For millennia it was believed that the world is human centric, but science has slowly chipped away at this assumption.
From the day the first astronomer focused his gaze on the distant stars, humans postulated that our planet sits at the center of the universe and serves as the focal point …
Vayetze: Putting Children First
Children First
Do you put your children first? Are they an integral part of your life or do they intrude on your freedom? Did you marry only for love or to build a family with the person you love? When you come home, do you have eyes only for your spouse …
Toldos: The Secret of Jewish Survival
Survival Throughout History
Blaise Pascal, French theologian and philosopher, wrote at length about the marvel of Jewish survival. Powerful kings have tried to destroy them, yet the Jews survived whereas the nations of Greece, Italy, Athens and Rome have long perished. It is said that when King Louis XIV of France …
Chayei Sarah: The Joys of Hard Work
No Break
Abraham seems to have been in love with hard work. The frenetic pace of his life was unusual. In his youth, he organized and gave mass lectures on Monotheism all across Mesopotamia. He wrote four hundred books on the subject.
Vayera: The Final Journey
Accompaniment
Today I want to share a reflection for life’s final journey.
Abraham planted an Eshel[1] and our sages had two different explanations for what that was. Some said it was an orchard, others said it was an inn. Some name their inn, The Red Roof Inn, others name their inn, The …
Lech Lecha: Do We Care?
Double Terror
This past week, Canada was shocked by two terror attacks. The first occurred on October 20 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, south of Montreal, when Martin Rouleau, a recent convert to Islam, ran over two military officers killing one and injuring the other. Do we care?
The second occurred on October 22, when …
Noah: Unity Of Thought
The Word
The rain began to fall and G-d told Noah to enter the Tevah. What is a Tevah? Every biblical commentator will tell you that it mean an ark. The Hebrew word Tevah, means a box or a trunk. The word is often used to describe the hull of a …
Noach: The Ebola Flood
Selfish Man
Have you ever received a backhanded compliment? The kind that acknowledges your achievement while smoothly sliding in a zinger? A particularly good zinger comes to mind when I think of Candidate Barak Obama responding to a wailing Hillary Clinton in a 2007 Democratic Primary Candidate debate. Clinton complained that …
Simchat Torah: Festival Of Transformation
The Million Dollar Question
Everyone wonders about this. Why do we rejoice with the Torah at the end of the High Holiday season if the Torah was given in the late spring, on Shavuot? Should we not dance and rejoice over the Torah on the day it was given?
The obvious answer …
Parsha Insights »
B’Ha’alotcha: Personal Freedom
A Meaningless Holiday?
In this week’s Parsha we read that several people, unable to participate in the offering of the Pascal lamb, approached Moses a asked for a second chance. Mosesconsulted with G-d thus the 14’th of “Iyar” was consecrated as “Pesach Sheini,” a second Passover.
Yearly Cycle »
Rosh Hashanah and January First
Remarkably Different
The Rosh Hashanah celebrations differ greatly from those of the secular new Year. The first of January is a time for parties, Rosh Hashanah is welcomed with sounding the Shofar, somber prayers, and sobering thoughts.
Concepts »
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.
Rabbi’s Desk »
Festival Shabbat: Show Respect
United Airlines
Social media is abuzz with the terrible story that occurred on United Airlines several days ago. Dr, Dao, a 69 year old physician on a flight from Chicago to Louisville, was physically dragged off a plane after being beaten by three police officers. The physician’s crime was refusing to …
