Articles in Yearly Cycle
High Holiday Greetings
Some places in the world are blessed with eternal sunshine. Other places are marked by perpetual darkness. Some places are always warm, other places are always cold. Our country has seasons.
There is a season for frigid cold and a season for desultory heat. There is a season for torrential downpours …
Rosh Hashanah: Pickled Meat and Free Choice
Surface Attraction
A man once went to the butcher and saw two bins, one filled with fresh meat, the other, with pickled meat. The pickled meat smelled good and drew his attention. He bought five pounds of the it and returned the next day with terrible stomach pains. Why didn’t you …
Devarim: A Healthy Waste
A Holiday
Joseph Stalin reputedly visited a Jewish inmate in prison who was rumored to foresee the future. Can you tell me, asked Stalin, when I will die? Well, replied the Jew, I can’t tell you the exact date, but I can tell you that will die on a Jewish holiday. …
Masei: The Wandering Jew
Wandering
Why is the Jew always wandering? We left Egypt and spent the next forty years wandering in a dessert. Throughout our exile, our people have wandered. Even today, Jews who live in stable countries, don’t remain in the same place for long. Even Jews in Israel, wander away in search …
Bamidbar: Does Being Chosen Make You Uncomfortable?
Being Chosen
People always say, never let a compliment get to your head. But what does that mean? If the compliment is true, shouldn’t we own it, take pride in it and let it boost our self esteem? The obvious answer is that we don’t mind owning it. We mind growing …
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 …
Passover: Chad Gadya
A Conflagration
Although the Chad Gadya is not part of the Chabad tradition, the melody holds universal appeal. In fact, one of my earliest Passover memories is learning this classic. My Bubbie’s Haggadah had beautiful illustrations and I spent many hours pouring over the pictures of the kid, cat, dog, stick …
Chanukah: Tomorrow Will Be Much Better
Increase or Reduce
There are two ways to light Chanukah candles. One is to start with the smallest amount of light and increase each day, the second is to start with the greatest amount of light and reduce the light each day. In fact, this was an argument between the schools …
