Articles in High Holidays
New Year Greeting 5772: New Resolutions
The High Holiday liturgy often makes use of our Biblically prescribed designation as G-d’s children. We remind G-d of the natural love that fathers have for children and beg Him to see us in that light even if our behavior doesn’t reflect the love we have for Him.
In light of …
New Year Greeting 5771: Unity
On November 7th of this year our community will join with communities across the world in a global day of learning; a showing of unity through the study and discussion of our common heritage. The event celebrates the conclusion of Rabbi Adin Steinzalt’s mammoth project, the translation and annotation of …
Elul: A Rose Among Thorns
A Curious Verse
Describing our relationship with G-d, King Solomon, wisest of all men, wrote, “I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me; who grazes among the roses,” (1) a curious statement if ever there was one. The first half of the verse is perfect and symmetrical. I …
New Year Greeting 5770: Words Make A Difference
When I visit my parents in Boston I am often struck by the adjustment in dimension from my childhood memories. Everything that I remembered as large, houses, streets, pools and yards, seem small by comparison. The only exceptions are the trees that enclose my parents’ backyard. They seemed huge back …
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 …
New Year Greeting 5767: A World of Chicken Fat
Gold Dust
A
story is told of a man who went abroad in search of his livelihood. He
booked passage on a ship, embarked and was sadly shipwrecked on an
Island. To his amazement he found that the island streets were littered
with gold. He pulled out his rucksack and filled it with as many …
High Holidays: A Silence Louder Than Words
An Early Judgment
During the course of this month we have sounded the Shofar every day in an attempt to inspire repentance, however, on the last day of this month we will purposely refrain from sounding the Shofar. This is explained
as a deliberate attempt to confuse the prosecuting angel. We want …
New Year Greeting 5761: The Passage of Time
A Year in London Ontario
As the New Year approaches it is time
to sit back and reflect upon the past twelve months and all that has
transpired therein. From a personal perspective, Basie and I look back
to a wonderful period of settling in, meeting new friends and being
warmly accepted into the London …
