Articles in Yearly Cycle
Purim : The Inebriated State
Holiday Revelry
My earliest Purim memories are joyous. Festive gatherings and celebrations were held in the synagogues while jubilation and dancing dominated the streets. Young and old, rich and poor, celebrated side by
side; jovial, reveling and genuinely happy.
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Tetzaveh : The Sounds of Silence
The Meaning of Sound
What does sound mean to you? Sound plays many roles. It is a vehicle for communication, music, and even distraction, but at its root sound is the simple indicator of life.
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Beshalach : Opt for the Mitzvah
He Won A Different Kind of Race
It was a 200-meter race and the contestants gathered at the start line were anxiously anticipating the starting gun. Yossi had trained for months and was confident in his ability to win. At the crack of the gun Yossi was off and quickly established …
Vaeirah: The Prophetic Experience
Puzzles and Prophecies
Every once in a while my children ask me to help them with one of the many puzzles in the cupboard. The usual routine has us sit down on the floor where I examine the shape, color and picture fragment of a puzzle piece to determine where it …
Shemot : Heaven And Earth
There was a steep mountain pass just outside Premishlan that was impassable during the winter because of its treacherous icy conditions. The Chassidic master, Rabbi Meir of Premishlan, would navigate this pass on a regular basis. When asked for his secret he answered simply, “One who is bound to the …
Bo : Light and Dark Intertwined
The Ninth Plague
The plague of darkness was such that “no person could see his brother, nor could any person rise from his place for three days. (However) the children of Israel had light in all their homes.” (1)
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Shavuot the Festival of Weeks
Sunday, May 27, marks the beginning of Shavuot, the Jewish festival of weeks. Its name reflects the seven-week period that commences on the second night of Passover and concludes on the first night of this festival. During this time the Jewish ancestry journeyed from Egypt to Sinai and prepared to …
Rosh Hashanah: The Child’s Cry
The story is told of a great rabbi who was up late at night deeply engrossed in Torah study together with his study partner. At that moment one of his partner’s children was awakened by a nightmare and began to cry. The rabbi, his concentration disturbed, arose from his studies …
