Headlines »

March 16, 2024 – 11:20 pm | Comments Off on Purim: A Nation United42 views

The die was cast. King Achashverosh granted Haman a genocidal license against the Jewish nation. Mordechai was one of the first to learn of the plot and he appealed to Queen Esther for help. Esther explained that it was dangerous even for her to enter the king’s chambers unbidden. Mordechai …

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 Category

Articles in Tragedy

I Love You

November 4, 2023 – 8:13 pm | Comments Off on I Love You295 views
I Love You

“Creator of the world. Please, I love you. I’m in love with you. Please don’t disappoint me. I love you.”
These loving, pleading words came from Margalit Megidish as she prayed for her daughter, Ori, whom Hamas took hostage. Ori Megidish is a soldier who served on a base near Gaza …

The Opposite of Goodness Is Indifference

October 15, 2023 – 12:12 am | Comments Off on The Opposite of Goodness Is Indifference480 views
indifference

Indifference is the opposite of goodness. This quote has been attributed to many, including Eli Wiesel. Its authorship notwithstanding, its message is powerful.
Noah was a righteous man, but he was not a good man because he was indifferent.  G-d selected Noah for survival because he was righteous and whole, but …

When G-d Begs Forgiveness

October 11, 2023 – 10:54 pm | Comments Off on When G-d Begs Forgiveness479 views
G-d Begs Forgiveness

This week we read that sometimes even G-d begs forgiveness. The story of Genesis tells us that when G-d first created the luminaries, He made the sun and the moon equal in stature—two equal rulers. How did the moon become so small and dependant on the sun for light?
The Talmud …

Are We Children or Chosen?

August 5, 2023 – 10:54 pm | Comments Off on Are We Children or Chosen?384 views
chosen

Are we G-d’s children or G-d’s chosen?
On the face of it, one be both, but when you think about it, you see that we must choose. Choices can only be made between two equal options. When the options are unequal, there is no real choice—you obviously opt for the superior …

Jewish Pride in Times of Despair

October 29, 2022 – 9:04 pm | Comments Off on Jewish Pride in Times of Despair692 views
Jewish pride

When G-d told Abraham to travel from the home he had built in Haran to Israel, he and Sarah gathered their household and went. Who were the members of their household? The Torah tells us that it was Lot, their nephew, and the souls they had made in Haran.
Who were …

Geed Hanasheh—Sciatic Nerve

November 13, 2021 – 10:30 pm | Comments Off on Geed Hanasheh—Sciatic Nerve4,928 views
geed-hanasheh-innerstream.ca

Geed hanasheh is the sciatic nerve, a sinew in the hip that Jews are forbidden to eat. Many know that kosher meat must be slaughtered and salted. Not many know about neekur, the intricate process that entails the removal of the animal’s forbidden parts, including the geed hanasheh. In fact, …

Devarim: Response to Suffering

July 10, 2021 – 10:35 pm | Comments Off on Devarim: Response to Suffering1,516 views
faith and suffering - innerstream

Suffering is sadly familiar to Jews. We have a long and painful history of suffering. Our sages taught that the Torah was given on Mount Sinai because Sinai is etymologically similar to sinah, which means hatred. From the day that we were chosen to become a light unto the nations, …

Matot Masei: The Three Weeks

July 3, 2021 – 11:42 pm | Comments Off on Matot Masei: The Three Weeks965 views
three-weeks

We are in a time of year called the three weeks. During this time, Jerusalem was sacked twice, once by the Babylonians circa 420 BCE and again by the Romans in 69 CE.  Each time, our enemies struck directly at the Jewish heart by destroying the Temple. The Babylonians destroyed …