Articles in Parsha Insights
G-d Is Calling
When things happen to me, good or bad, I often think that G-d is calling. It is a mantra that I took up in life. It reminds me that nothing is random. Everything happens for a reason. G-d is calling to tell me something. It is either good or bad, …
The Entitlement Generation
The entitlement generation claims whatever they want as their entitlement. Let me tell you a story:
Tim Hortons, a coffee house chain, runs an annual contest called, “Roll Up To Win.” Customers roll back the rim of their coffee cup to see if they won a prize. This year, the contest …
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 …
