by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 11, 2016 | Lifeline
This week, Rabbi Mordechai Dixler, our program director, shared with me a collection of Torah thoughts and concepts from Rav Avraham Elimelech Biderman of Bnei Brak, Israel. In a few short paragraphs Rav Biderman tied together our reading (Pikudei, the last portion in...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Feb 25, 2016 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, G-d instructs Moses to make the anointing oil, describing its composition. He tells Moshe to anoint the holy items and vessels, and the Kohanim Gedolim (High Priests) of future generations. (Kings from the House of David were also...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Feb 19, 2016 | Lifeline
There is an interesting interruption at the beginning of this week’s reading. Last week we learned about the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and this week we learn about the garments worn by the Kohanim, the Priests, when they served within it. Yet...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Feb 5, 2016 | Lifeline
When I saw the headline for the article on Torah.org, “Murder and the Super Bowl,” I knew I had to have a look. The article is by Rabbi Yisroel Ciner, whom I’ve known for many years, long before he became Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation in Irvine,...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Jan 28, 2016 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, we are told that “Yisro heard all that G-d had done for Moshe and Israel his nation, for HaShem had taken Israel from Egypt” [18:1]. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) asks: what did Yisro hear? He answers, “the parting of...
