I was walking home after services on Friday night and passed someone who raised his arm and screamed, “Free Palestine”. I said nothing in response but thought, “I hope Palestine is free, dear chap now that you’ve done your part. And I hope you sleep well, dear chap now that …
Read the full story »Unity
The old saying, ‘united we stand, divided we fall’, conveys a pithy truth; if we knock others down on our path to success, it catches up with us in the long run and eventually knocks us down. What goes around comes around and no one is immune. We can’t grow …
Too Busy to Volunteer
Volunteering is a way of life for many people. We derive so much pleasure from sharing our time, energy and resources with those in need. The sight of a grateful smile, gladdens the heart and inspires the soul. It motivates us to volunteer even more.
But for many …
he Debate
They stood at the seashore overwhelmed by the miracle of love they had witnessed. All night long, they had crossed the sea and as the sun rose, they could not believe their eyes – the seashore was strewn with dead Egyptian bodies. Only then did the full magnitude of …
My Beloved Teacher
I have had many teachers, but the ones that impacted me most, were the one who showed me kindness. You would think that if a teacher’s role is to teach, the most erudite scholar would have been the most memorable teacher. But that is not the case. The …
At The Grave Of A Mother
I was standing in Bethlehem at the grave of our nation’s mother, the Matriarch Rachel. I was praying for myself, my family and our nation. I poured my heart out on this quiet sunny morning, to a mother I had never met. Swept up in …
Can We Tolerate Tolerance?
Have you ever been in the ironic position where someone accused of lacking tolerance and in the process turned intolerant toward you? Sadly, such occasions are commonplace nowadays. Just think of the riots that swept America post election, when people rampaged and pillaged in the name of …
Increase or Reduce
There are two ways to light Chanukah candles. One is to start with the smallest amount of light and increase each day, the second is to start with the greatest amount of light and reduce the light each day. In fact, this was an argument between the schools …
Obey Your Parents
This week’s Torah portion introduces us to Esau’s son Eliphaz although our sages already mentioned him in last week’s portion.
When Jacob left his parents’ home to flee his brother’s rage, he stocked up on provisions. His wealthy parents made certain that he had plenty of gold and silver …