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 »The Buck Stops Here
The buck stops here, was a sign on the desk of President Harry S Truman. It is a spin off the aphorism, “pass the buck”—punting responsibility to someone up the line. When you are president, Truman would often say, the buck stops here. You are responsible. If you don’t like …
Happy Birthday
Tetzaveh: The Gift of a Birthday
Moses’ birthday was on the seventh of Adar. The Shabbat before Purim is almost always in the week of Moses’ birthday so let’s use this opportunity to discuss what it means to be born. Many think of birth as the beginning of our story, but …
Are Golden Cherubs Kosher?
G-d instructed our ancestors to construct a Golden ark topped by two golden cherubs. Only several months earlier, the Jews were severely punished for fashioning a golden idol. When G-d finally invited them to build a real home for Him as a sign of His forgiveness for the golden calf, …
Clean Up the Mess
Mishpatim: Clean Up the Mess
Clean up the mess is what our Torah portion is all about. G-d made a messy world. One in which humans steal from each other, abuse each other, and damage each other’s property. A world in which animals wreak havoc and must be watched with an …
The Key To Integrity
If you are honest and speak with integrity, people will respect you and enjoy your company. If you charm people and tell them what they want to hear while you secretly disdain them, they will see through your charm and reject you.
This is not always evident upfront. On the surface …
Do We Have Free Choice
Beshalach: Do We Have Free Choice
If G-d knows what we will choose before we choose it, do we have free choice? In our Torah portion we learn that G-d told our ancestors not to save Mana from one day to the next and to trust Him to provide. Some Jews …
Do You Have The Courage To Be Free?
Do we have the courage to be free? As we read about our ancestors leaving Egypt, we realize that they took a huge leap of faith. In retrospect it seems simple. They left a land of suffering and bondage and embarked on an idyllic journey through the desert where food …
Why Ten Plagues?
This week we are introduced to the ten plagues. Seven plagues appear in our Torah portion and the last three appear in next week’s Torah portion. Have you ever noticed that there are ten plagues, ten commandments, and G-d Created the world with ten utterances? What is the common link?
Parsha Insights »
B’Midbar: A Question of Numbers
A Small Tribe
In this week’s Parsha we read that Moshe took a census of the nation. A quick scan of the numbers shows the tribe of Levi to be the smallest, with only twenty-two-thousand members. By way of comparison, the other tribes had anywhere from thirty to more then one …
Yearly Cycle »
Bo: Battling Complacency
D Day
On June 6, 1944, allied forces launched a major assault against occupied France along the coast of Normandy. In the initial phases of the landing, American forces suffered heavy casualties on Omaha Beach. Communications with headquarters was scant because many radios were either lost in the Channel or destroyed …
Concepts »
Bo: Hebrew Months
First Month
The Jewish calendar is confusing. The Hebrew months have names, but they are Persian in origin. Why do Hebrew months have Persian names? Another question: These names are not employed by the Five Books of Moses or the Books of the Prophets, when were they adopted into our culture?
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 …
