It is easy to find holiness in the miraculous and extraordinary. The Passover challenge is to find holiness in the ordinary, everyday moments.
Read the full story »Toldot: A Defense of Jews
Our Patriarch Isaac had nothing better to do with his day than plant seeds? Surely Isaac could think of many things to do. He could study Torah, he could do good deeds, he could look after his children, after all, twins can be a handful. Why did he work in …
The Massacre in Pittsburgh
Massacres Begin with Dehumanization
Last Saturday morning, October 27, 2018, eleven people lost their lives, six people were wounded, a community lost its sense of peace, security and contentment, and a world lost its equilibrium. All because Robert Bowers, a man, armed to the teeth and apparently driven by antisemitic views, …
Vayera: Hospitality
Hospitality has historically been a Jewish virtue. It has its roots in the very beginning of Jewish history. Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people was renowned for hospitality. Not only did he invite and provide for wayfarers, he made a point of making them feel welcome. He conveyed a …
Chayei Sarah: The Good Life
Our sages derived from the opening of this week’s Torah reading that Sarah lived a good life. The Torah says, “And the years of Sarah’s life were a hundred years, and twenty years, and seven years. The years of her life.” The last sentence is superfluous. Our sages taught that …
Lech L’cha: Unhealthy Dependencies
Do you have unhealthy dependencies? Can you give up your smart phone, luxury car, and golf clubs, or have you grown too dependent to let them go? Have you given them power over you?
I am not actually advocating that we give them away. I don’t feel guilty for enjoying the …
Noah: Spiritual Care
Our sages were critical of Noah because he did failed to provide spiritual care for the people of his generation. Noah was a righteous man and worthy of rescue from the flood, but never once did Noah plead with G-d, let alone demand from G-d, to spare the people of …
Bereshit: Long Life
In many communities it is customary to wish one another ‘long life’ after a funeral or in a house of mourning. In the simple sense it is a wish for longevity, in the deeper sense it means that our lives should be long–filled with achievements that outlast our lifetimes.
This brings …
Simchat Torah: Pure Joy
For ten days we prayed, self examined, and repented. This introspection reached its zenith on Yom Kippur, when we set ourselves and our comforts aside and focused solely on G-d. We didn’t eat or drink, we rejected creature comforts, and spent the day wrapped up in supplication.
At this point G-d …
Parsha Insights »
Toldot: Food for Thought for your Dinner Table
Sunday: Abraham and Isaac
“These are the progeny of Isaac son of Abraham, Abraham begot Isaac.” That Abraham is the father of Jacob is mentioned twice in this verse, albeit in slightly different styles. In the first half of the verse Isaac is mentioned first, suggesting that he was the more …
Yearly Cycle »
Sukkot: A Time for Unity
Alone In Our Thoughts
I sit at my desk late at night and reflect on the day that just passed. It was Yom Kippur today, a day filled with prayer, song, meditation and study. My mind turns to the last few moments of the holy day and I remember standing at …
Concepts »
Korach: Turn the Other Cheek
Taking Offense
Have you ever noticed that it takes years to gain maturity and only moments to discard it? I have witnessed grown men and women regress to childlike behavior, when thrust into an argument. Barbs are exchanged, passions rise; before you know it otherwise balanced adults carry on like children. …
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 …
