We are told not to judge a book by its cover, but most of us do. In their inimitable way, our sages tell us, “Don’t look at the cask; look at the wine. Aged casks can be filled with new wine, and new casks can be filled with aged wine” …
Read the full story »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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Vayakhel : Inside Outside
The Air Outside
Shortly after the Tzadik Reb Mendel of Horodok arrived in Israel a man climbed the Mount of Olives and sounded a Shofar. A rumor quickly spread that the Shofar’s call heralded the arrival of Moshiach. When word of this reached Reb Mendel, he threw the windows wide open …
Mishpatim : The Six Year Bondsman
Automatic Liberty?
Our Parsha teaches that a Jew may be sold into servitude for six years but on the first day of the seventh year the slave is automatically granted full liberty. (1) This law evokes images of a spontaneous transformation from princess to pumpkin at the stroke of midnight. …
Yitro : A Protest of Orange Stars
A Controversial Decision
The Orange Revolution, a campaign orchestrated in 2005 by Jews in Israel to protest the forced expulsion of Jews from Gaza, advised Jews to wear orange stars on their arm sleeves as a duel symbol of solidarity with the Jewish communities of Gaza and of protest against the …
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 …
Terumah : Whose Money Is It Anyway?
The Tele-marketers and I
As I sat down for dinner, the telephone rang and I found myself responding to the third telemarketer of the evening. These calls came after a day spent digging through unsolicited e-mail from countless businesses and organizations. You can imagine my consternation when the doorbell rang as …
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 …
Parsha Insights »
Ki Tetze: A Winning Strategy
When you go to war, you need a winning strategy. It doesn’t matter how strong or weak your army is, success depends on the strategy. If the generals devise a winning strategy, you have a chance of winning the war. If they don’t have a winning strategy, you have lost …
Yearly Cycle »
Festival Shabbat: Show Respect
United Airlines
Social media is abuzz with the terrible story that occurred on United Airlines several days ago. Dr, Dao, a 69 year old physician on a flight from Chicago to Louisville, was physically dragged off a plane after being beaten by three police officers. The physician’s crime was refusing to …
Concepts »
Cancelling Cancel Culture
We are told not to judge a book by its cover, but most of us do. In their inimitable way, our sages tell us, “Don’t look at the cask; look at the wine. Aged casks can be filled with new wine, and new casks can be filled with aged wine” …
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 …
