Articles in Concepts
Shemot: Empathy in the Face of Suffering
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 …
Vaetchanan: Living for G-d
Three Loves
“And you shall love G-d your lord with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” (1) These words are not poetic descriptions of love but precise instructions that define the parameters of the love that G-d desires.
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Mitzora: The Duel of Life
Body and Soul
Life, according to Torah, is a duel between two forces, the body’s gravitation towards self benefit and the soul’s attraction towards fulfillment and meaning. This body / soul dynamic is the crux of the human experience. It is the duel of life.
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Vayechi: Inspiring our Children
And He Lived
This week’s Parsha describes Jacob’s passing and the events that transpired immediately before and after. Ironically, the Parsha’s name is Vayechi, which means and he lived. Is preparation for death aptly described as living? As we shall soon see, it depends on the kind of life one has …
Vayechi: Oasis in the Desert
Jacob in Egypt
The very first time the Torah testifies that our patriarch Jacob fully enjoyed and appreciated life is during the period of time that he lived in Egypt.
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Miketz: A True Brother
A Jewish Boy In Egypt
Our Parsha relates the story of Josef in the land of Egypt. What was a good Jewish boy dong in Egypt? Why did he become Viceroy of such a corrupt and immoral land?
There was a famine in the region and Egypt was the only country …
Chanukah: Menorah on Masada
Mass Suicide
When you climb to the top and hike to the back you will discover a giant Chanukah Menorah on Masada and you have to wonder why. What is the connection between the story of Chanukah and the fortress of Massada? To answer this question we must go back to …
Vayetze: Modern Antisemitism
Discrimination
I recently entered a shoe repair shop and asked for a quote on a minor repair job. I was surprised by the relatively high quote and explained that I had never been quoted so steep a price. The proprietor asked if I was Jewish. When I asked him to explain …
