Articles in Miscellaneous
Vayikra: Is Animal Sacrifice Cruel?
Is it Condoned?
“Rabbi,” I am often implored, “Please don’t tell me that the Torah condones animal sacrifice.” Many believe that animal sacrifice is immoral and ought to be discarded in the modern, enlightened age. When I reply that animal sacrifice is still condoned and that should the temple be erected …
Vayakhel/Pekudei: The Jewish Mother
Forever
She was there at the very beginning and she is there for us still now. She was there at times of elation and was there in times of distress. She was there in times of hope and is still there in times of despair. She nurtured our faith under the …
Korach: The Environmentalist
Paradise on Earth
Lush green grass, tall trees and fresh streams framed our journey through G-d’s perfect nature. Nature’s beauty, unbridled and uncapped, radiated in pristine glory. Untouched by human hand and filled to overflow with insects, birds and wildlife, it was simply a paradise on earth. The animals knew it …
Chukat: He Didn’t Hit it
Eschew Violence
In this week’s Parsha we read the astounding story of Moses and the rock. We all know the story; G-d instructed Moses to speak to the rock, but instead of speaking to the rock he hit it.Why didn’t Moses hit the rock?
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The Miracles We Witness Daily
A Miracle in our Times
Life deals us
many cards. We don't always like the cards we were dealt but are free
to choose the light in which we view these cards. In this vein I offer
an extraordinary story that occurred several years ago to a
sixty-year-old woman, a friend of a friend.
At the …
The Loss of llan Ramon: Lessons from A Tragedy
As we approach the Yhartzeit
(anniversary of passing) of Ilan Ramon, the Israeli Astronaut who died
in the explosion of the Columbia Space Shuttle, we present the
following thoughts.
Grieving the True Loss
The explosion of the
Columbia Space Shuttle shook the world. The loss of Ilan Ramon, the
first Israeli astronaut in Space, brought the Jewish world …
Pekudei: Was Iraq Freed?
This essay was written in 2005, when the US led effort to bring democracy to Iraq was still in its infancy.
Democracy in Iraq
The international media has subjected the US-led coalition that liberated Iraq and established a democratic government, to intense scrutiny and even criticism.
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Dynamic Seasons of Change
Seasonal Change
The winter has
come to an end and the long awaited summer has finally arrived. The
weather changes, the sun emerges and we take it for granted that the
worst is over. We plan our vacations, take out our summer clothes and
begin preparations for a calm and relaxing season.
In the back …