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March 16, 2024 – 11:20 pm | Comments Off on Purim: A Nation United41 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 …

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Purim: A Nation United

March 16, 2024 – 11:20 pm | Comments Off on Purim: A Nation United41 views
Unity

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 …

Chanukah: One Battle at A Time

December 3, 2023 – 8:23 pm | Comments Off on Chanukah: One Battle at A Time183 views
one battle

The Maccabees won the war one battle at a time. The odds they took on were impossible, but they never thought about the future escalations. Their only concern was with the battle in front of them.
Their first military skirmish was against a minor garrison of soldiers. It was not difficult …

When The Torah Rejoices

October 5, 2023 – 2:28 pm | Comments Off on When The Torah Rejoices470 views
Torah-rejoices

Simchat Torah is usually understood as us rejoicing with the Torah. As we read the last passage of the Torah and immediately turn around to read the first passage, we rejoice over studying the Torah.
However, Simchat Torah has a deeper meaning. It is not only we who rejoice over the …

Sukkot: You Earned It

September 27, 2023 – 4:27 pm | Comments Off on Sukkot: You Earned It555 views
you earned it

Enjoy Sukkot; you earned it. You probably think you know what I mean. After the heavy lifting of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the shofar, fasting, prayers, confessions, etc., we deserve a little relaxation and joy. But I am not talking about that. I am talking about something much deeper, …

Get Your Head in the Game

September 19, 2023 – 8:31 pm | Comments Off on Get Your Head in the Game411 views
head in the game

Get your head in the game is a common refrain among athletes. Distraction is the last thing athletes can afford. It interferes with their rhythm, disturbs their focus, and wreaks havoc on their stamina. Coaches are often overheard telling players to get their heads in the game.
Judaism is no different. …

Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish Core Emerges

September 10, 2023 – 12:15 am | Comments Off on Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish Core Emerges505 views
jewish-core

The Jewish core is meant to emerge on Rosh Hashanah when we sound the shofar. It is not just a musical sound intended to evoke deep emotions. It is the wordless cry of the quintessential Jew bursting forth from our inner core. It is an experience that cannot be conveyed …

A Tale of Two Desires

August 26, 2023 – 11:39 pm | Comments Off on A Tale of Two Desires456 views
two-desires

Life is a tale of two desires. Sometimes, I think I know what I want, and I think that if I only had that, I would be happy. Then the darndest thing happens. I get what I thought would make me happy, and I am still not happy. What does …

Are You A Kosher Letter?

May 20, 2023 – 11:50 pm | Comments Off on Are You A Kosher Letter?469 views
kosher letter

Every Jew is a letter in the Torah; the question is, are you a kosher letter?
The Torah tells us that 603,550 Jews came out of Egypt.[1] Kabbalah proclaimed that there are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah.[2] A prominent kabbalist further suggested that the Hebrew word Yisrael is an …