What unique qualities did Moses have that convinced a nation of oppressed slaves that he was their redeemer?
Read the full story »Ki Tavo: Serving in A Selfish World
Father and Son
After a long and agonizing separation, Jacob and Joseph were finally reunited at the ancient gates of Egypt. What did the loving father do at that moment? Did he embrace his son and release his pent-up tears? No, he recited the Shema, proclaiming his faith in G-d.
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Ki Tavo: Pondering the Harvest
A Fruit Offering
“As you enter the land that G-d your lord has given to you and inherit it and settle it. You shall take from the first…fruit of the earth… and bring it to… G-d.”
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Ki Tavo: Content with our Lot
The Impoverished Levite
“And you shall rejoice with all of the bounty that Hashem your lord has given to you, to your household, and to the Levite.” The Torah encourages us to count our blessings, to rejoice, and to be satisfied with our lot.In ancient days the Levite was not given …
Nitazvim: Questions Without Answers
Hidden Problems
“That which is hidden is for G-d our Lord but that which is revealed is for us and our children eternally, to carry out the words of this Torah”. The Torah instructs us not to worry about problems that are not in our purview. What kind of problem is …
Vayelech: Concealment Within Concealment
A Double Phrase
“And I conceal I shall conceal my face on that day because of the evil that he (the nation) did and because he (the nation) turned to foreign G-ds.” The Baal Shem Tov taught that by doubling its words, conceal I shall conceal, the Torah implies concealment within …
Ki Teze: Earn Your Blessing
Content to Take
Inherent in human nature is the desire to make our own way in life. Constant dependence on the largess of others is abhorrent to us. How many children of Billionaires opt for a life of leisure and constant dependence? Most want to contribute to their parents business or …
Ki Teze: Asylum for Those in Need
A Timeless Message
This week’s Parsha teaches us that we are morally obliged to grant asylum to those who flee persecution. “You shall not turn over to his master a slave that has been rescued from his master to you” (Deuteronomy 23,16).
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Ki Teze: A Noble Purpose
Everything, but The Pillow
In this week’s Parsha we learn that a creditor is permitted to demand collateral before offering a loan even if the debtor is impoverished. However, the Torah enjoins us not to demand an article that the debtor would require during the normal course of his day. For …
Parsha Insights »
Terumah: The Sanctuary
Why the Replica?
Have you ever noticed that we go out of our way to turn the Sanctuary into a replica of the Bet Hamikdash, the ancient temple?
Our Sanctuaries have arks in which the Torah scroll is housed just as the Temple housed an Ark for the Tablets. The Ark is …
Yearly Cycle »
Sukkot: The Strength to Emerge
Emerge
Four days after Yom Kippur we take our show on the road. We emerge from our synagogue and home and go out to the Sukkah (outdoor hut covered in foliage). To come out means to emerge from the doors that enclose us in and the locks that hold us back. …
Concepts »
Shoftim: Ending Racism
Racism is a social scourge that has taken many forms of expression throughout the ages. At its heart racism is rooted in the medieval caste society—the feudal lords and the surfs. If you were from noble extraction, you were considered inherently superior. If you were a serf, you were expected …
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 …
