapter 9 |
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103 | (8) |
| Chapter 10 |
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111 | (10) |
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The Unique Significance of Remembering |
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111 | (2) |
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On Taking Care of Your Own People |
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113 | (2) |
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Was the Plague Natural or Miraculous? |
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115 | (1) |
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Why Pharaoh Admitting He Sinned Means Little |
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116 | (1) |
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Was the Plague of Darkness a Solar Eclipse? |
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117 | (4) |
| Chapter 11 |
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121 | (6) |
| Chapter 12 |
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127 | (24) |
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What Does It Mean to Worship God? |
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127 | (1) |
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Sacrificing an Egyptian God |
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128 | (1) |
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The Virtue of Delayed Gratification |
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129 | (3) |
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Essay: Do All Believers in One God Believe in the Same God? |
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132 | (4) |
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Essay: The Six Commandments of Remembrance in the Torah |
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136 | (3) |
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Leavening Represents Death |
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139 | (1) |
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What Does Karet-"Cut Off"-Mean? |
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140 | (2) |
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There Are Seven Holidays Designated as Holy Days in the Torah |
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142 | (2) |
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Educating One's Children Is a Divine Law |
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144 | (2) |
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How Many Israelites Left Egypt? |
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146 | (5) |
| Chapter 13 |
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151 | (8) |
| Chapter 14 |
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159 | (10) |
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God Is Glorified When He Is Perceived as Just |
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159 | (3) |
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Is It Worth Dying to Be Free? |
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162 | (2) |
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Why Did God Use Winds to Split the Sea? |
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164 | (2) |
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The Difference between Belief in God and Trust in God |
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166 | (3) |
| Chapter 15 |
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169 | (12) |
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Essay: Is It Moral to Celebrate the Death of Evildoers? |
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169 | (3) |
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To Be a "God of Love," God Must Also Be a "God of War" |
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172 | (4) |
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The Israelites' First of Four Crises in the Desert |
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176 | (1) |
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Essay: God Doesn't Protect Religious People from Illness |
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177 | (4) |
| Chapter 16 |
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181 | (8) |
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Miracles Bring People to Faith in God-For a Very Short Time |
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181 | (1) |
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Do People Prefer Liberty-Or to Be Taken Care Of? |
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182 | (7) |
| Chapter 17 |
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189 | (6) |
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The Israelites Do Not Seem to Differentiate between God and Moses |
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189 | (1) |
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Even the Most Devout Have Doubts about God Intervening on Their Behalf |
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190 | (1) |
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We Should Relate to God as Adults Relate to Parents-Not as Children Do |
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191 | (4) |
| Chapter 18 |
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195 | (12) |
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Another Non-Jewish Hero in the Torah |
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195 | (1) |
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The Torah Repeatedly Identifies Jethro-A Midianite Priest-as "Moses' Father-in-Law" |
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196 | (3) |
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The Origins of the Expression Baruch Hashem ("Blessed Be the Lord") |
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199 | (1) |
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On Caring about Loved Ones before Strangers |
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199 | (1) |
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Not by Might: God Is Not God because He Wins Battles |
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200 | (2) |
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An Example of the Antiquity and Historicity of the Torah Narrative |
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202 | (2) |
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Essay: How to Respond to Advice and Criticism |
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204 | (3) |
| Chapter 19 |
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207 | (12) |
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The Two Types of Faith-in God's Existence and in God's Goodness |
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207 | (2) |
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Is God's Love Unconditional? |
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209 | (1) |
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"Chosen" Does Not Mean Superior |
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210 | (1) |
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God Chooses Whom He Chooses |
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211 | (1) |
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The Meaning of the Word "Holy" |
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211 | (2) |
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The Importance of Clothing |
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213 | (2) |
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Any Place Can Be Made Holy (Or Unholy) |
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215 | (1) |
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Fear Is Part of Relating to God... |
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216 | (1) |
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217 | (2) |
| Chapter 20 |
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219 | (60) |
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God, Not Moses or Anyone Else, Gave the Ten Commandments |
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219 | (1) |
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The Ten Commandments Are Unique |
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219 | (1) |
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The Ten Commandments Were Deliberately Not Given in the Land of Israel |
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220 | (1) |
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The Ten Commandments Constitute a Form of Absolute Morality |
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220 | (1) |
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Four Defining Characteristics of the Ten Commandments |
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221 | (3) |
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Why God Mentions the Exodus at the Beginning of the Ten Commandments |
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224 | (1) |
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Why God Didn't Introduce Himself as the Creator of the World |
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225 | (1) |
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Why Are the Words "House of Bondage" Added to Describe Egypt? |
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226 | (1) |
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227 | (14) |
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229 | (1) |
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230 | (3) |
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233 | (1) |
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234 | (2) |
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236 | (2) |
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238 | (3) |
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Does God Really Get "Jealous"? |
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241 | (1) |
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Does God Punish the Children of Bad People?-I |
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242 | (1) |
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Does God Punish the Children of Bad People?-II |
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243 | (2) |
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Essay: The Worst Sin Is Committing Evil in God's Name |
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245 | (2) |
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Essay: Why the Sabbath Commandment Is Unique |
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247 | (2) |
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249 | (1) |
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Slaves, Animals, and Strangers Must Also Have a Sabbath |
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250 | (1) |
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The Sabbath: The Ritual that Affirms the Creator |
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251 | (1) |
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The Personal Impact of the Sabbath |
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252 | (1) |
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The Uniqueness of the Commandment to Honor Our Parents |
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253 | (1) |
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Essay: We Are Not Commanded to Love Our Parents |
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254 | (4) |
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Honoring Parents: The Only One of the Ten Commandments that Specifies a Reward |
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258 | (1) |
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Essay: Only If There Is a God, Is Murder Wrong |
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258 | (2) |
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Essay: The Sixth Commandment Prohibits Murder, Not Killing |
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260 | (2) |
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Essay: Why Is Adultery in the Ten Commandments? |
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262 | (2) |
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Essay: The Unique Importance of the Commandment against Stealing |
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264 | (4) |
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265 | (1) |
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265 | (1) |
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Stealing Another Person's Reputation, Dignity, Etc. |
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266 | (2) |
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268 | (1) |
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The Ninth Commandment: Lies Cause the Greatest Evils |
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268 | (1) |
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What the Ninth Commandment Prohibits |
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269 | (3) |
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The Meaning of the Tenth and Last Commandment |
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272 | (1) |
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The Only Commandment against Thought |
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273 | (1) |
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At Least with Regard to Coveting, People Can Control How They Think |
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274 | (5) |
| Chapter 21 |
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279 | (32) |
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Essay: Why Didn't the Torah Abolish Slavery? |
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279 | (6) |
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A Torah Contrast to the Code of Hammurabi |
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285 | (1) |
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Were Daughters Really Sold into Slavery? |
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285 | (3) |
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288 | (1) |
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Unlike in Other Cultures, There Is No Sanctuary for Murderers |
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289 | (1) |
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Hitting a Parent Is a Grave Offense |
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290 | (1) |
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Cursing a Parent Is Also a Grave Offense |
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291 | (1) |
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If a Slave Is Beaten and Dies |
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292 | (2) |
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Essay: The One Mention of Premature Birth in the Torah |
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294 | (3) |
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297 | (4) |
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298 | (1) |
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299 | (2) |
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Essay: "Eye for an Eye"-One of the Great Moral Advances in History |
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301 | (4) |
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Why Kill an Ox That Killed a Person? |
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305 | (2) |
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Another Torah Rejection of the Laws of Its Time |
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307 | (2) |
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When Bad Things Happen, There Isn't Always a Villain |
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309 | (2) |
| Chapter 22 |
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311 | (22) |
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Essay: The Torah and Premarital Sex |
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316 | (4) |
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Three Polytheistic Practices That Merited the Death Penalty (At Least in Theory) |
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320 | (2) |
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320 | (1) |
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321 | (1) |
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3 Sacrifices to Other Gods (The Torah Bans Behavior, Not Thought) |
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322 | (1) |
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Laws Regarding the Most Vulnerable |
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322 | (1) |
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The Non-Jewish Resident Must Not Be Oppressed |
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323 | (2) |
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Essay: The Unique Moral Power of Empathy |
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325 | (2) |
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Measure-for-Measure: The Torah's Obsession with Justice |
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327 | (1) |
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328 | (1) |
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God Declares Himself Compassionate |
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329 | (1) |
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Respect for Judges and Leaders |
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330 | (3) |
| Chapter 23 |
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333 | (22) |
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A Ban on Spreading Rumors |
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333 | (1) |
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The Majority-The "Herd"-Is Too Often Morally Wrong |
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334 | (1) |
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Judges Are to Enforce Justice, Not Compassion |
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335 | (1) |
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Essay: How to Treat One's Enemy |
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336 | (2) |
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Corrupt Judges Destroy Societies |
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338 | (1) |
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Essay: The Terrible Power of Corruption |
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339 | (2) |
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341 | (1) |
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Humans Are to Sanctify the Sabbath; Animals Are to Rest on It |
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342 | (3) |
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Essay: Why Not "Boil a Kid in its Mother's Milk"? The Meaning of an Obscure Law |
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345 | (3) |
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348 | (1) |
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The Torah's Attitude Toward Idolatry in the Land of Israel |
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349 | (1) |
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Do God's Promises of No Sickness Conform to Reality? |
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350 | (5) |
| Chapter 24 |
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355 | (8) |
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The Devaluing of the Old Means Wisdom Isn't Valued |
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355 | (2) |
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Essay: Doing and Understanding God's Will |
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357 | (6) |
| Chapter 25 |
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363 | (18) |
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Why the Unparalleled Amount of Detail Here? |
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363 | (1) |
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Essay: In Religious Ritual-Unlike in Ethical Behavior-Intentions Matter |
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364 | (2) |
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Essay: Beauty Can Bring People Closer to God |
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366 | (3) |
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369 | (1) |
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Essay: Without Standards, Everything Good Will Fail |
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370 | (3) |
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The Ten Commandments: The Most Important Words in the Torah |
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373 | (2) |
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375 | (6) |
| Chapter 26 |
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381 | (6) |
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Once Again, the Importance of Aesthetic Beauty in the Worship of God |
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381 | (1) |
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382 | (5) |
| Chapter 27 |
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387 | (6) |
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Essay: Was Animal Sacrifice in the Torah Immoral? |
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387 | (6) |
| Chapter 28 |
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393 | (16) |
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Essay: The Benefits of a Hereditary Priesthood |
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393 | (2) |
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395 | (3) |
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The Priesthood as a Male Institution |
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398 | (1) |
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Essay: The Importance of Clothing |
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399 | (10) |
| Chapter 29 |
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409 | (10) |
| Chapter 30 |
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419 | (6) |
| Chapter 31 |
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425 | (8) |
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Capital Punishment for Violation of the Sabbath |
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428 | (2) |
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The Word "Work" in the Torah |
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430 | (3) |
| Chapter 32 |
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433 | (22) |
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435 | (4) |
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Miracles, Faith, and Gratitude |
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439 | (2) |
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Essay: Faith and Works: How We Know Whether People Really Believe in God |
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441 | (1) |
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The Complete Absence of Ethnic Chauvinism in the Torah |
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442 | (2) |
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Moses' Three Arguments to Persuade God Not to Destroy the Israelites |
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444 | (1) |
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444 | (1) |
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444 | (1) |
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445 | (10) |
| Chapter 33 |
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455 | (10) |
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What Has Distinguished-and Sustained-the Jews? |
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459 | (1) |
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Can Humans Change God's Mind? |
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460 | (1) |
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Essay: Is God Good or Is God Love? |
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460 | (2) |
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462 | (3) |
| Chapter 34 |
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465 | (14) |
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Essay: The Attributes of God |
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466 | (4) |
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Only in the Holy Land Must Pagan Places of Worship Be Destroyed |
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470 | (1) |
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Prostitutes Are Not the Worst Form of Prostitution |
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471 | (1) |
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The Problem with Marrying Canaanite Women |
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472 | (1) |
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Why We Need Religious Rituals |
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473 | (1) |
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The Sabbath Demands Sacrifices |
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474 | (5) |
| Chapter 35 |
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479 | (8) |
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Essay: Why No Fire on the Sabbath? |
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480 | (7) |
| Chapter 36 |
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487 | (6) |
| Chapter 37 |
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493 | (4) |
| Chapter 38 |
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497 | (4) |
| Chapter 39 |
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501 | (6) |
| Chapter 40 |
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507 | (6) |
| Notes |
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513 | |
