Do you peddle in relative truths, or are you a stickler for the absolute truth? This essay examines the two types of truth and posits that G-d’s truth is absolute.
Read the full story »Chukat: Unchanging Torah
Tablets and Torah Scrolls
Why is the Torah so unchanging? Why are religious Jews so resistant to change? Doesn’t our tradition promote questions and provocative thought?
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Korach: Kindness or Weakness
The Debate
The recent decision by the US Government to secure the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from captivity in return for five- hardened Taliban terrorists has sparked debate. Those in support hail President Obama as a decisive leader, who made the courageous choice to save a life. Those who oppose …
Shlach: Boots On The Ground
Ritual
I’m often asked how to make ritual exciting. It’s sad, but true that many Jewish children are raised with a ritualistic form of Judaism that lacks spirit and it is difficult for them to be inspired by meaningless rituals that feel repetitive and redundant. My answer is always the same. …
Shavuot: Torah and Golf
The Parallels
A number of my friends are avid golfers. Over coffee one day they tried to explain to me some aspects of the game’s attraction. At first I didn’t get it but as I listened to them I noticed that at times their voices carried almost spiritual undertones. Suddenly, I …
Naso: Self Imposed Confinement
Isolation
We live in self-imposed confinement. Our world is confined to ourselves and to the people we love. Tell us about a tragedy elsewhere in the world, we cluck our tongues and move on. For some, the world is even smaller. It extends only to themselves. At every turn they ask …
Bamidbar: Positive Thought
Is Optimism Naive?
Are you confident about the future? There are those who are frustratingly optimistic. No matter what the present, their faith in mankind, destiny and G-d’s basic commitment to goodness is unshakable. Others are more jaded. They look at the current state of affairs and take a dismal view …
Bechukotai: Active Listening
Sight
Do you practice Active Listening?
I remember standing on a cliff high above the Pacific Ocean in Central California, gazing down at the blue waters, shimmering waves and bright sunlight. I was transfixed, utterly and completely absorbed by the scene. Having lost all critical thought, I was aware of only one …
B’har: Jewish Pride
Sense of Self
Is pride a dirty word? It’s often listed alongside lust and greed, but is it really bad? I suppose it depends on what you are proud of. If you have Jewish pride, if you take pride in your Jewishness, it isn’t altogether bad, but if you take pride …
Parsha Insights »
I Love You
“Creator of the world. Please, I love you. I’m in love with you. Please don’t disappoint me. I love you.”
These loving, pleading words came from Margalit Megidish as she prayed for her daughter, Ori, whom Hamas took hostage. Ori Megidish is a soldier who served on a base near Gaza …
Yearly Cycle »
New Years Greeting 5763: Tears for Israel
The
New Year is almost upon us and we prepare to greet it with the usual
pomp. This year however, the celebration will lie as a terrible burden
upon the hearts of many. Our brothers and sisters are mourning across
the planes of our beloved land, Israel.Entire
families are mourning the loss of Bubbies and …
Concepts »
Bo: The Secret of our Continuity
The Silver Lining
We had spent the afternoon ensconced in our warm home hardly aware of the wintery conditions outdoors. As Shabbat ended we ventured outside and encountered a heavy snowfall. I groaned inwardly envisioning slush filled roads and back breaking shoveling, but was taken aback when a woman behind me …
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 …
