Two Jews converse, one secular, the other observant. What’s the difference between the two? Is one a better Jew than the other? These are all questions that may pass through a Jew’s mind, along with whether they have called their mother that day, whether they should eat matza ball soup or gefilte fish, and what… Continue reading Choosing the Torah
If you don’t follow the Torah, you have no moral basis. You might argue that you don’t really need the Torah, because you have the right ideas already. You know it’s important not to kill, not to commit violence against another, not to steal. But how long can you go through life relying on your own intuitive… Continue reading If you don’t follow the Torah, you have no moral basis
In this week’s Parsha, Parshat Terumah, Hashem tells the Jewish people exactly how to build the Mishkan, the portable, temporary structure which we carried through the desert. “And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst” (Shemot 25:8). This may be one of the most detailed portions in all of… Continue reading Parshat Terumah
Introduction One has to wonder if there would ever be an end to the conflict brewing in our homeland, Eretz Yisrael. So many wars have been fought, so many agreements have been made, so many options have been tried. Yet perhaps we are missing the mark. Perhaps, this conflict is not a typical controversy that… Continue reading Yosef, Benyamin, and Yehuda: How their Relationship Informs Am Yisrael Today
Part One: The Story of Chanukah A little bit of light can dispel a lot of darkness. We hear that phrase a lot during Chanukah; the Jewish festival of lights. It’s a time to receive gifts (or give gifts if you are a parent), enjoy fried donuts and latkes, and light the candles of the… Continue reading A Flame for the Generations
In this past Shabbat's parsha, Lech-Lecha, Hashem appeared to Avraham, our forefather and made a covenant: “And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a God." (Bereishit 17:8). So, what are we… Continue reading Lech-Lecha
In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Bereishit, which is the first Parsha of the Torah, we learn that Adam, the first human, is commanded not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. And the Lord God commanded man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. But of the Tree of Knowledge… Continue reading Was it really worth it?
What do we do when we’re getting ready for a date? We take a couple hours, maybe more, to mentally and physically prepare. We shower, do our hair and makeup, and carefully choose what we will wear. Back in the day, a lady would wait for her gentleman to pick her up. Nowadays, it’s common… Continue reading Get Ready
“If the Lord will not build a house, its builders have toiled at it in vain.”Psalm 127:1 We are at the brink of Sukkot, and all I can think about is the makeshift huts we dwell in every year, these temporary dwellings. We have so many temporary dwellings in life. The womb. Our childhood homes.… Continue reading The House You Build
There is a Facebook page called “Stop Anti-Semitism.” It is one of many pages which track anti-Semitic incidents across the globe with the goal to obliterate anti-Semitism. I am appreciative of organizations such as these, since I believe it is important to stay abreast of the trends and be aware of what is happening. But… Continue reading How do we stop Anti-Semitism?
