Today we have Myoffice, Mydrive, my-everything, so why not My-Shabbat?
At first blush, it ought to be our Shabbat, or most appropriately G-d’s Shabbat. How can we claim Shabbat for ourselves?
The answer is that we each have the capacity to enhance our Shabbat. Our sages wrote that only he who toils …
D'varim Parshah, Ninth of Av, Shabbos »
A Shabbat Fast
It is forbidden to fast on Shabbat. In fact, if we fast on Shabbat (even with halachic sanction) we must fast on a different day to atone for fasting on Shabbat. This is why the fast of Tishah Be’av—the ninth of Av, is postponed when it falls on Shabbat —as it does this year.
Although we will dine on Shabbat and fast on Sunday one wonders whether any element of the fast can be observed or at least marked on Shabbat—if not in a negative way, perhaps in a positive way? To answer that question, we need to ask what, if anything, is positive about fasting?[1] Read the full story »
Life Journeys
We are all on a journey, the journey of life. Although our journeys are similar in many ways, each journey is unique. Have you ever wondered what makes my journey different from yours? What seminal event occurred in our nascent years that made me embark on a different path from …
Fasting And Passover
What do the seventeenth of Tamuz, the ninth of Av, and the first day of Passover have in common? They always fall on the same day of the week.
How does that make any sense? The first day of Passover represents the redemption of our ancestors from Egypt that sparked their …
A Shlemiel
A shlemiel is a clumsy person who always stumbles and unwittingly finds his way into mishaps. It is Yiddish slang that is meant to be a play on the word shlimazel, another Yiddish aphorism. Shlimazel is a compound of two Hebrew words, shelo-mazel, without luck. A luckless person who always …
The Whip
The whip is usually an instrument of punishment, but it can also be a gift. Teachers of old used the whip to administer corporeal punishment. However, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, once wrote about a teacher that was beloved by his students. This teacher never used the …
A Rebel in The Torah
Korach was a rebel. Not just any rebel, but one who rebelled against the preeminent Jewish leader, Moses. Yet rather than living in infamy, an entire Parshah of the Torah is dedicated to him and even named after him. Why, couldn’t we find a better name for this Parshah? Must …
My Business With G-d
Every morning before I don my talit, I contemplate my business for the day. By tradition, I separate out each of the thirty-two strings that constitute the tzitzit—fringes on my talit. The purpose is to ensure that they are not entangled or knotted and that they are all intact. However, …
Off The Derech
Off the derech means literally off the path. It is a common adage in observant circles to describe people who were once observant but had since taken a different path. It is so common that it has its own acronym in our acronym crazed days, OTD. It is not intended …
Bestow Blessing
Every Jew has the power to bestow blessing. If you see a friend in need of a blessing, bestow blessing and don’t hide behind the illusion that you are too ordinary. Don’t be too humble and don’t be too stingy. Bestow blessing and let G-d worry about how to deliver …
Parsha Insights »
Mishpatim: Why Should I?
The Big Question
A young lady asked me why she should obey G-d’s many instructions in the Torah. She understands that without G-d she would not exist and feels that she owes it to him, but she feels that G-d forced her into this bargain without asking her. Why did He …
Yearly Cycle »
Bamidbar: Does Being Chosen Make You Uncomfortable?
Being Chosen
People always say, never let a compliment get to your head. But what does that mean? If the compliment is true, shouldn’t we own it, take pride in it and let it boost our self esteem? The obvious answer is that we don’t mind owning it. We mind growing …
Concepts »
Bamidbar: G-d’s Love
Does He Need A Census?
The book of numbers opens with G-d directing Moses to take a national census,[1] which begs an obvious question. Does an All Knowing G-d require a census to know the precise number of Jews? This question is only amplified when you consider that this was the …
Rabbi’s Desk »
The Passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
It has been around a year since the world has lost a great leader with the passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Who will be his successor?
There will be millions beginning with me and you.
Rabbi Sacks was a unique and leading voice among rabbis in our generation. His keen intellect and …
