When G-d disciplines us, the pain is real—but it is born of love. When He gives freely, we feel His kindness. When He withholds or corrects, His love is less visible—but in truth, it runs even deeper.
Read the full story »Beshalach: Love of LIfe
Red Sea
An entire nation had narrowly escaped; the army of murderers, bearing down on them just a moment earlier, now drowning in the ocean. G-d had orchestrated a brilliant rescue. Jews stood huddled on the far shore watching their captors toss helplessly about on the surging waves of a plunging …
Bo: The Miracle of Nature
Months and Years
Have you ever wondered why there are annual cycles in the lunar calendar and monthly cycles in the solar calendar? Think about it. The solar calendar is defined by the cycle of seasons as the earth tilts on its axis for three-hundred-and-sixty-five days; nothing in this calendar lends …
Vaeira: When Faith Breeds Confidence
Our Grandparents
I stand in awe of my grandparent’s generation, who fought two world wars and overcame a depression in the span of three short decades. They stood up to the twin evils of Nazism and Communism and created peace, stability and even prosperity. They did not have the luxuries we …
Shemot: The Rightous Triumph
The Enemy’s Narrative
A recent headline in Time Magazine said it all: “Can Israel Survive It’s Assault On Gaza?” Note the tone of despair in our discourse as we voice concern for the survival of the attackers, rather than the attacked. Recent wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon and the current …
Vayechi: True Guardians
Protect or Destroy
Listening to media reports about Gaza and Hamas, I wondered how a terror group came to be viewed as a legitimate government. When did we start treating those who blow themselves up on buses and lob rockets into kindergartens as soldiers in a legitimate army? How did the …
Vayigash: A Recipe for Life
Frustrations
I can’t tell you how many times I have been frustrated by petty incidents such as getting caught in traffic or at red lights. These delays frustrate me to no end. I can’t stop thinking of the appointments I will miss or the things I will have to reschedule. The …
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, …
Vayeshev: Trickle Up Effect
Economic Realities
As the economy slows and sales decline in the Automobile Sector, Automakers lobby their governments for bailout packages. Here in Canada, Chrysler has petitioned the Government for an emergency loan of 1.6 billion dollars and added that if the loan is not approved Chrysler would be forced to shut …
Parsha Insights »
Balak: It’s All About Priorities
A Continuing Offense
A man went into confession to divulge that he had rescued a young Jewish boy from the Nazis. Why that sounds like a good deed, came the sonorous response from behind the curtain, why do you bring it up in confession? Because, explained the man, I have put …
Yearly Cycle »
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 …
Concepts »
Canukah: Despite the Odds
The Source of Light
In the course of life there are times of joy and of melancholy. When we are surrounded by friends and a constructive support network, when we are successful at home and at work, when we are satisfied with personal progress and development it is easy to coast …
Rabbi’s Desk »
What Can We Do?
These past two days have been the most difficult for our people in the last fifty years. It was Simchat Torah, a time for rejoicing, yet it was a time of horror. Nearly a thousand members of our family were brutally murdered, more than a hundred were taken hostage, and …
