G-d created the world through speech, and the words with which He created us are very much like flames. “Behold, my words are like flames” (Jeremiah 23:29). Flames don’t burn unless they have fuel to consume. The same is true of G-d’s words. “For G-d your G-d is a consuming …
Read the full story »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 …
Re’e: Believe It
It is hard to believe something that can’t be proved. It is even harder to believe in something you can’t see. Some people say, “when I see it, I will believe it.” Others say, “When you believe it, you will see it.”
When Covid-19 first came to our shores, I was …
Ekev: Cancel Culture
Ekev: Cancel Culture
Cancel Culture is a phrase one hears a lot these days. Cancel culture is the idea that if you don’t agree or even appear to agree with my thoughts, I will cancel your very integrity, let alone your credibility.
The problem with cancel culture is that as one group …
Va’etchanan: Unwarranted Love
Unwarranted love means to love someone that you have every right to hate. Jewish law has an extensive code around offering forgiveness and outlines specific cases in which we are not required to forgive. The ethic of unwarranted love summons us not only to forgive such people but also to …
Devarim: The Rational You
The Torah is divided into two parts—the first four books and the last book. The last book is in a category of its own because it is largely written as if Moses were talking rather than as G-d talking. Rather than saying “Moses spoke” this book reads, “I spoke.”
However, before …
Matot Masei: The Torah View of Women
People often ask about the Torah’s view of women. A discussion about vows in this week’s Torah portion offers a surprising insight.
The Torah forbids many things such as shellfish, bacon, work during the Sabbath, collecting loans during the Sabbatical, and others. The Toral also permits many things. Yet, the Torah …
Chukat Balak: The Commandments
The Torah’s laws about how to purify oneself from ritual contamination can only be prevalent at a time when ritual contamination is possible. Ritual contamination occurs when a Jew comes in contact with a dead body. When the Mashiach comes, the prophetic promise that death will cease and all the …
Korach: Depersonalize
The ability to depersonalize is key to social interaction. It is normal for people to disagree, after all, G-d gave us each unique brains and mindsets. It is impossible for us all to see the world the same way. Disagreements are inevitable. But in and of themselves, disagreements don’t jeopardize …
Parsha Insights »
Emor: Meaningful Choices
Temptation
“He was in love with a Jewish woman. She was as Jewish as he was, but there was a problem. She was a convert and he was a kohein, a member of the priestly family.” (1) When I gently informed him that Jewish law forbids the marriage between a kohein …
Yearly Cycle »
Rosh Hashanah: The mystery of Good and Evil
L'Shana Tova
On Rosh Hashana, Jews traditionally greet each other with the words L’shana Tova Tikatev Vetichatem, May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year. It is interesting to note that we don’t wish for a year of happiness or health, peace or serenity, freedom or fulfillment, pleasure or …
Concepts »
Lech Lecha: Do We Care?
Double Terror
This past week, Canada was shocked by two terror attacks. The first occurred on October 20 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, south of Montreal, when Martin Rouleau, a recent convert to Islam, ran over two military officers killing one and injuring the other. Do we care?
The second occurred on October 22, when …
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 …
