Headlines »

October 20, 2009 – 8:50 pm | Comments Off on Noach: Mr. Perfect2,672 views

Noah or Abraham
We have a friend, who is committed to perceiving everything in life as absolutely perfect. He is a virtual Mr. perfect. He once shared with us that he wakes up every morning and exclaims “perfect, perfect, perfect.” I thought this a wonderful, if bizarre, way to start the …

Read the full story »
Parsha Insights

Where Biblical law and Torah tale is brought vividly to life

Concepts

The Jewish perspective on topical and controversial subjects

Life Cycle

Probing for meaning in our journey and its milestones.

Yearly Cycle

Discover depth and mystique in the annual Jewish festivals

Rabbi’s Desk

Seeking life’s lessons in news items and current events

Miracle of Miracles

April 17, 2024 – 5:42 pm | Comments Off on Miracle of Miracles
miracle

The greatest miracle of our times, on par, perhaps, with that of the Six-Day War, occurred last Saturday night. More than 360 missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles were dispatched by Iran to Israel. The intention was to destroy defensive infrastructure, wreak mayhem and havoc, and destroy Jewish lives.
Some of the …

Four Questions That End Suffering

April 13, 2024 – 11:00 pm | Comments Off on Four Questions That End Suffering
end suffering

We will sit down to the Seder this year while our people suffer. Israel faces simultaneous attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran. More than a hundred Jews are still in captivity. Antisemitism is rampant and acceptable again in coffee shops, public squares, public schools, and college campuses.
The saga …

Giving Is The Secret To Happiness

April 7, 2024 – 8:06 am | Comments Off on Giving Is The Secret To Happiness
giving

Giving is the secret to happiness. People who think they can be happy from taking or even receiving quickly learn how wrong they are. Do you think Vladimir Putin will be happier if he takes Ukraine? Well, ask him if taking the Crimea made him happy. If he were happy …

Can Israel Survive Alone?

March 30, 2024 – 10:11 pm | Comments Off on Can Israel Survive Alone?
United Nations Security Council meets after Russia recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities, in New York City, U.S. February 21, 2022.  REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Shemini: Can Israel Survive Alone?
In 1972, Yitzchak Rabin served as Israeli Ambassador to the United States. He had an audience with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who asked him if he felt he was alone among the 120 states represented in Washington. The Rebbe explained that “am levadad Yishkon”—our nation dwells alone …

Why We Must Resist The Cease Fire Resolution

March 25, 2024 – 8:50 pm | Comments Off on Why We Must Resist The Cease Fire Resolution
Fighting-Evil

Tzav: Fighting Evil
We are surrounded by evil; every so often, it rears its ugly head as it did on Simchat Torah—the October 7 massacre. Pure evil raped Jewish mothers, burned Jewish babies alive, mutilated their fathers, and beheaded their neighbors. Pure evil burned loving couples clinging to each other, to …

Purim: A Nation United

March 16, 2024 – 11:20 pm | Comments Off on Purim: A Nation United
Unity

The die was cast. King Achashverosh granted Haman a genocidal license against the Jewish nation. Mordechai was one of the first to learn of the plot and he appealed to Queen Esther for help. Esther explained that it was dangerous even for her to enter the king’s chambers unbidden. Mordechai …

If You Have Skills, Use Them

March 2, 2024 – 8:00 pm | Comments Off on If You Have Skills, Use Them
goat-hair

Among the Jews who left Egypt, there were many artisans with special skills. When it was time to build the Tabernacle, they all came forward. The goldsmiths and silversmiths, the weavers and spinners, the builders and carpenters, the blacksmiths and chemists all volunteered their services.
The Torah makes specific mention of …

The Real You Is Perfect

February 24, 2024 – 9:34 pm | Comments Off on The Real You Is Perfect
perfect

Perfection is not part of the human experience; in fact, perfectionism is usually unhealthy, but perfection is part of the Divine experience. And here is the surprising truth. At your very core, in your most essential state of being, you are a sliver of the Divine. This means that the …