Articles in Yearly Cycle
Sukkot: Earthquake in Jerusalem
Mount of Olives
On the first day of Sukkot, the Haftorah reading is from Zacharia, chapter 14. In verse four the prophet tells us that in the Messianic age, “the Mount of Olives will split at its center eastward and westward, making a huge ravine, half the mountain will move northward …
High Holiday Greetings 5774
High Holiday Greetings
We embark on a new year with excitement and trepidation. What does the new year hold for us, will it be good or bad, healthy or ill, happy or sad?
We look back to years past and know that life is a mixed bag, some years were better than …
Rosh Hashanah: The Meaning of Repetance
Return
The High Holidays are a time for Teshuva, repentance. We are meant to reflect on the things we did wrong and correct them and on the things we did well and strengthen them.
I looked up the word repentance at www.dictionary.com and found the following definition. “To feel sorry, self-reproachful, or …
Vaetchanan: Therapeutic Healing
A Six Day Journey
We come away from the ninth of Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, with a spring to our step and a sense of hope. The six day stretch between the ninth and the fifteenth of Av are a transitional period, a time for healing. Our …
B’chukotai: Are you a Diehard Jew?
Do it For G-d
Are you a fair weather fan or diehard? Growing up in Boston I knew all about Diehard fans. Fenway Park is legendary for romanticizing terrible teams and losing seasons. Fans fill the stands for hopeless contests with the same enthusiasm they muster for sure winners. I’ve never …
Acharei Mot: Response to Tragedy
A Silent Response
During his inauguration to the High Priesthood, Aaron lost two sons. In response to tragedy Aaron was silent.[1] As High Priest, Aaron was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies on occasion, but only in silence – without bells on his tunic.[2] Silence seems to be thematic to …
Passover: The Mighty Hand
Why the Long Process?
The phrase “G-d took us from Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,” is a common refrain in the Passover liturgy. The obvious meaning here is that the Jews, enslaved by fierce captors, were powerless to escape, G-d appeared with a mighty arm and an …
Vayakhel Pekudei: The Temple of our Home
To Live is To Remember
Everyone grieves differently. Some work hard to ignore the memories of a loved one because they are just too painful to revisit, others work hard to preserve the memories because without them they lose the gift of the past. Why should our loved one die twice, …
