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.
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Israel, Vayetze »
We Are Never Alone
In this week’s Torah portion, Vayetze, Jacob makes two pivotal journeys. In the first, he is entirely solitary. In the second, he is surrounded by a large family. Yet, in both instances, he is vulnerable, exposed, and seemingly alone.
The first journey took Jacob from his parents’ home in Canaan to Haran, where his uncle Laban lived. Jacob had just outwitted his brother, Esau, securing the blessings his father had intended for the firstborn. When their mother overheard Esau plotting to kill Jacob in revenge, Jacob was forced to flee. Read the full story »
Inviting G-d To Dinner
Why did our sages seem to think that having radishes and lettuce at every meal is a good thing?
Chayei Sarah: Preserve the Stem, the Rest Will Grow
The Torah teaches that every mitzvah is vital, yet all of Judaism rests upon a single stem— faith in G-d and in the truth of the Torah. If that stem remains alive, everything else can grow from it.
Acknowledging G-d’s Constant Kindness
G-d is there for us at every turn, but for the most part, we are oblivious. We should look out for these kindnesses and thank Him for them.
The Failure of The Hippie Movement
The nineteen sixties will forever be associated with the hippie movement; the thrust to break free of the shackles of morality. The argument that all pleasure is healthy and that puritanical restraint is toxic is a product of the sixties. It was a time of unrestrained hedonism and the unraveling …
When We Ask, G-d Listens
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 …
The Thrill of Intimacy
The radical transition from the Yom Kippur solemnity to the Simchat Torah revelry can be dizzying, but it makes sense. There is a method to the madness.
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The Hostages Are Coming Home
As I write this on Thursday morning, it appears that the hostage exchange will at least begin before Monday evening, the commencement of the Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah holiday. It is hoped that all the living hostages will have been returned by then in a single wave. The bodies …
Leave Your Resentments at The Door
When you think of the Sukkah, you think of walls and sechach—a foliage roof. Yet, the name Sukkah is all about the foliage roof, the sechach; that is why it is called Sukkah. Sukkah is a derivative of sechach. The foliage roof indeed makes the Sukkah; otherwise, it is just …
Parsha Insights »
K’doshim: Is Crossbreeding Permitted?
Crossbreeding
Throughout history farmers and breeders experimented with crossbreeding seeking the most enduring specimen. Despite the popularity of this practice we Jews must ask, is crossbreeding permitted?
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Yearly Cycle »
High Holiday Season: A Time for Prayer
Turning To G-d
The High Holiday season is observed throughout Jewish world with fervor, reverence and awe. To Jews, it is a time for prayer and supplication, repentance and return, and most importantly, judgment and justice.
We hope that our entreaties are heard and our needs fulfilled, that our sins are pardoned …
Concepts »
Chanukah: Spice Up Your Routine
Routine can be boring. You do it every day and you grow tired of it. We are always looking for something new and exciting. Something to pique our interest and engage our curiosity. Routine doesn’t do the trick. We need something novel, something unusual, something unexpected. The problem with new …
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 …
