Bereshit 5784/2023 – Optimistic About the Future
Remaining optimistic to the last day is an act of courage and faith in God.
- Rabbi Moshe Grussgott
Bereshit 5784/2023 -The Crisis in Israel: What Caused It?
While it is laudable to use God given intelligence to succeed professionally, enhance culture, the first use of our intelligence is to make ourselves as Godlike as humanly possible by distinguishing good from evil.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Bereshit 5784/2023 – Is God Master of Wars?
How can anyone pretend to pray these words?!? I find it impossible to believe that G-d sent Hamas terrorists to make war with Israel. I believe, as most modern people do, that humans wage war because we have free will, and not that G-d makes specific designs for terrorists to slaughter and mutilate. If war is the purview of human beings, and not the action of G-d, then isn’t it a lie to stand in front of G-d and say that the Holy One is the lord of wars - BA’AL MILHAMOT?
- Rabbi Steve Golden
Bereshit – The Decider in Chief
Of course, parents are empowered by the laws of nature and man with the absolute right to pick the name of their offspring . But that power – like every demonstration of power – should be wielded thoughtfully and compassionately.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Bereshit – You Have Only Yourself to Blame
What is particularly striking about these episodes, I think, is that God is protecting these people from part of the consequences of their own misdeeds. Cain is in danger because he committed murder. Adam and Eve are aware of their nakedness and thus in need of the leather clothing precisely because they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and thereby became aware of their nakedness. Hence, we see that while God allows for people to suffer some of the consequences of their own misdeeds, God nonetheless approaches them with caring and compassion as well and acts to mitigate the harshness of the result of their actions.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Conquering Mindlessness Through “Mindfulness”
But if he had been mindful, taking the time to process his emotions and calm down, he may have realized that this apparent setback actually presented him with a great opportunity.
After all, while God accepted Abel’s offering, he did not grant him a divine audience, never uttering even a single word to him. On the other hand, God showered Cain with words of encouragement: “Why are you annoyed and why has your countenance fallen? Surely, if you improve yourself, you will be forgiven.” If Cain had been mindful, he would have come to realize that God was not dismissing him, but rather doubling down by challenging him to do better.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Desire: Intimacy In Eden
“This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called Woman, for from Man was she taken. Hence a Man … clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh” [Gen. 2: 23-24]. These verses, packed with alliteration and symbolism, also introduce an additional literary concept: Myth.
It is the first, and seemingly lasting, myth that humans have held onto about marriage: Each one of us was once one with someone, and, therefore, when we find the right one, we will be complete again. But is God really asking us to complete something broken, or to create something unique?
- Temima Goldberg Shulman
Parashat Bereishit: A Revolution in Thinking
"There are some revolutions that are so successful that later generations no longer see how revolutionary was the change."
- Rabbi David Willig
B’reisheet…B’tzelem Elokim
"What is meant by the image of God?"
- Rabbi Kenneth Greene
Parashat Breishit
"[I]s it also possible to understand the genealogies as something fundamentally more than history?"
- Avi Moshe Miller, Rabbinical Student
In the Beginning
"The first portion of the Torah, B'raisheet, is a story of beginnings... the beginning of the Universe... the beginning of society, the beginning of humankind."
- Rabbi Kenneth Greene
Parashat Noach 5771
"According to the Rabbis, the entire world of Noah’s generation engaged in stealing from one another. The corruption of humans even contaminated the animals and the earth itself. Some commentators take Noah to task for shutting himself in and for not trying to save the rest of society. It is possible, however, to see the narrative in a different light."
- Rabbi Irvin S. Beigel
Noach – Perfect In His Generation
"What are the things that we use as an excuse to limit our own achievement? Are we too busy? Too old? Too young? Not educated enough? Not rich enough? Certainly, we all have our limits. But we also have untold potential."
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Slouching Towards Sodom: The Story of Lot
"[I]f we were only unified and at peace with each other, how much more we could accomplish with G-d's blessings."
- Rabbi Martin J. Berman
(Video) Lech Lecha 5784 – The Jewish View of War
A contrast between the Roman view of war and the Jewish sheds light on the current war against Hamas.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Lech Lecha (also Vayeira) – Are We There Yet?
If you stop to think about it, the answer to the question “are we there yet?” is almost always, by definition, “no.”
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Lech Lecha – You’ve Gotta Have Heart
Why is Avraham’s laughter overlooked while Sarah is taken to task for laughing?
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Lech Lecha/Chayey Sarah: The Jewish Work Ethic
A perfect world is not handed to us on a silver platter. ... The midrash applies to Abraham the words, “God desires to make you beautiful,” by arguing that God was honoring Abraham by allowing him the opportunity to be responsible for bringing humanity toward recognizing God as the master of the universe and toward following God’s chosen path. It is our honor to be able to continue that as-yet incomplete mission.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Lech Lecha: Call Me Ishmael
Hagar is transformed by her encounter with the angel. She is blessed. She returns, feeling powerful enough to tell Abram about her new status as a prophetess, and ‘maternal’ enough to tell Abram what to name her son.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Lekh Lekha
"To die for one’s beliefs is easy. To live for them is more difficult, more taxing and even more painful."
- Rabbi Elliot Pearlson
Lech Lecha – Taking a Step
"About to embark on a spiritual journey ... G-d doesn't even tell Abram where he is going. Why Not?"
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Lech Lecha (also Vayeira) – Are We There Yet?
If you stop to think about it, the answer to the question “are we there yet?” is almost always, by definition, “no.”
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Values of Vayeira – How Good Do We Have To Be?
The human animal has been described as social or political beings. The Torah views the human being to be a potentially holy being, as we are commanded to “be holy” [Lev. 19:2]. This holiness is expressed by being attentive to the subjective humanity, or what the Greeks called psyche, or “soul,” of the “other.”
- Rabbi Alan Yuter
Misbegotten Gains
Sometimes we think of achieving success almost like it’s a game. Our goal is to set the high score - for example, to accumulate the most money, the most relationships, or the most power. But success isn’t only about what we achieve, but about how we achieve it. And success isn’t only about how much money or power we accumulate, but about what we do with those blessings. Let’s examine those two points.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Jewish Continuity
"Without Abraham's ongoing religious guidance, Lot was overwhelmed by his new environment."
- Rabbi Robert Pilavin
Chayey Sarah – The Jewish View of Nationalism and the Pittsburgh Tragedy
To those engaged in hateful speech and activities, we remind you that your values run contrary to the Abrahamic values embraced by our founders and enshrined on the Liberty Bell: "Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof.” To those across the political spectrum who engage in incendiary rhetoric, we call upon you to learn from Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai and share your views in a civil manner and to desist from demonizing your opponents. And let us all remember that, though we may have sharp differences of opinion on particular issues, we must not forget that statehood is not an end in itself but a vehicle which should allow us to together pursue righteousness and justice.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Chayei Sarah – Sarah’s Life Well Lived
One way we can apply the lessons of Chayei Sarah to our lives today is to rethink our day-to-day perspective. It is only natural for us to prefer our familiar comfort zones, to remain disengaged and apart from those things that do not directly affect us.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Lech Lecha/Chayey Sarah: The Jewish Work Ethic
A perfect world is not handed to us on a silver platter. ... The midrash applies to Abraham the words, “God desires to make you beautiful,” by arguing that God was honoring Abraham by allowing him the opportunity to be responsible for bringing humanity toward recognizing God as the master of the universe and toward following God’s chosen path. It is our honor to be able to continue that as-yet incomplete mission.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Parashat Chayei Sarah: At Eventide
"Hashem is called the 'bochen levavot,' the seer of the depths of our hearts' deepest desires. When hearts are united, prayer becomes stronger."
- Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman
Parashat Chayei Sarah
"Perhaps kvurah (proper burial) is the hardest mitzvah to fulfill, but at the same time it is an amazing expression of love."
- Rabbi Jeffrey Rappoport
Hayyei Sarah & Toldoth, “Navi vs. Halachah”
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Toldot – With Love We See What Others Do Not See
It is on its most fundamental level a story about one man’s desire to live his life like Yitchak Avenu. For Fred Rogers saw every human soul as holy. As unique. As worthy of being prayed for, and of asking prayers from.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Toldot – To Live Like You Were Dying
Everyone, it seems, is waiting for Isaac’s imminent demise. Including Isaac. What is remarkable though is that Isaac was (only) 123 years old at the time and he lived until the ripe old age of 180! The question then, is why did Isaac jump the gun by giving away his blessings too soon, and why did Rebecca, Isaac, Esav and Yaakov all believe that Isaac’s days would quickly coming to a close?
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Toldot
"[N]either Isaac nor his son Jacob gave in to despair. They persisted until they were able to fulfill their holy mission in life. When we are faced with obstacle upon obstacle in life, we can call upon their strength to persevere, for we are the children of Isaac and Jacob."
- Rabbi Mark Hillel Kunis
Parashat Toledot
"The weak need strength, teaching, and guidance; the sick need healing; the wicked need to be punished. Wisdom is discerning the difference..."
- Rabbi Seth D. Gordon
Parashat Toldot
"One must wonder how many times Jacob must have pondered Isaac's words, Mi atta b'ni, Who are you, my son?"
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parsha Toldot: “Quid Pro Quo?”
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Hayyei Sarah & Toldoth, “Navi vs. Halachah”
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Vayetze: How Important is the Synagogue to the Jewish Community?
Jacob stumbled into the world’s first synagogue while on the run. What can we learn from his experience?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Parashat Vayetzei – Situational Ethics
"Jacob never took what was not his, but made sure that his ethical standard would not be so high as to risk the survival of his children as a people."
- Rabbi Yaakov Siegel
Vayishlach – Jacobs Airing of Grievances: A Festivus For the Rest Of Us
This “airing” consists of sitting around the Festivus table and telling your family members how much they have disappointed you over the past year.
Such a ritual would have undoubtedly been very appealing to Jacob. His entire life had been marred by disappointment and grievance.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Vayishlach – Find[ing] a New Way of Living
Estrangement can be healed, even if cannot always be entirely cured. Love can sprout where just a moment ago there was hatred. It just needs to be watered with tears, nurtured with a kiss, and kept warm with a tender and heartfelt embrace.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Vayishlach
"Who among us doesn’t have at least one real or perceived disability?"
- Dr. Phil Levine
Parashat Vayishlach
"Jacob would not succumb; we, his descendants, have the challenge of living through our fears in a way of which we will not be ashamed."
- Rabbi Richard Fagan
Vayeshev – Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This
Dreams are not prose or even poetry. They are neither indiscriminate firings of neurons nor the mind’s attempt to make sense of yesterday. Rather, dreams are the paints and brushes placed into the hands of an artists. The interpreter traces, sketches and engraves his portrait using the raw materials supplied by the dreamer. His finished canvas is as different as the self-portraits of Rembrandt and Picasso.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Vayeshev
"Joseph's genius is that he held onto God in his darkest moments and in the darkest of places."
- Rabbi Pinchas Klein
Parshat Vayeshev
"Joseph's rise and fall and rise create a pattern similar to that of the sun rising and setting each day. We can derive from this story that descent is necessary for ascent."
- Rabbi David S. Bauman
Miketz/Chanukah – Defending the Maccabees from a New York Times Opinion Piece
...It is certainly true that one could view the Maccabees as small town “Bible Belters” who opposed the assimilationist practices of urban Jews. ... However, viewing the Maccabees as religious oppressors is anachronistic and shows a misunderstanding of the power dynamics of the day. ...
... The Torah is the cake; the best the dominant culture has to offer serves as our toppings. ...
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Parashat Miketz
"Contemporary observance of Chanukkah vividly illustrates the tension between 'fitting in' and standing apart. Much of what Jews 'observe' revolves around customs - giving of gifts, latkes, doughnuts and dreidels - far removed from the core message of Chanukkah. Might they not owe their prominence more to our need (often subconscious) to make ourselves 'outwardly indistinguishable' from our non-Jewish neighbors in late December?"
- Rabbi Robert Pilavin
Parashat Miketz
"God’s vision of the future is one built on a partnership between His divine plan and our activism. It is only by taking an active role in the world that we can partner with God in His ongoing creation."
- Daniel M. Held
Parshat Miketz
"From the perspective of the Midrash, the cup-bearer had sinned in neglecting his promise to help Joseph out of his wrongful imprisonment. But he also sinned in remaining silent to the anguish of Pharaoh..."
- Rabbi Wayne Allen
Parashat Vayigash
"When Jacob wrestles with the ish, it is also perceived as an angelic visitation. The anashim who visit Lot are also angelic messengers. It might be surprising then that Joseph’s brothers are referred to as anashim repeatedly throughout last week’s parasha of Mikketz, until Joseph’s revelation to them in our parasha of Vayigash."
- Rabbi Ronald D. Price
Parashat Vayigash
"The standard modern ideal is that I can do as I please as long as no one gets hurt. But we do affect those around us."
- Rabbi Martin J. Berman
Parashat Vayigash
"At the moment of the reunion, Joseph fell on his father's neck and wept. The Torah is silent in regard to Jacob's response to this ecstatic moment of reunion with his long-lost son."
- Rabbi Pinchas Klein
Vayechi – Bringing A Gun To A Knife Fight
We must not delude ourselves into thinking that we prevail against our foes through skill or force alone. First and foremost, we must surrender to God and rely on the power of prayer and the wisdom of faith.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Vayechi – Kaddish Doesn’t Pay
Jewish mourning practices are not designed to be subcontracted to someone else. Doing so diminishes the bond with your loved one. It rips into tatters the threads which once connected you to your family member.
It is important to note that Kaddish is merely a custom. (Or Zarua, Shabbat 2:50) Its purpose is to elevate the soul of the deceased person who is now in heaven. If you are unable to attend a Minyan regularly to say Kaddish there are other ways you can enable the soul of a loved one to be elevated. Study a Mishna each day, say a chapter of Psalms, observe Shabbat or another ritual in a more scrupulous fashion, or give charity regularly. These are all different ways of paying homage to our beloved dead.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Vayechi – Judah vs. Joseph: Paradigms of Leadership
If you were to read Sefer Bereisheet from the beginning, without prior knowledge of either the narrative or subsequent Jewish history, there’s a good chance that you would reach chapter 49 believing that the future leadership of the people of Israel would be drawn from the descendants of Joseph. ...
Yet when we read Jacob’s blessings of his sons, we’re suddenly told that the leadership will rest in the descendants not of Joseph but of Judah
- Douglas Aronin
Parashat Vayechi – Placing Ephraim before Menashe
"Jacob crosses his hands, placing his right hand on Ephraim's head. When Joseph protests, Jacob informs him that both will be great, but Ephraim will be greater."
- Rabbi Yaakov Siegel
Parashat Vayechi
"Like Samson, we are called to do God’s will, despite temptations to turn aside. Though our deeds are less heroic than his, we have no less responsibility to find that way of avodah that is uniquely ours – those mitzvot, those acts of kindness, those moments of salvation, of tikkun, that only we can achieve."
- Rabbi Richard Fagan
Parashat Vayechi
"Many times we, as Rabbis, are asked to sum up a person's life at a funeral.... One would think that when it comes to a person like Jacob... there would be a long flowery explanation of his life. Instead, the Torah sums it up with two words, 'Vayechi Yaakov' - Jacob lived."
- Rabbi Len Zucker
Pesach 5781 Exodus: The Anti-Fairy Tale
Fairy-tale figures are of noble birth but wind up being raised by people of humble origin, only to reclaim their lofty status. Moshe's story is the opposite. What should we learn from this narrative reversal?
"We do not have to be born to greatness in order to be great. All it takes is the moral courage to be great."
"We do not have to be born to greatness in order to be great. All it takes is the moral courage to be great."
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Shemot/Vaera Israelite Women Find Their Voices
How do the women — despite slavery and terror — find the courage to write their own and their nation’s narrative?
- Temima Goldberg Shulman
Shemot – What To Do When There is No One
Perhaps, with the enormous caveat that I am not condoning nor promulgating punishment without trial, Moses simply saw that nobody was going to do anything. Here was an Egyptian man powerfully beating a Jewish man. It would seem odd that this was happening in complete isolation. Moses looked around to see if anyone was ready to save the Jewish slave’s life. Not was there anyone of significance or importance but was there someone, anyone, willing to DO something of importance, that is, of saving someone’s life.
- Dr. Sharon Weiss-Greenberg
Parashat Shemot
"Why is the title "Exodus" appropriate, when the redemption of the Jewish people from Egyptian torture is merely the beginning of the story?"
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parashat Shemot
"Whether in politics or personal relationships, it behooves us to look as deeply as we can and to search as fully as our limits permit before condemning others. After all, many are they whose forebears were less than righteous."
- Rabbi Jeffrey H. Miller
Parashat Shemot
"Before everything else - but not in place of anything else - every person who is committed to God, Torah, and mitzvot must be a champion for justice wherever injustice is found."
- Rabbi Ephraim I. Zimand
Shemot/Vaera Israelite Women Find Their Voices
How do the women — despite slavery and terror — find the courage to write their own and their nation’s narrative?
- Temima Goldberg Shulman
Vaeira – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
The heart, which in Biblical Hebrew is the seat of reason (not emotion), is supposed to be pliant and malleable; capable of adapting to changing circumstances. The irony is that adding strength to the heart actually weakens it. Much as a bridge or tree that does not sway with the wind is doomed to snap, so too, a heart that is heavy and hard can only break when faced with a strong headwind. Hard arteries are not good for the body; likewise, a heavy, hard, strong, rigid and inflexible mind is equally bad for the soul.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Va’eira
"Just as each of the four cups of wine has an increasing effect on us, so too does God’s promise(s) of redemption build to a final crescendo. First, we will be freed from the burdens. Dayeinu. Next, we will be relieved from the back-breaking work. Dayeinu. Afterwards, God will remove us from Egypt (dayeinu) and finally, [...] God will ‘take us’ as a people. Dayeinu. But if the story ended there, we would still be living in Sukkot [...] That is why God presented Moshe and the Children of Israel with a fifth and final promise..."
- Rabbi Jeffrey H. Miller
Parashat Vaera
"Today we are in desperate need of leaders like Moses and Aaron. All too often we learn of leaders, both political and spiritual alike, who begin their leadership roles with tremendous devotion and idealism yet over a period of time they undergo a transformation..."
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Bo – Freedom is Complicated
One can be “free” in the sense of not having a task master telling one what to do all the time, but if a person is in a situation where, for reasons beyond their control, they have to work a crazy amount of hours just to put food on the table, how “free” is that person?
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
(Video) Bo – Inauguration: America’s Covenant Renewal Ceremony
What can the covenant renewal ceremonies of the biblical era teach us?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Parashat Bo – Let There Be Dark
God deprived the Egyptians of more than light. In making the Egyptians feel so utterly alone, He deprived them of what it meant to be alive.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Bo
"Even Moshe had his doubts, even when Hashem spoke to him directly, so why not a people raised and trained as slaves for hundreds of years? Shouldn’t they have doubts as well? Isn’t skepticism normal?"
- Rabbi Shlomo Marks
Parashat Bo
"Man is subject to the laws of physics, but perhaps human thought works on a quantum level. There may be numerous “probability waves” for our thoughts, but our cognitive mind brings one idea into reality."
- Dr. Ron Kastner
(Video) Beshalach – Are We Rewarded for Observing the Mitzvot?
Are We Rewarded for Observing the Mitzvot?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Parashat B’shalach
"When Israel left Egypt, they took Yosef's essence and consciousness with them."
- Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hacohen Melman
Parashat B’shalach
"Our tradition recognized the powerful psychological forces that motivate human behaviour and Rashi brings that understanding to our attention with a striking economy of words. But the message is undeniable. Some people are so absorbed with the hatred of Israel that they will never let etiquette, protocol, or diplomacy stand in their way."
- Rabbi Wayne Allen
Sahavuot – Yitro’s Hidden Advice
Until recently, if I were asked to summarize Yitro’s thoughts, I would have said that Yitro criticizes Moshe for doing too much and advises him to delegate responsibility. ... However, ... this synopsis leaves out an important part of both Yitro’s critique and advice.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
(Video) Yitro – Defying the Odds – The Secret of the Success of the Jewish People
Defying the Odds - The Secret of the Success of the Jewish People
- Rabbi Steven Saks
(Video) Yitro 5782 – The 8th Commandment Violated in Colleyville Texas
What does the 8th commandment prohibit us from stealing?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
(Video) Yitro – Rav Nachman on Obstacles
Just like a person who wants to jump over a chair in order to do so we have to step backwards first and take a running jump.
- Rabbi Yaakov Siegel
(Video) Yitro – Rejoicing for the Totality of Experience
True happiness, then, really is dependent on faith, on belief in a higher purpose of human life, a higher purpose of the universe."
- Rabbi Yaakov Siegel
Parashat Yitro – “Talking to Your Son-In-Law”
The advice demonstrated that Yitro was a good bureaucrat, and Moshe implemented the plan with some subtle but significant fine-tuning. However, more important than the lesson in leadership, Yitro also threw in, at no extra charge, some unsolicited, well-needed, personal, family advice. And he did so in the best way any father-in-law can when meddling into the private family dynamics of his adult children: without saying anything directly
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Na’aseh VeNishmah: How to Have Best of Both Worlds
"For ages, interfaith dialogue meant: they talked, we listened. For centuries, there was much give and take: If we didn't give our souls, they'd take our bodies. From time immemorial, we were given a choice: the cross or the sword."
- Rabbi Ira Grussgott
Parashat Yitro
"The question may be asked: what does the court system have to do with Aseret Hadibrot? The answer is that Aseret Hadibrot are the way to act bein adam l'adam – between man and man."
- Rabbi Leonard C. Zucker
Parashat Yitro
"These days, the expression "Barukh Hashem" is considered the colloquial property of the frum community. But that wasn't always so. In fact, the Torah identifies its provenance outside the Jewish community altogether."
- Rabbi Bruce Ginsburg
(Video) Mishpatim – The Danger of Misplaced Compassion
The Danger of Misplaced Compassion
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Terumah – Secrets
Curtains represent privacy and separation, values which ultimately create opportunities for achieving the highest level of holiness.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Mishpatim – Anti-Vaxers
So the question is what is the difference between our property and our bodies? We own our property and therefore we are free to do what we wish with it even if that means allowing somebody to damage it.
Our bodies however do not belong to us, they belong to God and therefore we have an obligation to maintain and take care of it.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parashat Mishpatim
"How is Mishpatim a continuation of Yitro? Mishpatim begins by enacting ordinances protecting the Hebrew slave. The slave has rights! Indeed, Mishpatim is a continuation of Yitro as Rashi explains: the ordinances in Mishpatim are also from Sinai and are of equal importance."
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Parashat Mishpatim
"From time to time... a commentator, celebrity, or student will decry "an eye for an eye" policy or teaching... i.e., petty revenge. This thinking is at best uninformed and at worst anti-Semitic, a product of years of distortion, whether willful or innocent."
- Rabbi Seth D. Gordon
Terumah – Ingathering of Exiles: An Introduction to Returning, Emerging, and Isolated Jewish Communities
- Bonita Nathan Sussman
(Video) Terumah – It’s All About the Ark, Stupid!
It's all about the ark, stupid!
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Terumah: “Defying Gravity”
It seems odd, then, that in the Talmud, Rabbi Abbahu described the cherubim that were carved on the Ark as having child-like faces. (See, T.B. Sukkah 5b.) It is even more fascinating that despite the fact that Rabbi Abbahu is challenged by the explicit description of cherubim in Ezekiel, the view of the cherub as a winged child becomes the dominant image in Chazal (i.e., Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra) as well as Western art and literature. Just google (image) “cherub” if you don’t believe me.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Terumah
"We remember the smell of oils and spices for anointing; we are looking at the bright colors of the yarn: blue, purple, and crimson. We see the shine of silver and gold. We can feel the wool, linen, and leather. It's not the memory of an individual – it's the memory of a nation."
- Rabbi Eugene Shafir
Parashat Terumah
"There was to be a tax, the famous half shekel, which was to be used for upkeep and purchase of communal sacrifices, but funding the initial building was strictly voluntary. It is only by voluntary contributions that people can be bound up in a cause."
- Rabbi David Willig
Parashat Terumah
"The Midrash tells us that God wanted Israel to build a Tabernacle (Mishkan) so that His presence might be among us."
- Rabbi Shlomo Marks
Parashat Teruma
"It is impossible to ascribe human emotions to God, but in some sense, God must have been very excited when He presented the Jews with the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Torah at Mt. Sinai."
- Rabbi Mark Hillel Kunis
(Video) Tetzaveh 5782 – Spiritual Self-Actualization
Huge expenditures of money on religious structures and art are often criticized as displays of false piety, but they serve an important spiritual purpose.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Tetzaveh – Beauty
Remember that it is ultimately the glory that accompanies a Mitzvah which truly makes us more cognizant of the meaning behind what we are doing and opens a gateway to a much more powerful relationship with the Holy One.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Ki Tisa – The Benevolent Bystander
The masses declare Moshe to be lost and presumed dead. The Heavenly tribunal declares him to be the functional equivalent of dead. Moshe was about as alone as a man could be. He was adrift without a people, without a mission, and without a purpose.
At this moment, Moshe was the loneliest man of faith!
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
(Video) Ki Tisa – Good vs. Love
Why does God favor "good" over "love"?
The dangers of love.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
(Video) Ki Tisa – Isn’t It Enough to Just Be Spiritual?
Isn't It Enough to Just Be Spiritual?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
(Video) Ki Tissa 5782 – You Can’t Burn a Candle From Both Ends
The creation of the world took seven days, but the translation of the Torah into Greek reads that the world was created in six days. What is the connection to the tabernacle?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Ki Tisa – Relationships
Relationships require understanding, insight, forgiveness and most importantly patience.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Rosh Hashnah: The Benefits of Being Stiff-Necked
The truth is that a strong will can be a dangerous thing when it is held by those with mistaken beliefs or problematic impulses. At the same time, it is an essential characteristic for those who have proper values and a positive inclination.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Ekev/Ki Tissa – A Stiff Necked People
To Rabbi Meir, the Israelites’ resolute character made them a danger to society and almost worthy of execution. However, ultimately, God decided that the Israelite קשה עורף was not a disease to be cured but a characteristic to be channeled toward good through the Torah. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Avin tell us that generations later it was precisely the Israelite stubbornness of character that helped perpetuate Torah ...
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Parashat Ki Teesah
"We have always been told that Hashem is everywhere. The problem is that most people want a God Who is somewhere."
- Rabbi Jeffrey A. Shron
Ki Tisa – Changing God’s Mind
"...although God’s will is immutable, our actions can change how God's will operates. We can change God's mind. All we need to do is to work to become more worthy of God’s graces."
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Parashat Ki Tissa
"The sadness of it all is that Hashem told the people to take the gold and silver from the Egyptians as a mitzvah to build the Mishkan (tabernacle). They then, through their lack of Torah knowledge, their spiritual frailty and the fear of abandonment, turn a mitzvah into a vehicle for an enormous sin."
- Rabbi Shlomo Marks
(Video) Vayakhel – False Modesty Is Not Becoming
Vayakhel - False Modesty Is Not Becoming
How should you respond to praise?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Vayakhel-Pekudei “Corona Chronicles”
The time will soon come when it will be safe for us, too, to leave our self-quarantines and return to work and school. Normal shopping will resume and products unavailable now will once again fill the shelves. On that day, our Rabbi will invite us back to shul to worship and celebrate, to see the light of Torah and to once again sing praises to HaShem, with the harmony of our friends and family and neighbors.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Vayakhel – Wisdom v Knowledge
Judaism requires us to study a great deal. But to be a good Jew our learning must manifest itself in our day to day activities.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei
"When people do holy things, they, too, earn the title 'holy'."
- Rabbi Wayne Allen
Parashat Vayakhel-Pikudei: Promises to Keep
"Do we have any idea how awesome it is to be alive to witness the ingathering of the exiles and the rebirth of Israel after untold generations of waiting? Two millennia of remembering both the Promise and the Promised Land. We remembered the promise. And so did God."
- Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman
Pekudei – For Whom The Bell Tolls
Pomegranates are the quintessential stand-in for Torah, Mitzvot and even the whole of the Jewish people. Therefore, I suggest that the while the bells themselves were placed for God’s benefit, to seek His atonement for the sin of the malicious speech, the pomegranates represent our responsibility to cure this ailment.
The question that the Torah and Sages grapple with is this: how is evil speech best defeated? Do we blot out the incessant noise of hurtful speech by completely surrounding it, muffling its sound so that only a faint remnant can be heard over the power and beauty of Am Yisrael, Torah and Mitzvot?
Or do we recognize that lashon hara is so great an evil that it stands side by side of Torah, and challenges even the faithful with every movement? In this latter case, we cannot eradicate lashon hara but we can still render it harmless as it bounces off, and is counterbalanced by, our many Mitzvot.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Pekudei – God at the Table
In the absence of a Mishkan or Beit Hamikdash, Holy Temple or any centralized location of God’s presence we are challenged in our day to create a holy place where God’s presence can dwell.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei
"When people do holy things, they, too, earn the title 'holy'."
- Rabbi Wayne Allen
Parashat Vayakhel-Pikudei: Promises to Keep
"Do we have any idea how awesome it is to be alive to witness the ingathering of the exiles and the rebirth of Israel after untold generations of waiting? Two millennia of remembering both the Promise and the Promised Land. We remembered the promise. And so did God."
- Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman
(Video) Vayikra – Higher Standards
Higher Standards
Why does the Torah speak about the sin offering of the Kohen?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Vayikra – The Smell of Success
The less fortunate are just as desirous of the middle class and upper class of wanting to bring a beautiful korban and making the best impression upon God. They therefore sacrifice the bird – feathers included - even if it makes them uncomfortable. They are not showing off to the Kohen, the neighbor, or God. They are not trying to keep up with the Joneses. After all, this is a private moment, and the bird is to be utterly burnt on the mizbaech.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Vayikra – Sins of Political Leaders
The Torah considers it essentially a given that a leader will become guilty of at least an inadvertent sin.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Misbegotten Gains
Sometimes we think of achieving success almost like it’s a game. Our goal is to set the high score - for example, to accumulate the most money, the most relationships, or the most power. But success isn’t only about what we achieve, but about how we achieve it. And success isn’t only about how much money or power we accumulate, but about what we do with those blessings. Let’s examine those two points.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Parashat Vayikra
"The dog immediately focused on Rabbi Eliezerov and sat near him, licking his shoes and rubbing his head against his legs, crying at the same time. The Rabbi took careful note of the dog and finished the Siyum. He then summoned each member of the group to rise."
- Rabbi Moshe P. Weisblum, Ph.D.
Tzav – Do Re Mi
But what becomes of the narrative when the sacred music is added?
All of a sudden, the stories become more nuanced, more complex. Our heroes are now confused. One minute they are high, the next they are low. They are wrestling with themselves, and struggling to do the right thing. Lot, after all, chose Sodom knowing full well that its rich lands were populated by evil folks. And he was he not keen on leaving. Eliezer was conflicted, because if he succeeded in finding a wife for Isaac, his chances of being named the successor to Avraham would decrease to zero. He was praying for success but hoping for failure. And Joseph? Well, let’s just say that he was indeed tempted by the offer in front of his eyes.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Tzav – The Eternal Light
This week’s portion, Tzav, has the same Hebrew root as “mitzvah.” While many Jews understand the word mitzvah as a “good deed,” the word actually means “commandment.”
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Misbegotten Gains
Sometimes we think of achieving success almost like it’s a game. Our goal is to set the high score - for example, to accumulate the most money, the most relationships, or the most power. But success isn’t only about what we achieve, but about how we achieve it. And success isn’t only about how much money or power we accumulate, but about what we do with those blessings. Let’s examine those two points.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Shemini – When Words Fail
“Where words fail, music speaks.”
- Hans Christian Andersen
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Shemini – Half Time Show
"As the Lamed already explained, their job is to study and learn Torah. That means that they will pour over these words and letters and find hidden treasures. They will count every verse, and every word, and even every letter . In some ways, this whole Torah is a present waiting to be unwrapped. And that unwrapping will continue until ….”
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Shemini – Bringing Lofty Goals to Life
Why was it self-evident to the founders that all men are created equal? ... The answer is quite simple. The founders were students of the Bible, and the Bible champions human dignity.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
(Video) Behar Bechukotai 5781 – The Meron Tragedy: A Theological Response
Last week's tragedy at Mt. Meron on Lag B'Omer was the worst peacetime disaster Israel has ever experienced.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Misbegotten Gains
Sometimes we think of achieving success almost like it’s a game. Our goal is to set the high score - for example, to accumulate the most money, the most relationships, or the most power. But success isn’t only about what we achieve, but about how we achieve it. And success isn’t only about how much money or power we accumulate, but about what we do with those blessings. Let’s examine those two points.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Parashat Shemini
"Parents can love their children and that love can be indispensable to developing self-esteem and good character. But when parents fail to correct and reprimand their children because they love them too much to punish them, then their love will ultimately prove harmful."
- Rabbi Wayne Allen
Tazria – Fake News
Slander has many layers and elements which go beyond spreading false rumors about a person. There is another kind of slander which is even more insidious. How often do we believe something we hear simply because it fits neatly into our narrative, or because it validates our own feelings on the subject?
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parshat Tazriah: “If I told You Once I’ve Told You a Thousand Times…”
I would like to suggest that one reason why Bris Milah was revealed twice is to emphasize the profound difference between observing a Sinaitic Commandment and a Patriarchal Covenant. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had personal experiences with the Divine that guided their paths in ways that we can barely understand. While their lives inspire and influence us, our commitment to Jewish values are more than a mere familial connection with our forefathers.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Tazria-Metzora
"God's presence is manifest in how He rewards and equally manifest in how He punishes. The key is to recognize God's power in all its manifestations."
- Rabbi Rallis Wiesenthal
Metzorah: A Symptom of Betrayal
Lashon hara is not the only cause of tzaraas. The Talmud (Arakhin 16a) enumerates seven sins that can produce tzarras. A list of ten sins is found in VaYikra Rabba (17:3). Meanwhile, Midrash Tanhuma has its own list of thirteen sins that causes tzaraas. In fact, one can contract tzaraas without sinning at all; the Talmud teaches us that tzaraas can also be averted by a healthy lifestyle that includes a combination of diet, exercise and moderate alcohol consumption:
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parshat Tazria-Metzora
G-d, like a parent, makes rules that require people to deal respectfully with each other and that promote the development of higher morals, so that we will enjoy healthier and more meaningful lives. G-d establishes guidelines and boundaries—and also provides consequences when these lines are crossed or overlooked. Yet, the Almighty in his infinite wisdom provides a path open to us for doing Teshuva and returning to the good.
- Rabbi Dr. Moshe. P. Weisblum
Parashat Tazria-Metzora
"God's presence is manifest in how He rewards and equally manifest in how He punishes. The key is to recognize God's power in all its manifestations."
- Rabbi Rallis Wiesenthal
(Video) Acharei/Kedoshim 5781: Balancing Liberty and Order
Why is religion particularly important in a free society?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Ahare Mot-Kedoshim: The Natalie Portman Controversy
Portman, who speaks of “Jewish values,” should be aware of the value of Machloket L’shem Shamayim (an argument for the sake of heaven). Such an argument is one in which the disputants are not concerned with winning the argument but discovering the truth. Therefore, one can vehemently disagree with another while still acknowledging the other’s good intentions and integrity, because he too desires to arrive at the truth. Once you acknowledge the good intentions of one with whom you disagree, it becomes much more difficult to vilify him. Though the Houses of Hillel and Shammai rigorously disputed with each other, their sons and daughters married because all realized the arguments were for the sake of heaven. In other words, they did not boycott each other despite their disagreements. Portman’s actions are being lauded by BDS activists because these actions understandably are being seen as a boycott of the Jewish State.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Within The Smoke Of Incense
The ritual of preparing the incense appears in Achrei Mot/Kedoshim, “And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord” [Leviticus 16:13]. Although the absence of the Holy Temple renders the procedural incense rite inoperative in our present era, the Midrash Tanchuma adds a new and more pertinent dimension to it. The Midrash relates that the Hebrew word for incense, ketoret, is imagined as an acronym (KeToReT): the letter kuf represents kedusha (holiness); tet is for tahara (purity); resh is for rachamim (mercy); and taf is for tikva (hope).
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
"There are moments in the life of any spiritually sensitive soul when s/he longs to scale the heights and loose the bonds to achieve union with God."
- Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
(Video) Acharei/Kedoshim 5781: Balancing Liberty and Order
Why is religion particularly important in a free society?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Ahare Mot-Kedoshim: The Natalie Portman Controversy
Portman, who speaks of “Jewish values,” should be aware of the value of Machloket L’shem Shamayim (an argument for the sake of heaven). Such an argument is one in which the disputants are not concerned with winning the argument but discovering the truth. Therefore, one can vehemently disagree with another while still acknowledging the other’s good intentions and integrity, because he too desires to arrive at the truth. Once you acknowledge the good intentions of one with whom you disagree, it becomes much more difficult to vilify him. Though the Houses of Hillel and Shammai rigorously disputed with each other, their sons and daughters married because all realized the arguments were for the sake of heaven. In other words, they did not boycott each other despite their disagreements. Portman’s actions are being lauded by BDS activists because these actions understandably are being seen as a boycott of the Jewish State.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Within The Smoke Of Incense
The ritual of preparing the incense appears in Achrei Mot/Kedoshim, “And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord” [Leviticus 16:13]. Although the absence of the Holy Temple renders the procedural incense rite inoperative in our present era, the Midrash Tanchuma adds a new and more pertinent dimension to it. The Midrash relates that the Hebrew word for incense, ketoret, is imagined as an acronym (KeToReT): the letter kuf represents kedusha (holiness); tet is for tahara (purity); resh is for rachamim (mercy); and taf is for tikva (hope).
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
"There are moments in the life of any spiritually sensitive soul when s/he longs to scale the heights and loose the bonds to achieve union with God."
- Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
(Video) Emor 5781: The Pure Versus the Practical
The blasphemer: Who was at fault, the individual or the community?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Emor – Sticks and Stones May Hurt My Bones But Words Will Never Harm Me
The Torah lets us know that angry people – even those with justified rage at the world and society – cannot take the law into their own hands. Society must triumph over anarchy and chaos.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller and Rabbi Avi Miller
Emor – Making Your Influence Count
Who are we? What gives us the authority to sanctify anyone especially a priest? It is God’s job to sanctify the Priests as the Torah portion suggests a bit later. (21:23) It is important to understand that God’s sanctification alone is insufficient to allow one to lead. In order for any leader, whether religious, political or executive to exert influence in any effectual way he must be someone who enjoys the support of the people.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parsha: Emor, “Is Sefirat ha’Omer One Mitzva or Two?”
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Parashat Emor
"One need not be a priest, a kohen, to be concerned about the details of living a life of sanctity; for that matter, one need not even be Jewish."
- Rabbi Kenneth Greene
Parashat Emor
"True piety, true religiosity, requires action. What good is it to know all about the meaning of tzedakah if one never provides assistance to the poor?"
- Rabbi Martin J. Berman
(Video) Behar Bechukotai 5781 – The Meron Tragedy: A Theological Response
Last week's tragedy at Mt. Meron on Lag B'Omer was the worst peacetime disaster Israel has ever experienced.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Parashat B’har-B’chukotai
"God never said that this life would be a Gan Eden, a Garden of Eden. Yet, we also know that Hashem never told us that this life must be a Gehinom, a Hell."
- Rabbi Mitchell Kornspan
Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
"Only God could be the Author Who gave the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Only God could promise a triple crop in the sixth year."
- Rabbi Mark Hillel Kunis
(Video) Behar Bechukotai 5781 – The Meron Tragedy: A Theological Response
Last week's tragedy at Mt. Meron on Lag B'Omer was the worst peacetime disaster Israel has ever experienced.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Bechukotai – Talking About My Generation
Judaism requires us to achieve a balance. We need to give great deference to our ancestors but we must also remember that our ancestors were innovative.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parshat Bechukotai – “Et Tu?”
"And I will remember My covenant [with] Jacob, and also My covenant [with] Isaac, and also My covenant [with] Abraham I will remember. And I will remember the Land."
This is one of the ten Biblical verses incorporated into the “Zichronot” section of Rosh HaShanah Musaf, on the strength of the three-peat of the word זכר (to remember). We ask God to remember that we are descendants of the Biblical heroes with whom He had a special relationship. We are their heirs; the blessings first conferred upon Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were bequeathed to us. Chazal noticed several peculiarities in our verse: The Patriarchs are written in reverse order; The verb זכר (remember) is only written in connection with Avraham and Yaakov - it is omitted with Yitzchak; The adjective אף (and also) is only written in connection with Yitzchak and Yaakov - it is omitted with Avraham; The word את precedes each of the Patriarch’s names; and Nowhere else in Chumash is Yaakov spelled with a VAV (יַעֲקוֹב). Let’s examine each of these quirks.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat B’har-B’chukotai
"God never said that this life would be a Gan Eden, a Garden of Eden. Yet, we also know that Hashem never told us that this life must be a Gehinom, a Hell."
- Rabbi Mitchell Kornspan
Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
"Only God could be the Author Who gave the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Only God could promise a triple crop in the sixth year."
- Rabbi Mark Hillel Kunis
B-midbar and Iyar, From Mourning to Joy
Iyar ... is a profoundly significant month in Jewish history and religious practice and is intimately connected to B-midbar.
- Rabbi Seth Gordon
(Video) Bemidbar 5781 – Going Beyond Yourself
How do a people build a successful state? It starts with the Individual.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Parashat Bamidbar
"Most names have a history behind them. Our tradition tells us that one’s Jewish name contains a clue to one’s destiny, no matter how it was conferred."
- Rabbi Mark Kunis
Numbers, Numbers, and more Numbers: Do They All Add Up?
"Every society that tries to dehumanize people takes away their names. A culture that recognizes the importance of the individual, recognizes each person by name."
- Rabbi David Willig
(Video) Nasso 5781 – Exposing Hamas
It's our obligation to support Israel. Here is how we can. Here are two Call to Action letters to help.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Naso – Sotah: Modern & Rabbinic Relevance
On its surface, the Sotah (Numbers 5:11-28), like other defunct practices in the Torah, may seem unworthy of much attention. In fact, in our times, the reader may find the section offensive to his/her sensibilities, and some will cite the Sotah as among the reasons to disparage Torah. I find myself drawn to these sections; they reveal something important about who we were and who we are; I offer my thoughts on why the Sotah procedure was actually insightful and worthy of extended attention.
- Rabbi Seth Gordon
Naso – Do Not Be Overly Righteous
In Judaism we come closer to God by benefiting from every aspect of creation. ... Judaism does not advocate extreme approaches to life but rather requires us to exercise our common sense in achieving a balance in every endeavor we choose to engage in. The book of Kohelet warns us Al Tehi Tzadik Harbeh, “Do not be overly Righteous.” (Kohelet 7:16)
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parashat Naso
"Is being a Nazir good or bad? It can be good, it can be bad, and it's almost always ugly!"
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Parashat Naso
"Peace can never be private property; peace always has to be shared."
- Rabbi Pinchas Klein
Parashat Naso
"...if we want to understand and emulate the act of becoming a Nazir... We should separate our thoughts from the indecent and profane."
- Rabbi Martin J. Berman
Beha’alotecha 5781 – The Best Things In Life Aren’t Free
There appears to be a line of thought among some young and misguided American Jews that if only the State of Israel didn’t exist, we would not have to contend with antisemitism anymore. This was the apparent line of thinking of the comedian Sarah Silverman when she tweeted, in response to the recent violent attacks on Jews all over the country: “Jews in the Diaspora need allies. WE ARE NOT ISRAEL!”
- Rabbi Moshe Grussgott
(Video) Beha’alotecha – Don’t Be a Wise Fool
Societies have often equated age with wisdom. But does age endow one with wisdom?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Beha’alotecha – Challenging the Status Quo
At times, society changes significantly and even repeatedly for a while, and halakhah is challenged to respond to those changes, by adopting, rejecting, or accommodating them as appropriate. At other times, the status quo can remain for generations, centuries, and even millennia. ... We live in a period of significant sociological change, as humanity re-evaluates the status quo regarding a great number of things.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Beha’alotecha – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
There is an important lesson to be learned here for those who ask a question challenging the halakhic status quo and an even more important lesson for those who respond to those challenges.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Parashat Beha’alotekha: The Whispering Campaign
"Whispering Campaign: (idiomatic) A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors are deliberately spread concerning a person, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection."
- Rabbi Chaim Solomon
Parashat Beha’alotekha: As Long as the Candle is Burning
"This week's Torah portion of Beha'alotekha begins with a passage ... describing the lighting of the menorah.... Lighting candles is on my mind. This past Shabbat (Sivan 14), I lit a memorial candle at home in commemoration of my mother's first yahrzeit."
- Rabbi Robert Pilavin
Shelach – The Staff of Life
In the immediate aftermath of the fiasco, God Issues a surprising, non-sequitur of a commandment. Why does God give a mitzvah now that will not take effect for a generation? It seems premature, perhaps even cruelly timed. It is like telling the convict who is about to begin his forty-year sentence at hard labor what he can expect when he is finally released from prison.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
(Video) Shelach 5781 – Should I Stay or Should I Go?
What was the real reason why the spies discouraged the nation from going up to the Promised Land? Was it simply a lack of faith, or was there more to the story?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Shelach – “Focusing on the Wrong People” (Audio only)
Hyper-focusing on the wrong things ultimately brings out the worst things in us and prevents us from achieving our full potential in life.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Parashat Sh’lach – “A Land That Devours Its Inhabitants”
"We stand at the borders of the loss of our pettiness, the beginning of greatness. The choice isn't easy. But it is magnificent!"
- Rabbi Yaakov Siegel
Sh’lach Lekha
"There is a good reason that the Torah commands us "not to add nor to subtract" from it. By staying focused, we do not make it too difficult to observe that which God wants from us."
- Rabbi Len Zucker
Korach: Daring To Challenge The Hierarchy
The story is meant as a moral model for squeaky clean control of Israelites who do not yet appreciate their Divinely ordained leadership model. Thus, Korach is a rational problem (citizens unhappy with the ruling elite) that gets a Divine solution.
What if we read the biblical story of Korach’s rebellion against Moses as an attempt to introduce democracy into a theocracy? Korach as a vanguard, as a voice of the people, the barometer of a democracy in a tightly woven socio-religious system? Korach became the voice of those displeased with what they saw as an impenetrable hierarchy, with room only for those born with the Levite silver spoon in their mouth.
- Temima Goldberg Shulman
Parashat Korach: The Opportunity to Serve
"So, in fact, Moses is not saying to Korach that he has the great honor of being in a position high class and dignity. Instead, Moses, who later in the chapter declares that he had taken no personal gain from his position (Numbers 16:15), is reminding Korach that the true fortune of God’s appointment is not the opportunity for glory, but the opportunity to serve."
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Parashat Korach – Korach, Human Rights, and the Politics of Grievance
"One wonders why the world chooses to believe the empty charges of the enemies of Israel rather than look at the plain truth. This parasha can perhaps give us some insight. This week we read about the rebellion of Korach and his followers against the authority of Moses and Aaron."
- Rabbi Gerald Sussman
Parashat Korach – When Questioning Goes Too Far
"Jews are taught to question everything, to examine every side of an issue. Children do this naturally, and we should encourage them in finding answers to their questions. But can asking questions go too far?"
- Rabbi Dr. Moshe P. Weisblum
(Video) Chukat – The Nation Is Larger Than Any One Person
Barring Moses and Aaron from entering the Promised Land was a necessary precondition for national success.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Chukat – Hitting & Effectiveness
One cannot be effectual in leading a community while angry. As stellar as Moses was he made an error which was irreparable.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Chukat – Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
Moshe’s eyes may not have dimmed, but his faith in the people had certainly waned. Moshe failed to appreciate the difference between the grumblings of thirst and the strife of politics.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Hukat
"Moses missed an opportunity to strengthen people's faith in God. This is an allegory for what happens to all of us, all too frequently. People we care about are sometimes hurt by our words or actions and we don't know exactly what we did to cause such offense."
- Rabbi Steve Suson
Parashat Chukat/Balak
"Time and again, we see the Jewish contribution to American society--to its very existence. We should feel proud to be connected to these great Americans and patriots."
- Rabbi Dr. Moshe P. Weisblum
Parashat Hukat
"Moses missed an opportunity to strengthen people's faith in God. This is an allegory for what happens to all of us, all too frequently. People we care about are sometimes hurt by our words or actions and we don't know exactly what we did to cause such offense."
- Rabbi Steve Suson
Parashat Chukat/Balak
"Time and again, we see the Jewish contribution to American society--to its very existence. We should feel proud to be connected to these great Americans and patriots."
- Rabbi Dr. Moshe P. Weisblum
Pinchas – Feminism
What a profound lesson. Here were five women who were potential victims of what might be perceived as an unjust law in the Bible and they decide to protest. The nature of their protest however was guided by Jewish principles. They challenged God’s law with an enormous amount of respect, mindful of our history and traditions.
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Sending A Boy To Do A Man’s Job
- Rabbi Jeffrey H. Miller
Parashat Pinchas
"Our Parsha teaches us that although peace may be the last word it is not the first word."
- Rabbi Dr Pinchas Klein
Parashat Pinchas – God’s Atonement
"The monthly renewal of the Moon is a symbol for the renewal of our People, as well as our own individual quest for coming out of darkness into the fullness of light, with the hope of a future, infinitely brighter light."
- Rabbi Yaakov Siegel
(Video and Source Sheet) Mattot-Maasei 5783 – Is Judaism for or Against the Death Penalty?
A rabbi's response to being asked to sign a partition against the death penalty.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Mattot-Massei – It’s In His Kiss
Parshat Massei will be read on Rosh Chodesh Av ten times during the next one hundred years. And on each of the remaining ninety years, Parshat Massei will be read on the week of Rosh Chodesh Av, coinciding with Aaron’s yahrzeit.
Is this just a coincidence of the calendar? Or is something deeper going on?
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Mattot/Masei – Building a Jewish home?
"Moses tells them that if they fulfill their bargain, they will be “neki’im” from G-d and from the Israel. The word “neki’im” means clean. At best, this means that Reuben and Gad will not be in trouble. But there are other implications."
- Rabbi Kalman Winnick
Parashat Mattot-Mas’ei
"Moab was certainly as guilty as Midian for waging war on the Israelites. Why then didn't the Moabites deserve God's wrath...?"
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
(Video and Source Sheet) Mattot-Maasei 5783 – Is Judaism for or Against the Death Penalty?
A rabbi's response to being asked to sign a partition against the death penalty.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Mattot-Massei – It’s In His Kiss
Parshat Massei will be read on Rosh Chodesh Av ten times during the next one hundred years. And on each of the remaining ninety years, Parshat Massei will be read on the week of Rosh Chodesh Av, coinciding with Aaron’s yahrzeit.
Is this just a coincidence of the calendar? Or is something deeper going on?
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Massei – Unintended Consequences
It didn’t matter to Rav Yehudah that he was altering the plain meaning of the text. This pasuk presented him with an opportunity to teach that women - no less than men - were in complete control of their own destiny.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Mattot/Masei – Building a Jewish home?
"Moses tells them that if they fulfill their bargain, they will be “neki’im” from G-d and from the Israel. The word “neki’im” means clean. At best, this means that Reuben and Gad will not be in trouble. But there are other implications."
- Rabbi Kalman Winnick
Parashat Mattot-Mas’ei
"Moab was certainly as guilty as Midian for waging war on the Israelites. Why then didn't the Moabites deserve God's wrath...?"
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
(Video) Hazon: The Murderer and God’s Blessing of Peace
Why is a one who takes a life restricted from delivering the priestly blessing?
- Rabbi David Novak
Devarim – De-Escalation In the Torah: Where?
God was interested in asserting dominance .... But Moshe was right. The first step in any conflict should be an attempt to resolve that conflict, to seek to rearrange the relationship into one that is better for all involved.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Devarim – Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Just as there are sparks of holiness in the night sky, so too are there embers of Jewish souls that are adrift, flickering far from their source.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Devarim
"I look back now, after twenty-five years in the rabbinate, to the various human events that have added texture to the texts and messages I have endeavored to share with those I am blessed to lead and teach."
- Rabbi Lawrence S. Zierler
Rosh Hashnah: The Benefits of Being Stiff-Necked
The truth is that a strong will can be a dangerous thing when it is held by those with mistaken beliefs or problematic impulses. At the same time, it is an essential characteristic for those who have proper values and a positive inclination.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Ekev – “Eat, Pray, Love”
God’s Commandment is the Masterpiece, and Chazal’s expansion of it is the ornate framing. It provides structure, perspective and boundary to the Divine Portrait. The Masterpiece without a frame runs the risk of being damaged and crumpled, especially at the edges. God therefore encourages us to “frame” his Torah; He just wants us to be careful so that we know where His Painting ends and our scaffolding begins.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Ekev/Ki Tissa – A Stiff Necked People
To Rabbi Meir, the Israelites’ resolute character made them a danger to society and almost worthy of execution. However, ultimately, God decided that the Israelite קשה עורף was not a disease to be cured but a characteristic to be channeled toward good through the Torah. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Avin tell us that generations later it was precisely the Israelite stubbornness of character that helped perpetuate Torah ...
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Ekev – Renewing Classical Debates in Judaism
"Our Talmud tells us that our ancient rabbis debated how best to balance our desire to serve God with our needs in this world. Like all good debates, the matter is not resolved."
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Parashat Re’eh
"God and His ways are far beyond human capacity to understand or imagine. Yet we try to understand the ways God commands us to follow and our relationship with God by projecting images from our human experience."
- Rabbi Leonard Levy
Shoftim – What Does Halakhah Mean?
There are many words in the biblical and rabbinic lexicon whose meaning, frankly, we’re not so sure of. Surprisingly, one such word is a word we use all the time and that stands at the very core of Jewish practice – halakhah.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Shoftim: “The Space-Time Continuum”
I’m not sure what the parameters are of maintaining ancient customs. Our Sages probably (hopefully?) did not mean to include consuming chicken soup on Friday night as the kind of immutable custom that must be kept across generations. But surely, we should appreciate that Judaism is a compilation of laws and customs, national history and personal stories. Each of these elements contributes to Judaism’s richness; each is an essential ingredient to our bond with God.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Shoftim
"For me, halakhah is the crystallization of the ideal harmony between an abstract ideal and human nature, what is good and right and what can be done."
- Rabbi Robert Pilavin
Parashat Shoftim
"To live a life of justice is to realize that within each of us is a little spark of the Divine and to remember always that each of us is created in the image of the Divine."
- Rabbi Jeffrey Rappoport
Parashat Ki Teitzei
"In some circles, it is fashionable to focus almost exclusively on the ritual commandments in Judaism. As important as they are, one should never forget the ethical, moral and interpersonal mitzvot, as well. Indeed, one without the other is not only "out of balance", but contradicts precisely what the Torah requires of us — as this week's reading demonstrates in such detail."
- Rabbi Jonathan Porath
Parashat Ki Tetze
"With all the disagreements, there are still matters on which most Jews and most Jewish organizations agree. When we work together with other Jews, we are able to fight against our common enemies."
- Rabbi Irvin S. Beigel
Ki Tavo “Getting to Know You”
However, to read the Shema from our modern worldview is to misunderstand the Shema. We, who learn the Torah from a twenty-first century frame of reference risk missing the nuance and intended poetry of the verse. This is true even when we read Torah in the original Hebrew.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parashat Ki Tavo
"Each of us [has] a missive, addressed personally and lovingly to us, from the Master of the World, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the real Commander-in-Chief. This message calls each of us, individually, to the most crucial and cosmic assignment we could possible imagine: to make ourselves and all of Creation holy. It must be done now – today."
- Rabbi Rallis Wiesenthal
Ki Tavo – Hayom (Today)
"Moses, as understood by Rashi, reminds us: Treat every day as a new day filled with God's commandments, and with the closeness of the Jews' relationship with God."
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelekh
"You must at least make a choice, even when you cannot be certain it is the right or best choice. However before deciding which path to follow, you have to stop and evaluate, as best you can, in which direction to go. It is a "Nitzavim- Vayelekh moment.""
- Rabbi Ephriam I. Zimand
Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelekh
"You must at least make a choice, even when you cannot be certain it is the right or best choice. However before deciding which path to follow, you have to stop and evaluate, as best you can, in which direction to go. It is a "Nitzavim- Vayelekh moment.""
- Rabbi Ephriam I. Zimand
Bo – Freedom is Complicated
One can be “free” in the sense of not having a task master telling one what to do all the time, but if a person is in a situation where, for reasons beyond their control, they have to work a crazy amount of hours just to put food on the table, how “free” is that person?
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Va’etchanan
"They tell you not to bow down to any idols because they will pollute your mind and stop you from achieving God’s purpose. You will be filled with superstition and hate and false notions, which will destroy the unity of the universe, and thus not allow you to discover nature’s laws and benefits. Not only is idolatry immoral, but it impedes man’s conquest of the universe. It will make him a perpetual prisoner of the Stone Age."
- Rabbi Sherman Kirshner
Parashat Va’etchanan
"The question [...] remains, why, if the Ten Commandments were so important did the rabbis remove it from the service?"
- Rabbi Kenneth A. Greene
Vezot Haberachah – Tug of War
Yad chazakah is not merely a catchphrase for God or epitaph for Moshe. It is the raison d'etre of Torah. Yad chazakah does not mean that win we every tug of war in life. But it does mean that life consists of constant struggles and challenges. It means that we must have the strength of character to carry burdens that are often too great, and to balance competing forces that pull us apart. It means that we must lift our arms high and be counted even when those arms are weary. And it means that we must help others carry their baggage even as we struggle to carry our own burdens.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Miketz/Chanukah – Defending the Maccabees from a New York Times Opinion Piece
...It is certainly true that one could view the Maccabees as small town “Bible Belters” who opposed the assimilationist practices of urban Jews. ... However, viewing the Maccabees as religious oppressors is anachronistic and shows a misunderstanding of the power dynamics of the day. ...
... The Torah is the cake; the best the dominant culture has to offer serves as our toppings. ...
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Parashat Miketz
"Contemporary observance of Chanukkah vividly illustrates the tension between 'fitting in' and standing apart. Much of what Jews 'observe' revolves around customs - giving of gifts, latkes, doughnuts and dreidels - far removed from the core message of Chanukkah. Might they not owe their prominence more to our need (often subconscious) to make ourselves 'outwardly indistinguishable' from our non-Jewish neighbors in late December?"
- Rabbi Robert Pilavin
(Video) Shabbat HaGadol 5781 The Surprising Lesson of the Exodus
Tying together the message of the Exodus and of Shabbat teaches us how to take advantage of our freedom.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Pesach 5781 Exodus: The Anti-Fairy Tale
Fairy-tale figures are of noble birth but wind up being raised by people of humble origin, only to reclaim their lofty status. Moshe's story is the opposite. What should we learn from this narrative reversal?
"We do not have to be born to greatness in order to be great. All it takes is the moral courage to be great."
"We do not have to be born to greatness in order to be great. All it takes is the moral courage to be great."
- Rabbi Steven Saks
(Video) Passover 5781 – Chametz vs. Matzah
The words Chametz and Matzah are similar in spelling. What can we learn from this?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
(Video) Passover/Yizkor 5781 – Can the Sequel be Greater than the Original?
Can the Sequel be Greater than the Original? Will the future redemption be greater than the Exodus from Egypt?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Kadesh u’R’chatz – 14 Steps or 15 Steps?
"It is clear to me that the number 15 is magical this night - and indeed in general - as a significant number of steps in ascending."
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Behind the Mask of Purim
Indeed, why bother remembering Amalek, an evil force bent on Jewish annihilation? Why not focus on the positive and move forward? However, G-d commands us "not to forget Amalek" for our own good. Parshat Zachor reminds us that Amalek still exists in the world even today, and we should stay alert. Jewish survival depends on remembering our past. Surely in this way we can preserve our future.
- Rabbi Moshe P. Weisblum
Rosh Hashanah: Choosing Life or Self-Censorship: Shmirat Halashon In the 21st Century
We like to teach children that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” But while that’s a good message for a child who might be hurt by words, שמירת הלשון teaches that it’s actually a really problematic message if it emboldens children and the adults they become to fault others for being hurt by anything that they have to say rather than feeling responsible to avoid hurtful words.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Rosh Hashanah: MicroMitzvot
As it happens, although we often have a sense of ourselves as העני ממעש, poor of deed, the fact is that the impact of our deeds often do exceed our own expectations. In fact, even the smallest gestures we make can have outsized impact.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
(Video) Rosh Hashanah 5782- How Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth Survived the Pandemic
Was the decision not to live stream services during the Coronavirus lockdown last year the correct one? The Torah's teaching regarding being your best self helps to answer that question.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Rosh Hashanah – Adam 1, Adam 2, and COVID-19
So perhaps Adam 1 hasn’t been completely wrecked; but he’s certainly been brought low and humbled. The greatness and the grandeur of Man; this year we’ve been reminded how precarious that is. I would suggest that this is the perfect opportunity to recommit to our responsibilities as “Adam 2”.
- Rabbi Moshe Grussgott
(Video/Text) What Does It Mean to Rest on Shabbat and Holidays?
[I]f we allow electricity, our oasis which is not a place, which is a time, which is Shabbat, will be intruded upon constantly by work and it will damage that oasis. What is at stake here is the nature of Shabbat for us moderns. Every time the phone vibrates that Shabbat menuhah, that Shabbat rest will be intruded on.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
(Video/Text) Rosh Hashanah 5781/2020 – Physically Distant, Spiritually Close
We’ve heard a lot about “social distancing” now for months. But coronavirus does not require us to be socially distant from anyone. Rather, the only thing it ever requires is physical distance. In fact, our social and emotional closeness, our caring deeply for each other, is a vital tool that will help us find our way through this pandemic.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Rosh Hashanah: Victims No More
The beauty and maturity of Judaism that recognizes the centrality of the idea of personal responsibility, bechirat chafsheet, as a central hallmark of its philosophical foundation.
- Rabbi Baruch Melman
Rosh Hashanah – Seeing the Whole Picture
Seeing people in a nuanced manner helps us to simultaneously protect ourselves from being hurt while finding redeeming qualities in those we had previously written off. Yet, our brains are programmed to make sweeping snap judgments about people. How can we fight this tendency and view people in their totality?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Rosh Hashanah – Answering the Unanswerable
God is all- powerful and good, yet there is injustice. What is the Jewish response to this seemingly unanswerable contradiction between belief and reality?
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Rosh Hashnah: Productive Regret
Zusia reminds us that we shouldn’t be thinking in terms of who we might want to be, but rather who we are capable of being. I might want to be the fastest, or the smartest, or even the kindest person in the world, but no amount of repentance, no set of life changes will get me there. On the other hand, if I want to be the best me I could be, there is nothing to stop me but myself.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Misbegotten Gains
Sometimes we think of achieving success almost like it’s a game. Our goal is to set the high score - for example, to accumulate the most money, the most relationships, or the most power. But success isn’t only about what we achieve, but about how we achieve it. And success isn’t only about how much money or power we accumulate, but about what we do with those blessings. Let’s examine those two points.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Rosh Hashnah: The Benefits of Being Stiff-Necked
The truth is that a strong will can be a dangerous thing when it is held by those with mistaken beliefs or problematic impulses. At the same time, it is an essential characteristic for those who have proper values and a positive inclination.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Hol Hamoed Pesach
"Judaism teaches that every Jewish soul is precious. Every Jew is a child of God regardless of whether they are wise, wayward, simple or a mute."
- Rabbi Shlomo Segal
Is Pesach ‘Passover’ or Something Else?
"The word Pesach... might not mean Passover after all. I wish to bring you two witnesses who testify to a completely different meaning of the word."
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
HaChodesh – Those Were the Days
Confronting personal and national history often requires us to come to terms with ‘the good old days’, when the truth of yesterday can be obscured by the fog of today’s experiences.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
HaChodesh: Kiss Today Goodbye & Point Me Toward Tomorrow
The stars that keep the moon company shine with light from the distant past. The light from the North Star that guides sailors on their ocean voyages started out on its own journey from Polaris four hundred years earlier. When we turn our attention to the night sky, we let yesterday’s light direct us to a better tomorrow. When we look at the sliver of the moon, we appreciate that sometimes God hides from us in plain sight.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
(Video) Shabbat HaGadol 5781 The Surprising Lesson of the Exodus
Tying together the message of the Exodus and of Shabbat teaches us how to take advantage of our freedom.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Of God and Man
"God gave Yom Tov to Man; for to know when Yom Tov falls, we go to the Beit Din and they decide - the dates of the Holidays are completely in Man's hands. That dichotomy falls away when it comes to Pesach. It belongs neither to Man alone, nor to God."
- Rabbi Ronald D. Price
Parah: “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”
The Torah’s wording is frustratingly difficult to comprehend. “Blot out the memory of Amalek” is sandwiched between “Remember what Amalek did…” and “Don’t forget”. No one is quite sure how to both remember and blot out the memory, but every time I hear those words, I think about the movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, where Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet run around trying to remember and forget each other at the same time.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Parah: “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”
The Torah’s wording is frustratingly difficult to comprehend. “Blot out the memory of Amalek” is sandwiched between “Remember what Amalek did…” and “Don’t forget”. No one is quite sure how to both remember and blot out the memory, but every time I hear those words, I think about the movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, where Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet run around trying to remember and forget each other at the same time.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Behind the Mask of Purim
Indeed, why bother remembering Amalek, an evil force bent on Jewish annihilation? Why not focus on the positive and move forward? However, G-d commands us "not to forget Amalek" for our own good. Parshat Zachor reminds us that Amalek still exists in the world even today, and we should stay alert. Jewish survival depends on remembering our past. Surely in this way we can preserve our future.
- Rabbi Moshe P. Weisblum
The Truly Forgotten
"The Jewish nation has had many enemies. Why, then, single out Amalek's act as particularly contemptible? What was it about Amalek that was especially despicable?"
- Rabbi Ira Grussgott
Sahavuot – Yitro’s Hidden Advice
Until recently, if I were asked to summarize Yitro’s thoughts, I would have said that Yitro criticizes Moshe for doing too much and advises him to delegate responsibility. ... However, ... this synopsis leaves out an important part of both Yitro’s critique and advice.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Shavuot
"[On Shavuot] we don’t read the story of Yitro. Why? Did not Yitro also embrace God above all other gods?"
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Visiting the Sick and Comforting the Mourner
"In moral mathematics, we prefer a kindness that keeps faith with both the dead and the living."
- Rabbi Robert Pilavin
Perfect Misunderstandings: Akdamut and Yetziv Pitgam
"It is amazing how people can misperceive old constructs by viewing them with modern eyes. For example, some are uncomfortable with the fact that Jacob had four wives."
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
If the Torah is our Constitution, Then What is its Preamble?
"Our charge is to obey God, to guard/observe the compact, to become a priestly government and a holy nation. This compact is not with individuals. It is with the Nation of Israel at large."
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Freedom From, Freedom To
"Only for the briefest moment were we escaping from. For the next 48 days, our escape was toward Torah..."
- Rabbi Richard Wolpoe
Choosing to be Chosen
"Being chosen does not confer any sort of genetic superiority; rather, being chosen means that we choose to develop our relationship with God."
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Commitment
"All those who make the effort, like Ruth, are considered worthy. How much you know is not as important as making the effort to grow."
- Rabbi Wayne Allen
Yom Kippur/Sh’mini Atzeret: Making Emotional Connections
Many of us are sick of the news and politics, dejected by the constant stream of vapid reports from our friends on social media. The solution isn’t to escape from it all, but rather to dive into deep, meaningful relationships, to do important and impactful things.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Vezot Haberachah – Tug of War
Yad chazakah is not merely a catchphrase for God or epitaph for Moshe. It is the raison d'etre of Torah. Yad chazakah does not mean that win we every tug of war in life. But it does mean that life consists of constant struggles and challenges. It means that we must have the strength of character to carry burdens that are often too great, and to balance competing forces that pull us apart. It means that we must lift our arms high and be counted even when those arms are weary. And it means that we must help others carry their baggage even as we struggle to carry our own burdens.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Miller
Vayechi – Judah vs. Joseph: Paradigms of Leadership
If you were to read Sefer Bereisheet from the beginning, without prior knowledge of either the narrative or subsequent Jewish history, there’s a good chance that you would reach chapter 49 believing that the future leadership of the people of Israel would be drawn from the descendants of Joseph. ...
Yet when we read Jacob’s blessings of his sons, we’re suddenly told that the leadership will rest in the descendants not of Joseph but of Judah
- Douglas Aronin
Tisha b’Av: Lessons from Mockingbird
The Atticus Finch of Mockingbird exemplifies the willingness to stand up for what’s right regardless of what others think, but that’s only part of the story. After all, the individual who stands against the crowd is a fairly common literary theme. What’s extraordinary about Atticus is that he stands against the majority without demonizing his opponents. When he explains to Scout why he’s defending Tom Robinson (a black man wrongly accused raping a white woman), though popular opinion is opposed, he adds the caution that “no matter how bitter things get, they’re still our friends and this is still our home.”
- Douglas Aronin
The message of the Fast of Av
The people Israel have returned to the land of Israel, because Jewry engaged is never alone.
- Rabbi Alan J. Yuter
Yom Kippur – Finding Yourself by Imitating Others
Some try to look deep into their souls to figure out “who they are.” But we don’t live in a vacuum. We live under the constant influence of everyone around us. But we are not mere victims of circumstance. Rather, we are responsible for deciding who and what will influence us and how.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Yom Kippur – Her Lips Moved, But Her Voice Was Not Heard: What The Physical Elements of Jewish Prayer Teach Us About Our Relationship With God
What do the physical gestures during the Amidah tell us about our relationship with God?
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Rosh Hashanah: Choosing Life or Self-Censorship: Shmirat Halashon In the 21st Century
We like to teach children that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” But while that’s a good message for a child who might be hurt by words, שמירת הלשון teaches that it’s actually a really problematic message if it emboldens children and the adults they become to fault others for being hurt by anything that they have to say rather than feeling responsible to avoid hurtful words.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Rosh Hashanah: MicroMitzvot
As it happens, although we often have a sense of ourselves as העני ממעש, poor of deed, the fact is that the impact of our deeds often do exceed our own expectations. In fact, even the smallest gestures we make can have outsized impact.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Yom Kippur – All I Really Need To Know I Learned from Coach Kozak
So, just as Robert Fulghum shared the lessons he learned in kindergarten, I’d like to share some of the lessons I learned from Coach Kozak about improving physical fitness, which I think apply equally to our current High Holiday effort to achieve better spiritual fitness.
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky
Yom Kippur – Anti-Semitism – Stage 4
It’s been said that the world’s oldest disease is anti-Semitism. But there is something new about this old disease. In fact, this disease had already mutated three times, and we are now suffering through its fourth mutation.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Yom Kippur – Cheat Your Way into Heaven
Remember being nervous about having to take a test? But now imagine that the teacher distributed a study guide with the questions that will be on the test. You’d undoubtedly feel more confident about your chances. Well the teacher has already distributed the questions that you will be tested on, when you take your final, final exam, the admissions test to qualify for Olam Haba (the World to Come). Start preparing for your final, final exam now.
- Rabbi Steven Saks
Kol Nidre: Three Steps to a Better You
“Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.” This is a prayer that can be found on a lot of coffee mugs, tee-shirts, magnets,[1] and lots of church signs. It’s a nice sentiment, isn’t it. But the truth is, it’s probably a dangerous sentiment as well. Sometimes setting impossible goals is counterproductive because it leads to a sense of the impossibility of the task and often tempts us to give up. I imagine that this sentiment is one of the reasons why we open the Yom Kippur prayers with Kol Nidre, a formula to annul vows. The Machzor is telling us that even as we set our minds to the task of self-improvement, it is important that we not over-commit.
Tonight, I’d like to talk about how, rather than setting unreasonable goals that we will only to regret next Yom Kippur, we can try to set and meet reasonable goals for the coming year.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Yom Kippur: Caring for the Oppressed
In this verse, God tells us that our fast should inspire us to identify those afflicted and to work to resolve their troubles. So, tonight I would like to talk about some of the ways our society mistreats people and how we can have a hand in “setting the oppressed free” as God envisions.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Yom Kippur/Sh’mini Atzeret: Making Emotional Connections
Many of us are sick of the news and politics, dejected by the constant stream of vapid reports from our friends on social media. The solution isn’t to escape from it all, but rather to dive into deep, meaningful relationships, to do important and impactful things.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Yom Kippur: Asking Constructive Questions
Dr. Eurich, who generally advises we find questions that start with “what” rather than “why,” gives some examples of how to re-focus our introspective questions. And while perhaps some of the distinctions she draws are a bit semantic, I think her key point is that we need to be careful to ask ourselves constructive questions, questions that focus less on understanding what may be a confusing or difficult reality and more on what we can do about that reality, thus reinforcing our sense of control over our destiny.
- Rabbi Noah Gradoofsky
Yom Kippur – “To Be a Kid Again”
I’d like to suggest one area where an opportunity generally afforded to youth could be capitalized on as we age, perhaps even more fruitfully than when we were young. In this regard, I’d like to introduce to you Rabbi Gradofsky’s corollary to the adage that youth is wasted on the young. My theory is as follows: Jewish education is wasted on the young.
Now, before someone tries to run me off of the pulpit . . .
- Rabbi Noah Gradofsky