When G-d disciplines us, the pain is real—but it is born of love. When He gives freely, we feel His kindness. When He withholds or corrects, His love is less visible—but in truth, it runs even deeper.
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Emor, Life Is Beautiful, Sukkot »
Your Fellow is Golden
G-d asks us to journey through life believing that our fellow is golden—to see people through their strengths rather than their faults. Sadly, we rarely rise to that ideal. More often than not, we define others by their shortcomings.
Rabbi Yaakov Lorberbaum of Lisa was a renowned scholar whose works are studied to this day. Once, a member of his congregation asked him to determine the precise moment the new moon would appear, and the new month would begin. Unable to calculate it on the spot, the man slandered him throughout the town. Ultimately, the great rabbi was dismissed over this trivial lapse. Read the full story »
Devotion Can’t Be Selfish
Judaism calls upon us to make our lives an altar for serving G-d—not a platform for self-perfection. Our relationship with G-d is not about personal achievement or spiritual gratification. It is about humility, reverence, and service.
Post Passover Reflections: Linking The Past, Present, and Future
Passover is behind us. The question is: what lies ahead?
Yes, summer stretches out before us in all its glory (at least in this hemisphere). Plans must be made, pools opened, and the baseball season has returned. But none of that is really about Passover.
So what is?
What does Passover—now behind us—ask …
Healing the Great Divide
This week’s Torah portion speaks of the mysterious lesions that appeared on the skin of those who trafficked in gossip. Their punishment was at once severe and precise: they were cast into isolation for up to three weeks, until their affliction healed.
The Torah enumerates many forms of ritual impurity. Some …
A Matzah That Flips The Script
Just when you thought misery was bad, the Matzah teaches it can be a source of light.
What Made Moses the Redeemer?
What unique qualities did Moses have that convinced a nation of oppressed slaves that he was their redeemer?
Finding G-d in the Everyday
It is easy to find holiness in the miraculous and extraordinary. The Passover challenge is to find holiness in the ordinary, everyday moments.
Marinating In Divine Thoughts
The only way to build a home for G-d is to make space in our hearts for G-d. This means marinating in Divine thoughts..
Purim: G-d Pays His Debts
We often think life is unfair. It helps to look back on our lives and at history. We usually discover that G-d pays His debts. In the end, everything is fair.
Parsha Insights »
Lech Lecha: Anything You Want To Be
“Anything you want to be,” is a phrase parents often say to their children. You don’t need to accept any limitations; they are all artificial. If you put your mind to it, you can be anything you want to be.
Sometimes children misunderstand and think that they can snap their fingers …
Yearly Cycle »
Rosh Hashanah: Against All Odds
Against all odds, life came to be. For life to flourish on earth, such precise conditions had to be met that even a tiny variation would have thrown it off. What were the odds that such precise conditions would be met on earth? Considering that it is the only place …
Concepts »
Tetzaveh: Discipline Your Child With Love
What’s In A Belt?
Every morning Jews thank G-d for “girding Israel with strength.” (1) According to the Talmud this blessing is offered when we strap on our belts. (2) The belt is associated with strength, For example, King David, the poet warrior, described G-d as “girded with strength.” (3) As …
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 …
