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March 25, 2024 – 8:50 pm | Comments Off on Why We Must Resist The Cease Fire Resolution48 views

Tzav: Fighting Evil
We are surrounded by evil; every so often, it rears its ugly head as it did on Simchat Torah—the October 7 massacre. Pure evil raped Jewish mothers, burned Jewish babies alive, mutilated their fathers, and beheaded their neighbors. Pure evil burned loving couples clinging to each other, to …

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Articles by Lazer Gurkow

Chukat Balak: The Commandments

June 25, 2020 – 10:15 pm | Comments Off on Chukat Balak: The Commandments1,269 views
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The Torah’s laws about how to purify oneself from ritual contamination can only be prevalent at a time when ritual contamination is possible. Ritual contamination occurs when a Jew comes in contact with a dead body. When the Mashiach comes, the prophetic promise that death will cease and all the …

Korach: Depersonalize

June 21, 2020 – 12:29 am | Comments Off on Korach: Depersonalize1,473 views
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The ability to depersonalize is key to social interaction. It is normal for people to disagree, after all, G-d gave us each unique brains and mindsets. It is impossible for us all to see the world the same way. Disagreements are inevitable. But in and of themselves, disagreements don’t jeopardize …

Shelach: To Smile or To Cry?

June 13, 2020 – 11:51 pm | Comments Off on Shelach: To Smile or To Cry?1,397 views
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The Torah relates a fascinating human-interest story about people who couldn’t help themselves and had to satisfy their curiosity. As is often the case, when we chase down our curiosities, they turn against us.
It had been more than a year since the Jews had left Egypt, and they were anxious …

B’ha’alotcha: On the Derech

June 6, 2020 – 11:29 pm | Comments Off on B’ha’alotcha: On the Derech1,402 views
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Derech is Hebrew for path or way. In the Jewish world, there is a phrase that you are likely familiar with, on the derech or off the derech. Those who are on the path toward increasing their Torah observance, are described as on the derech”—on the way and making inroads. …

Shavuot: Stay Another Day

May 24, 2020 – 12:25 am | Comments Off on Shavuot: Stay Another Day1,371 views
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Stay another day is a chant we hear from our children when a magical, wonderful vacation comes to an end. We don’t want to leave, they exclaim. This is so beautiful; we want to stay another day.
We all have that experience when a wonderful vacation comes to an end. It …

Bamidbar: You Count

May 16, 2020 – 10:39 pm | Comments Off on Bamidbar: You Count1,444 views
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You count, we each do. But the question is, for how much? Do you count for one, do you count for more than one, for less than one? Compared to everyone around you, what is your value?
When G-d instructed Moses to take a census of the Jews, he arrived at …

B’har B’chukotai: The Workweek

May 9, 2020 – 11:15 pm | Comments Off on B’har B’chukotai: The Workweek1,377 views
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The workweek is mundane, Shabbat is holy. Right? Well, maybe not. Let’s take a closer look.
The Torah presents the laws of the Sabbatical year. For six years, work your fields, on the seventh year you shall rest. This is remarkably similar in both content and language to Shabbat—for six days …

Emor: Long Nights

May 2, 2020 – 10:45 pm | Comments Off on Emor: Long Nights1,313 views
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Long nights are the hallmark of winter when most of our day is spent in the dark. Most people detest these long nights and look forward to the summer’s long days, but the truth is that there is something to be cherished in  these vanishing nights.
Long nights can be gloomy …