In a small village in Lithuania, a young boy named Berel received a bicycle as a gift. Berel loved his bike and drove it every day, including Shabbat. The Rabbi heard about this and announced that Berel should henceforth be referred to as Berel the goy—the non-Jew. Berel heard about …
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An Echo
This week’s Parsha recounts the Ten Commandments. The Torah tells us that the commandments were delivered in “a powerful voice that was never repeated.” Our sages explain that this voice did not have an echo. Why is the absence of an echo important?
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Going To War
We All know the story. Marauding armies captured Lot when they conquered the rebellious cities of Sedom and Amorah. Upon hearing that Lot was in captivity, Avraham, his servant Eliezer and a handful of men, chased his captors in an effort to liberate Lot. Avraham succeeded and was …
The Party
The Talmud relates a Purim story that at first glance seems astonishing. The great sage Rabba invited his contemporary Reb Zeira for the Purim Feast. During the course of dinner, intoxicated by wine, Rabba rose and slaughtered Reb Zeira. In the morning, Rabba prayed for a miracle and Reb …
Understanding the Impact
What is it about the abuse of a child that twists and stunts their emotions for life? I know that it does, but why does it? Why does an imbalanced relationship in a time of vulnerability hamper us decades later? Why does neglect in childhood make it difficult …
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 …
