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. …
Vayigash: Know It All
What do you do when you know it all? Life is only interesting when there is mystery. When we have questions to answer, theses to research, frontiers to explore, peaks to climb, depths to plumb, curiosities to quench, and knowledge to acquire, life has thrill and excitement. But what do …
Chanukah: Light in the Dark
The Chanukah candles usher light into darkness and warmth into cold. They are kindled as the sun sets and they are placed strategically in the window or doorway to catch the attention of passerby. This point is essential to Chanukah candles. After the streets have emptied of foot traffic, one …
Vayeshev: My Brother’s Keeper
Cain famously asked, “am I my brother’s keeper?” History has not taken kindly to Cain and has responded with a resounding yes, you are your brother’s keeper. But Cain had done ill by Abel. What if it is the reverse, suppose your brother does ill by you, are you still …
Vayishlach: O Brother
It had been thirty-four years since Jacob escaped his brother Esau’s wrath. During this time Jacob had spent fourteen years studying Torah and twenty years building his family. He had descended to the immoral pit of his uncle Laban’s home, and emerged unaffected and even stronger for the ordeal. Esau, …
Vayetze: Expand Your Envelope
Do you expand your envelope? Are you comfortable discovering new ideas, experimenting with the unfamiliar, venturing into the unknown, pushing your boundaries, and exploring new horizons?
Most are comfortable within our sphere, we like our routines and prefer to remain within them. We walk the same routes, we shop at the …
Toldot: A Defense of Jews
Our Patriarch Isaac had nothing better to do with his day than plant seeds? Surely Isaac could think of many things to do. He could study Torah, he could do good deeds, he could look after his children, after all, twins can be a handful. Why did he work in …
The Massacre in Pittsburgh
Massacres Begin with Dehumanization
Last Saturday morning, October 27, 2018, eleven people lost their lives, six people were wounded, a community lost its sense of peace, security and contentment, and a world lost its equilibrium. All because Robert Bowers, a man, armed to the teeth and apparently driven by antisemitic views, …
Vayera: Hospitality
Hospitality has historically been a Jewish virtue. It has its roots in the very beginning of Jewish history. Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people was renowned for hospitality. Not only did he invite and provide for wayfarers, he made a point of making them feel welcome. He conveyed a …
Parsha Insights »
Shemini: Food for Thought for your Dinner Table
Sunday: A Transcending Number
Why was the first day of service in the Tabernacle referred to as the eighth? It was preceded by seven days of training, but it was still just the first day of actual service. The number eight represents transcendence. Seven is the number of days in the …
Yearly Cycle »
A Modern Chanukah Story
During the course of this week Jews around the world celebrate the holiday of Chanukah. Chanukah means so many things to so many people. To some it is a spiritual opportunity for reflection and introspection; to reflect upon the historical origin of the holiday and its relevance to modern day …
Concepts »
Vaera: The Great Escape
The entire Jewish ordeal in Egypt was an effort to escape. What were they escaping from?
The minutia of mundane pleasures. The Jewish people were singled out to receive the Torah at Sinai. They were poised to climb to the precipice, to scale the greatest spiritual heights, but they were trapped …
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 …
