Articles in Yearly Cycle
Passover: The Secret Path To A Moral Society
Just Because
When was the last time you did the right thing just because? In a Capitalist society we are taught to ask, “What’s in it for me” before making an investment. Even our charitable contributions come with strings attached. We insist that our dollars be used for causes that serve …
Tetzaveh / Zachor: Combating The Skeptic
Skepticism
A debate is currently raging in campuses across the country about binge drinking. Some believe the solution lies in stricter enforcement of existing laws against underage drinking. Others argue that enforcement will simply drive the drinkers underground. They prefer to reduce the minimum drinking age and to combat the problem …
Tu Bishvat: Economic Blessings
Full Moon
The fifteenth day of every lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest, is a day of celebration. From that point forward the moon’s size diminishes slightly every night until it disappears. The curious point is that the moon neither grows nor shrinks. Its light is neither dimmed …
Chanukah: Getting it Right
The Loophole
Chanukah commemorates the miracle of lights, but it is much more than kindling a light, Chanukah is about getting it right.
When the Macabes entered the Holy Temple after it had been ransacked by the Greeks they were eager to kindle the great Menorah (candelabra). However, despite their best efforts, …
New Year Greeting 5769
It is a new year, which of course, reminds us of new beginnings. At this time rabbis are expected to intone somber words about new resolutions in the context of Judaism, but I want to look elsewhere this year. It is much easier to thrive spiritually when we are gifted …
A Unique Rosh Hashanah
Is it Rosh Hashanah again?
Last Rosh Hashanah was thirteen months ago, but it seems like almost yesterday. There was a time when a year loomed eternal, but as I grow older, and I’m sure you relate to this, the years grow shorter and shorter; they take less and less time …
Passover: Freedom in Captivity
The First of Nissan
The Pascal Lamb was offered in celebration of our ancestors’ liberation from Egypt, yet it is curious that G-d gave the instructions for this Mitzvah while our ancestors were still enslaved in Egypt. (1)
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Sukkot: Inside Outside
The Outdoors
In his book, “Inside Outside,” Herman Wouk describes the struggle of living a Jewish life in a non Jewish society. It is a masterful description of living by one set of values at home and encountering a different one on the street.
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