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, …
Read the full story »Geed Hanasheh—Sciatic Nerve
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, …
Vayetze: Find Our Calling
To find our calling is the hallmark of life. Life isn’t a generic formula that can be applied to everyone equally. Each life is unique; each life story is highly individual. As children, we live with our parents and family, but as we grow and mature, we venture forth and …
Toldot: Rebirth
Rebirth means to reexperience the novelty, excitement, innocence, mystery, and magic of birth even after many years of life. A baby’s birth, such as that of Jacob and Esau described in this week’s Torah portion, is a majestic moment. Everyone present is enchanted by the miracle; the creation of something …
Chayei Sarah: The White Beard
The white beard and old age seem to go together. It is not surprising that they share the same cognate in Hebrew; a beard is zakan and old age is zaken. The Torah tells us that Abraham became zaken. Our sages combined the two meanings by saying that until that …
Vayera: Too Perfect?
Is “too perfect” a thing? Have you ever worried about being too perfect? Most of us worry that we aren’t perfect enough. But I know of at least one person who worried about being too perfect. Our collective grandfather, Abraham.
The Torah tells us that Abraham recovered from his circumcision in …
Lech Lecha: Anything You Want To Be
“Anything you want to be,” is a phrase parents often say to their children. You don’t need to accept any limitations; they are all artificial. If you put your mind to it, you can be anything you want to be.
Sometimes children misunderstand and think that they can snap their fingers …
Noach: Ignoring Others
Ignoring others is something we do when we become overly engrossed in ourselves. It often happens when we experience distress and difficulty. We revert inwardly, shrink into ourselves, become self absorbed. We aren’t intentionally ignoring others; we are just too focused on ourselves to let others in.
The truth is that …
Bereshit: No More No Less
No more no less, is an aphorism that implies that you are doing just fine. There is no need to adjust. You are on the right path, headed in the right direction, and at the right speed. You don’t need to do more than you are already doing, and you …
Parsha Insights »
Sh’lach: Loyal to Whom?
The Vice President
After twenty years with the company the senior vice president was invited to the President’s office.
“We have been experiencing a rash of theft in the mail room,” said the president, “and we suspect the mail room supervisor. This position must be filled with someone we can trust and …
Yearly Cycle »
Shavuot: A Basic Overview
Shavuos is the holiday in which our ancestors received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. This holiday marks the end of the seven-week period of the Omer and is celebrated with great festivity and joy. The holiday lasts for two days (one day in Israel) and falls on the sixth and …
Concepts »
Pinchas: A New Generation
A new generation had emerged in the desert as Moses neared the end of his life. His siblings Miriam and Aharon had passed on. His nephew Elazar was now high priest and Elazar’s son, Pinchas, had joined the ranks of the priesthood. Shortly after Aharon’s passing, we notice signs of …
Rabbi’s Desk »
The Passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
It has been around a year since the world has lost a great leader with the passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Who will be his successor?
There will be millions beginning with me and you.
Rabbi Sacks was a unique and leading voice among rabbis in our generation. His keen intellect and …
