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 »Noach: The Ebola Flood
Selfish Man
Have you ever received a backhanded compliment? The kind that acknowledges your achievement while smoothly sliding in a zinger? A particularly good zinger comes to mind when I think of Candidate Barak Obama responding to a wailing Hillary Clinton in a 2007 Democratic Primary Candidate debate. Clinton complained that …
Simchat Torah: Festival Of Transformation
The Million Dollar Question
Everyone wonders about this. Why do we rejoice with the Torah at the end of the High Holiday season if the Torah was given in the late spring, on Shavuot? Should we not dance and rejoice over the Torah on the day it was given?
The obvious answer …
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 …
New Year Greeting: Growing Up
New Year Greeting: Growing Up
A new year is upon us. One year chases another, one decade follows the next. Our lives unfold, our circumstances evolve, but how about us? Do we grow as well or are we stinted in our spiritual and emotional growth?
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Rosh Hashanah: Humility
Shabbat of Penance
The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the ten days of penance and the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat of return. This year, the two days of Rosh Hashana lead directly into the Shabbat of return.
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Vayelech: All For The Boss
Three Messages
I always say that it’s better to work for G-d, than for man. Man pays a higher salary than G-d, and every Rabbi can attest to that, but when you need the money and G-d is your boss, G-d always comes through.
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Ki Tavo: The Ice Bucket Challenge
Timeline
An amazing thought struck me. When ice buckets started to rain down on North America, rockets stopped raining down on Israel. I was curious to see if this was true so I went on line to research it.
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Ki Tetze: It’s Not Yours
Eating Grapes
Did you know that by Jewish law you may pick fruit that is not yours so long as you eat them in the garden from which you’ve plucked them?
I’m not kidding, here is the relevant text. “When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you …
Parsha Insights »
Miketz: A True Brother
A Jewish Boy In Egypt
Our Parsha relates the story of Josef in the land of Egypt. What was a good Jewish boy dong in Egypt? Why did he become Viceroy of such a corrupt and immoral land?
There was a famine in the region and Egypt was the only country …
Yearly Cycle »
Passover: A Mashiach Perspective
On the last day of Passover, we celebrate the coming of Mashiach—the ultimate liberation of our people from exile. This tradition was revealed by the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chasidism, and has since gained momentum in Jewish communities around the world.
The highlight is the festive meal at the end …
Concepts »
Chanukah: Naturally in Love with G-d
The Split
I once asked an audience to tell me which historical factor contributed most to our continuity and one fellow insisted that the correct answer was anti-Semitism. When the nations reject us we have no choice, but to turn inward. When the nations befriend and accept us we tend to blend into the global culture …
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 …
