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December 3, 2023 – 8:23 pm | 52 views

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 …

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Tetzaveh : The Sounds of Silence

February 10, 2005 – 8:29 am |
sounds of silence - innerstream

The Meaning of Sound
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Vayakhel : Inside Outside

February 1, 2005 – 6:57 pm |
inside outside - innerstream

The Air Outside
Shortly after the Tzadik Reb Mendel of Horodok arrived in Israel a man climbed the Mount of Olives and sounded a Shofar. A rumor quickly spread that the Shofar’s call heralded the arrival of Moshiach. When word of this reached Reb Mendel, he threw the windows wide open …

Mishpatim : The Six Year Bondsman

February 1, 2005 – 11:37 am |
the six year bondsman - innerstream

Automatic Liberty?
Our Parsha teaches that a Jew may be sold into servitude for six years but on the first day of the seventh year the slave is automatically granted full liberty. (1) This law evokes images of a spontaneous transformation from princess to pumpkin at the stroke of midnight. …

Yitro : A Protest of Orange Stars

January 29, 2005 – 5:51 am |
orange stars

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 …

Beshalach : Opt for the Mitzvah

January 19, 2005 – 8:25 pm |
opt for the mitvah - innerstream

He Won A Different Kind of Race
It was a 200-meter race and the contestants gathered at the start line were anxiously anticipating the starting gun. Yossi had trained for months and was confident in his ability to win. At the crack of the gun Yossi was off and quickly established …

Terumah : Whose Money Is It Anyway?

January 10, 2005 – 4:09 am |
whose money is it anyway - innerstream

The Tele-marketers and I
As I sat down for dinner, the telephone rang and I found myself responding to the third telemarketer of the evening. These calls came after a day spent digging through unsolicited e-mail from countless businesses and organizations. You can imagine my consternation when the doorbell rang as …

Vaeirah: The Prophetic Experience

January 3, 2005 – 9:38 pm |
the prophetic experience - innerstream

Puzzles and Prophecies
Every once in a while my children ask me to help them with one of the many puzzles in the cupboard. The usual routine has us sit down on the floor where I examine the shape, color and picture fragment of a puzzle piece to determine where it …

Shemot : Heaven And Earth

December 26, 2004 – 11:15 am |
heaven and earth - innerstream

There was a steep mountain pass just outside Premishlan that was impassable during the winter because of its treacherous icy conditions. The Chassidic master, Rabbi Meir of Premishlan, would navigate this pass on a regular basis. When asked for his secret he answered simply, “One who is bound to the …