When we are jealous, we measure our value by others’ success. We can’t be like others. We were born to be ourselves. When we accept that limitation, we begin to shine.
Read the full story »Behar Bechukotai: Choose Your Reality
Anomalies
This essay tells you to choose your reality, but how does reality become a matter of choice? The answer is found in a curious anomaly. There are several anomalous words in the Torah that appear at first blush completely out of context. By tradition, when reading those verses, we substitute …
Emor – The Ironic Act Of Love
The Blasphemer
When he lost his case in Moses’ court, the blasphemer pronounced the ineffable name of G-d and cursed; bringing life in the desert to a standstill. No one knew how to respond; they had never imagined that this egregious sin would be committed and had ever contemplated its punishment. …
Acharei Mot: Walk The Walk
On The Beach
I had a conversation fourteen years ago with a fellow that has since become one of my closest friends. This was the first time we met and he wanted to test my tolerance, as it were, by mentioning that rather than attend a formal synagogue service on Yom …
Tazria Metzorah: Our Clash Of Priorities
A Curious Order
Tzara’as was a skin condition prevalent in Biblical times. Our sages taught that rather than a physical illness tzara’as was a symptom of a spiritual malaise; it struck the gossip as a consequence of Lashon Hara.
Tzara’as exhibited in four places, on skin, hair, clothing and the walls of …
Shemini: G-d and the Holocaust
And He Was Silent
In the middle of his inauguration Aaron, the High Priest, suffered a terrible personal tragedy; the sudden death of his two elder sons. Moses offered words of comfort, but Aaron was silent; he accepted the Divine judgment with a full measure of faith. Our sages taught that …
Passover: A Matzah Meditation
What is Matzah?
Almost everyone knows the answer to that one; it is the cracker like bread, round or square, hand or machine made, that we eat on Passover. True enough, say the Jewish mystics, but wrong answer; matzah is bread of faith. (1) How so?
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Shabbat Hagadol: The Humble Rule
Shabbat and the King
The Shabbat before Passover is known as Shabbat Hagadol, the great Shabbat. Among the reasons for this name is that Passover is itself described in the Torah as Shababt, but it is not as restrictive as a full Shabbat – cooking for example is permissible on Passover …
Vayikra: Humble Growth
The Small Aleph
Letters in the Hebrew alphabet also serve as numerals. Aleph, the first letter of the alphabet, represents the numeral one. It is thus fitting that Elokim, G-d`s name and Anochi, the first word of the Ten Commandments, begin with the Aleph, which represents true and singular oneness. (1)
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Parsha Insights »
Vaetchanan: True Love
G-d wants our love. How much love does He want? Whatever we are prepared to give, and then some.
“And you shall love G-d with all your heart, with all your life, and with all your might.”[1] This verse demands that we give G-d three kinds of love. The love of …
Yearly Cycle »
Shavuot : You Can Do It
The Oath
The Jewish nation received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai three thousand three hundred and eighteen years ago. Every year, on the anniversary of this date, this biblical episode is commemorated by Jews around the world during a special holiday called Shavuot, which means weeks, thus called because this …
Concepts »
Ki Tavo : The art of gratitude
Many Helping Hands
Ben Zoma used to say,”How many labors Adam carried out before he obtained bread to eat! He plowed, he sowed, he reaped, he bound, he threshed and winnowed and selected the ears, he ground, and sifted, he kneaded and baked, and then at last he ate; whereas I …
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 …
