Rabbi's Weekly Message
Perashat Beresheet 5779
Friday, October 05, 2018We are poised, ready. Beresheet, the beginning. We tend to see things in their simplest forms: Beginning. End. Happiness. Sadness. Success. Failure. However, the truth is anything but simple. ...
Read more...Simhat Torah 5779
Friday, September 28, 2018Simhat Torah is one of the most joyous holidays in the Jewish Calendar. It celebrates the "Joy of the Torah". A question that I get asked often is, "Why do we need another Holiday to celebrate the Torah if we already have Shabuot?" The Dubno Magid offers a beautiful answer in the form of an example. Imagine someone was given the hand of the princess in marriage by the king. They celebrate the wedding in true royal fashion. No expense is spared in this magnificent royal wedding. By evening's end every person agrees that it was the most beautiful marriage celebration ever. ...
Read more...Perashat Ha'azinu 5779
Friday, September 21, 2018May my teachings drop like rain, my words flow like the dew." (Debarim 32-2) Moshe Rabbenu uses two words to describe the way he hopes his teachings should be taken, as rain and as dew. Those two words are instructive. They teach us how to teach. Dew is soft; it sits gently on the surface. Rain penetrates the earth, at times causing flooding and sometimes even sweeping away parts of the earth. ...
Read more...Shabbat Teshuba 5779
Friday, September 14, 2018Frustrated. That's really the best word for it, isn't it? I know that I'm standing here yet again, about to ask on the holiest day of the year for forgiveness, promising change. Will God believe me? What if I don't even believe myself? So what am I even doing here?? ...
Read more...Rosh HaShanah 5779
Friday, September 07, 2018What makes the Shofar such a powerful force? Why is it an agent for change? Can't I make up a list of New Year's resolutions without the aid of a ram's horn?
Read more...Perashat Ki Tabo 5778
Friday, August 31, 2018We all like to feel like we've got life figured out. We know basically where we are going and how to get there. We know how to get all the sweet blessings that life has to offer. It's just a matter of bridging the gap between where we are and the fulfillment of our dreams. But sometimes nothing could be further from the truth. ...
Read more...Perashat Ki Tisse 5778
Friday, August 24, 2018Perhaps one of the most famous rhymes in England's history is one that begins, "Remember, remember, the fifth of November...". It asks the people twice to "Remember, remember" the treachery of Guy Fawkes, and his part in a failed plot to blow up the House of Lords, and with it King James I, nearly 400 years ago. Our Perasha trumps this famous poem. In it the Torah asks us to "Remember, Remember, Remember". ...
Read more...Perashat Shofetim 5778
Friday, August 17, 2018In Moshe Rabenu's parting words to Am Yisrael, he reminds them of their request at Mount Sinai to hear the Ten Commandments through Moshe's voice, and not directly from Hashem. The Midrash says that as G-d relayed the first commandment, the intensity of hearing His voice was so great that the souls of Am Yisrael vacated their bodies. After the first commandment Hashem resurrected them, only for it to happen again when He declared the second commandment. The nation's fear of dying was so strong after hearing the first two commandments that they begged Moshe to relay the commandments as a representative of Hashem. ...
Read more...Perashat Re'eh 5778
Friday, August 10, 2018There are many factors which can affect a person's path in life. We are greatly influenced by our families. The genetic make-up of a person can also significantly impact one's life. Additionally, our level of education can often lead us to certain paths in life. The Rambam speaks about how the social circles we keep are an inseparable part of the decisions we make. Yet, do these factors determine our destiny? ...
Read more...Perashat Ekeb 5778
Friday, August 03, 2018In this week's perasha Moshe Rabenu, knowing that he will soon die and not enter the Land, instructs Am Yisrael for life after his demise: "All of the missvah that I am commanding you this day you shall observe to do, so that you may live and multiply and come and possess the land that the Lord swore to your forefathers" (Debarim 8:1) ...
Read more...Dec 21 2024
Kislev 20 5785