Headlines »

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 …

Read the full story »
Parsha Insights

Where Biblical law and Torah tale is brought vividly to life

Concepts

The Jewish perspective on topical and controversial subjects

Life Cycle

Probing for meaning in our journey and its milestones.

Yearly Cycle

Discover depth and mystique in the annual Jewish festivals

Rabbi’s Desk

Seeking life’s lessons in news items and current events

Home » Archive by Author

Articles by Lazer Gurkow

Ki Teze: The Size of a Mitzvah

September 7, 2019 – 10:18 pm | Comments Off on Ki Teze: The Size of a Mitzvah1,503 views
mitzvah-innerstream.ca

G-d did not disclose the nature of the reward that we receive for performing a Mitzvah so that we would not give preference to any ne Mitzvah over another. However, lest we assume that difficult-to-perform-mitzvot are more important than those that come easily, the Torah presents us with two mitzvot …

Shoftim: A True Enemy

August 31, 2019 – 11:05 pm | Comments Off on Shoftim: A True Enemy1,439 views
enemy-innerstream.ca

A true enemy attacks you because he wants to destroy you. You did nothing wrong, you didn’t offend him, molest him, or steal from him, yet, he attacks because your existence bothers him.
The Torah tells us that when the enemy attacks, we must not fear him even if he appears …

Re’e: The Cellphone Problem

August 24, 2019 – 11:00 pm | Comments Off on Re’e: The Cellphone Problem1,360 views
cellphone-innerstream.ca

Cellphone, a word my grandmother never heard, is a huge part of my life. People, the world over, communicate via cell phone to the extent that landlines are being phased out and snail mail is a thing of the past. But the convenience comes with a price. In fact, many …

Ekev: Why We Eat

August 18, 2019 – 2:16 pm | Comments Off on Ekev: Why We Eat1,425 views
eat-innerstream.ca

We eat because we must live, but according to the Torah, eating is even more important than life.
One of the most profound messages in the Torah is captured in this verse. “Man does not live on bread alone, but on the word of G-d.” There are many layers of meaning …

Vaetchanan: True Love

August 11, 2019 – 11:11 pm | Comments Off on Vaetchanan: True Love1,883 views
priest - innerstream

G-d wants our love. How much love does He want? Whatever we are prepared to give, and then some.
“And you shall love G-d with all your heart, with all your life, and with all your might.”[1] This verse demands that we give G-d three kinds of love. The love of …

Devarim: Family Unity

August 4, 2019 – 9:03 pm | Comments Off on Devarim: Family Unity3,051 views
one-people-innerstream.ca

Family unity is the most important part of Judaism, and the most elusive. Why is that?
What are the Jewish people? We aren’t a race since there are Jews from all different races, white Jews, black, Jews, Hispanic Jews, etc. We aren’t a nation since there are Jews from all different …

Matot Masei: Your Daughter

July 28, 2019 – 12:32 am | Comments Off on Matot Masei: Your Daughter1,419 views
your-daughter-innerstream.ca

Your daughter is born, and you rejoice. You revel with your wife, children, family and friends; there is a new addition to the family. Right? Well only in part. Your daughter is yours, but she is also part of a different family.
The Torah tells us about the daughters of Zelophehad, …

Pinchas: A New Generation

July 20, 2019 – 11:23 pm | Comments Off on Pinchas: A New Generation1,714 views
new-generation-innerstream.ca

A new generation had emerged in the desert as Moses neared the end of his life. His siblings Miriam and Aharon had passed on. His nephew Elazar was now high priest and Elazar’s son, Pinchas, had joined the ranks of the priesthood. Shortly after Aharon’s passing, we notice signs of …