Articles in Passover
I Wish I Were a Simpleton
Are you a simpleton? The Hagadah makes the simpleton sound, well, simple. The simpleton asks, “What is this?” What is the seder? Why do we eat matzah and bitter herbs? Why do we drink four cups of wine? Tell him that G-d extracted us from Egypt, from the house of …
In G-d We Trust
In G-d We Trust
Do you trust in G-d? Is that your first go-to option when you experience a setback?
Suppose your car breaks down, you lose your job, or your dental insurance lapses just before your child needs a root canal, is your first reaction, “In G-d we trust?” Sadly, for …
Off The Derech
Off the derech means literally off the path. It is a common adage in observant circles to describe people who were once observant but had since taken a different path. It is so common that it has its own acronym in our acronym crazed days, OTD. It is not intended …
Passover: A Mashiach Perspective
On the last day of Passover, we celebrate the coming of Mashiach—the ultimate liberation of our people from exile. This tradition was revealed by the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chasidism, and has since gained momentum in Jewish communities around the world.
The highlight is the festive meal at the end …
Passover: Four Problems Four Solutions
Passover seems obsessed with the number four. We drink four cups of wine, children ask four questions, and four sons ask questions in the Hagadah. It is the evening of questions and answers, of learning and discussion, and it all centers around four.
You see, there are four sons, the wise …
Tazria: When Will Mashiach Come
We are entering the month of Nisan, a month of overarching growth. I call it overarching because the growth exceeds any effort that we might invest. When our ancestors were in Egypt, they didn’t work to secure their liberation from bondage. It was handed to them freely by G-d. Nothing …
Passover and Mashiach
Passover commemorates the first redemption of the Jewish people from exile. I am sure it was fun to celebrate Passover while we enjoyed the fruits of that redemption, while we were living in Israel, free and independent in our land. But sadly, our people have been exiled again several times …
Passover: Matzah and the Forbidden Fruit
Matzah and the forbidden fruit? Most people would be surprised to learn that the two are linked, but that is because most people believe that the forbidden fruit was an apple. Our sages argued over the identity of this fruit, but no one thought it was an apple.
Rabbi Meir said …
