Have you ever gone out for drinks with colleagues and felt like a fish out of water? Suppose you are on a business trip with serious-minded professionals, but then over drinks, their professional exterior fades, and the talk turns vulgar. Your collegiality with these people is based on your common …
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Toldot »
Toldot: Esau’s Garments
You know the story. Rebecca instructed Jacob to disguise himself as Esau by dressing in Esau’s garments (which were furry and made him appear hairy like Esau), present himself to his father, provide him with delicious wine and meat, and ask for the blessings that his father intended for Esau. Isaac, his father, sensed that the garments carried a fragrance from Paradise, and observed, “My son’s fragrance is like that of a Divinely blessed field.” And proceeded to bless Jacob.
This story is fraught with difficulty. (A) why did Rebecca disguise Jacob in Esau’s garments, did she not own a furry garment? (B) Why did the wicked Esau’s garments have a paradise fragrance? (C) Why did Jacob lie to his father and misrepresent himself as Esau? Read the full story »
The Passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
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.
This Shabbat, the family of Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the Commonwealth, will complete their week of mourning for Rabbi Sacks …
Chayei Sarah: Personal Agenda
Did you ever do a favor for another while harboring a personal agenda? If yes, would you ever admit it?
Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to Mesopotamia to seek a bride for Isaac among his relatives. Eliezer asked what to do if perchance the bride refused to return with him to …
Vayera: A Person of Destiny
Sodom would soon be aflame, and Lot and his family were being shepherded from the city. It was not his destiny to die that night. It was his destiny to live. But why? Lot thought it was on account of his good deeds, but that wasn’t the case. It was …
Lech Lecha: The Secret Life of King Og
When our ancestors sought to cross the Jordan into Israel, the fierce and powerful Bashanites, led by their mighty king Og, stood in their way to prevent their passage. Moses was initially fearful of Og until G-d said, “Don’t fear Og because I have delivered him and his land to …
Noach: Make A Name
“Let us make a name for ourselves,” was the motto of the building campaign for the tower of Babel. It was several hundred years after the great biblical flood had laid waste to humanity and the people wanted something grandiose to celebrate. The ten survivors that had emerged from the …
Bereshit: Beginning with Genesis
The Torah begins with the Genesis of history—the creation of the world. The Torah is not a history book. It is a manual for life —the world Torah means instruction. When we see a historical nugget in the Torah, we must ask why it was included, what instruction for life …
Simchat Torah: Why We Rejoice
On Simchat Torah, we rejoice and dance endless horas around the bimah. Why do we rejoice and why do we dance the hora in particular?
The obvious answer is that we rejoice because we read the concluding chapter of the Torah on this day. Concluding a book of the Torah is …
Sukkot: The Holiday of Clouds
The Sukkah, the outdoor hut in which we eat during the holiday of Sukkot, represents the canopy of clouds that surrounded our ancestors as they journeyed across the desert from Egypt to Israel.[1] Many have wondered why we celebrate Sukkot in the Fall if our ancestors embarked on their journey …
Parsha Insights »
Vayigash: Relax – He’s Your Brother
Disclaimer: It is commonly held that two subjects to be avoided in polite company are politics and religion…lest we offend.
This essay shamelessly addresses both.
Family Feuds
Brothers often bicker, we know that, but that doesn’t mean they should become enemies. When brothers turn against each other the entire fabric of society is …
Yearly Cycle »
Vaeirah: Four Steps
Dynamics of Relationships
In this week’s Parsha we read the four expressions of redemption. “I shall extract you, save you, redeem you and take you”. There seems to be a fascination in Judaism with the number four. At the Seder we drink four goblets of wine, we have four matriarchs, Torah …
Concepts »
Bereshit: Human Centric
For millennia it was believed that the world is human centric, but science has slowly chipped away at this assumption.
From the day the first astronomer focused his gaze on the distant stars, humans postulated that our planet sits at the center of the universe and serves as the focal point …
Rabbi’s Desk »
Festival Shabbat: Show Respect
United Airlines
Social media is abuzz with the terrible story that occurred on United Airlines several days ago. Dr, Dao, a 69 year old physician on a flight from Chicago to Louisville, was physically dragged off a plane after being beaten by three police officers. The physician’s crime was refusing to …
