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March 25, 2024 – 8:50 pm | Comments Off on Why We Must Resist The Cease Fire Resolution48 views

Tzav: Fighting Evil
We are surrounded by evil; every so often, it rears its ugly head as it did on Simchat Torah—the October 7 massacre. Pure evil raped Jewish mothers, burned Jewish babies alive, mutilated their fathers, and beheaded their neighbors. Pure evil burned loving couples clinging to each other, to …

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Korach: I’m Over-Qualified

June 18, 2017 – 12:56 am | Comments Off on Korach: I’m Over-Qualified2,693 views
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Should Have Been the Boss
Have you ever heard of a Jew who isn’t over-qualified for his job? Have you ever heard of a Jew, who can’t do his boss’ job better than his boss? I don’t know about you, but where I live we have a unique custom. After morning …

Vayigash: The True Meaning of Tolerance

December 31, 2016 – 11:40 pm | Comments Off on Vayigash: The True Meaning of Tolerance2,857 views
the-true-meaning-of-tolerance-innerstream.ca

Can We Tolerate Tolerance?
Have you ever been in the ironic position where someone accused of lacking tolerance and in the process turned intolerant toward you? Sadly, such occasions are commonplace nowadays. Just think of the riots that swept America post election, when people rampaged and pillaged in the name of …

Vayetze: Coincidence

December 3, 2016 – 10:36 pm | Comments Off on Vayetze: Coincidence2,638 views
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Do You Believe In Coincidence?
Albert Einstein famously said that coincidence is G-d’s way of remaining anonymous. What do you think?
Coincidence can be tricky. If I lose a dollar and someone picks it up, I get a Mitzvah. But is the Mitzvah really mine or did it just happen to fall …

Sukkot: The Strength to Emerge

October 16, 2016 – 1:40 am | Comments Off on Sukkot: The Strength to Emerge2,413 views
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Emerge
Four days after Yom Kippur we take our show on the road. We emerge from our synagogue and home and go out to the Sukkah (outdoor hut covered in foliage). To come out means to emerge from the doors that enclose us in and the locks that hold us back. …

Shlach: Gradual Growth

June 25, 2016 – 11:13 pm | Comments Off on Shlach: Gradual Growth2,844 views
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The Struggle
In Canada and the US, this is the season of liberty as both celebrate Independence Day this week. Canada won its independence peacefully, but for the US it was a long struggle, one that proved beyond doubt that all growth is gradual.
The Colonists’ principle complaint against Great Britain was …

Acharei Mot: For The People

May 2, 2016 – 10:08 am | Comments Off on Acharei Mot: For The People2,871 views
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A Sobering Moment
I remember my first “for the people,” moment. I was officiating at my first Bar Mitzvah as a rabbi. The sanctuary was filled to the brim and my aim was to impress. I offered a wonderful introduction to the Bar Mitzvah boy and a flowery reflection on his …

Tazria: Fix Me Don’t Break Me

April 3, 2016 – 2:30 pm | Comments Off on Tazria: Fix Me Don’t Break Me3,338 views
the crybaby generation - innerstream

A Typical Exchange
With more than twenty years in the rabbinate I have seen my share of painful human interactions and have become an observer of human nature. I find that two thigs often happen when people berate each other. First, the berator comes on too strong to be heard. Second, …

Bechukotai: Active Listening

May 11, 2014 – 3:56 am | Comments Off on Bechukotai: Active Listening3,957 views
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Sight
Do you practice Active Listening?
I remember standing on a cliff high above the Pacific Ocean in Central California, gazing down at the blue waters, shimmering waves and bright sunlight. I was transfixed, utterly and completely absorbed by the scene. Having lost all critical thought, I was aware of only one …