Noach: When We Ask, G-d Listens
A man once petitioned Rabbi Nosson of Breslov for a blessing to find his match. He complained that he had been seeking the right woman for many years and had still not found her. Rabbo Nosson discerned that he was slipping into despair, so …
Matos Masei: Fostering unity
Midyan
Do you know anyone that gets your goat? You know, the kind of person that irritates you no matter what s/he says. You resolve to control your feelings, but your annoyance boils over and, despite your resolve, your dam bursts through. We all have such triggers and we all know …
Balak: The Power of Birth
The Individual
Billam stood on a hilltop overlooking the Jewish camp. He was brought there to curse the Jews, but as his gaze fell upon their camp he beheld a vista of sanctity, nobility and rectitude. He couldn’t bring himself to curse them. And when he was prompted, he spoke the …
Chukas: You Only Live Once
Mired in Grudge
Imagine a sculpture was formed of your likeness of you when you were young and strong. Forty years later you would look back and see yourself in your prime; frozen in time at the peak of your strength. You would gaze wistfully at the strong lines of your …
Korach: Let’s Have The Truth
I Want It Too
Moses was leader; his brother Aaron, High Priest. The people accepted this arrangement, knowing the selection was made by G-d. Well, actually, not all the people were happy. Korach and 250 of his friends were jealous; they coveted the position for themselves and brought their complaint to …
Shlach: Got Challah?
A Unique Form of Giving
There are many forms of giving; charitable donations, priestly offerings and sacrificial consecrations to name a few. The common denominator among these is that a portion of one’s property is donated or consecrated one time; rendering the remainder available for personal use. The one exception is …
B’Ha'alotcha: Absorbing the Abstract
Lighting The Candle
Every year, shortly after the holiday of Shavuot, we chant the Biblical injunction to kindle the candelabra in the Bet Hamikdash. King Solomon used the metaphor of light to describe the Torah for the Torah radiates light. It thus stands to reason that much can be inferred about …
Naso: Commitment Spawns Enthusiasm
Completely Invested
Reb Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the third Rebbe of Chabad, (1) once related that his grandfather, Reb Schneur Zalman, offered to bless him with the intellectual gift that would make Torah study come easily to him. Reb Menachem Mendel refused saying that he wanted to invest his energies and acquire …
What I Learned From The Near Stock Market Crash
The Roller Coaster
Yesterday we experienced a near stock market crash. Its one of the craziest half hours in stock exchange history; the Dow dropped nearly one thousand points, suffering what would have been it’s worst fall in seventeen months, before rebounding to recoup nearly all its losses. According to the …
Parsha Insights »
Korach: Excuses, Excuses
The Process of Sin
Korach is an infamous name, synonymous with his rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The truth is that Korach never set out to lead a rebellion, he set out to nurse a grudge, but gradually his interests grew more and more grandiose until he sparked a rebellion. This …
Yearly Cycle »
Purim: The Response to Antisemitism
Purim represents a victory over antisemitism. Haman was the preeminent antisemite. He didn’t need a reason to hate Jews. He hated them because they were Jewish. Any of his reasons were excuses on which to hang his hat, but they weren’t his primary reasons.
Let’s look at the story of Purim …
Concepts »
Chanukah: Menorah on Masada
Mass Suicide
When you climb to the top and hike to the back you will discover a giant Chanukah Menorah on Masada and you have to wonder why. What is the connection between the story of Chanukah and the fortress of Massada? To answer this question we must go back to …
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 …
