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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 in Tragedy

Vayera: Can You Feel My Pain?

November 2, 2009 – 4:16 pm | Comments Off on Vayera: Can You Feel My Pain?5,125 views
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Praying For Others
“Rabbi, I hope you can help my poor neighbor. He is six months behind his rent and is about to evicted along with his wife and three babies.” “This man must be a good friend of yours,” the Rabbi replied, “of course we will help.”“Friend,” exclaimed the petitioner, …

Naso: Mourners Kaddish

June 4, 2009 – 2:31 am | Comments Off on Naso: Mourners Kaddish3,098 views
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Empty Shoes
One of the most poignant monuments in the Unites States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the mountainous display of empty shoes. Thousands and thousands of ownerless shoes; old people’s shoes, young people’s shoes, sturdy shoes, torn shoes, large shoes, little shoes and even infant shoes. All are empty; their bearers …

Devarim: When Crying is not Enough

July 15, 2007 – 3:02 am | Comments Off on Devarim: When Crying is not Enough3,626 views
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Emotional Death
“Rabbi,” he wailed, “my wife of seventeen years has just passed on and I cannot live without her.” This cry pierced me to the core. I empathized and soothed in every way I could. In the end, the words that resonated with him were, “Don’t compound your wife’s physical …

Tishah B’av:The Silver Lining

July 16, 2006 – 3:42 am | Comments Off on Tishah B’av:The Silver Lining7,015 views
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Asaf’s Perspective
On the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av, we fast and mourn as we mark the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash in the year 69 CE. A story is told of Asaf, a Levite and the choirmaster at the holy temple. He was renowned for his music and …

Shmini: on Grieving and Joy

April 2, 2006 – 9:02 pm | Comments Off on Shmini: on Grieving and Joy2,559 views
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An Ecstatic but Trying Moment
This Parsha describes a moment of glory for the children of Israel. They had been forgiven for their sin (the golden calf) and as a consolation prize G-d commanded them to build a tabernacle, a dwelling place for the Divine.

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Shemot: Empathy in the Face of Suffering

January 15, 2006 – 10:13 pm | Comments Off on Shemot: Empathy in the Face of Suffering3,068 views
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A Mother’s Pain
A mother returned from her child’s funeral and approached the master. Through her tears, she begged him to tell her why her beloved child had had to die. The master asked her, “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes, of course I do” she replied.

“Are you sure?” asked the …

Yitro : A Protest of Orange Stars

January 29, 2005 – 5:51 am | Comments Off on Yitro : A Protest of Orange Stars3,376 views
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A Controversial Decision
The Orange Revolution, a campaign orchestrated in 2005 by Jews in Israel to protest the forced expulsion of Jews from Gaza, advised Jews to wear orange stars on their arm sleeves as a duel symbol of solidarity with the Jewish communities of Gaza and of protest against the …