Making History | Parsha with the Chief: Behar-Bechukotai

We live in an age of headlines. One event follows another so quickly. Wars and crises. History can begin to feel fragmented and almost impossible to understand. But the Torah asks us to step back and see something larger. In this week’s talk on the Parsha of Behar-Bechukotai, the Torah confronts us with one of the most difficult questions in Jewish thought: how do we understand suffering, history, and the unfolding story of humanity itself? Drawing on Pirkei Avot, the Maharsha, the Rambam, and the broader sweep of Jewish history, the Chief Rabbi argues that current events have a shape, even when they feel like chaos. Key Questions - Are we living through random events, or part of a larger story? - What changes when history stops feeling random? - What does it mean to see yourself as part of history, rather than merely watching it? - How do ordinary lives shape the moral direction of the world?