by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | May 14, 2013 | Lifeline
Passover has Matzah, the Seder, and wine. Sukkos has the Four Species and the Sukkah. But what does Shavuos have? It has the Torah! This is the day when God gave the Torah to the Jewish people. And because our holidays are not simply commemorations, but eternal links...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Apr 26, 2013 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, the Torah talks about Shabbos, the Sabbath. In this case, however, it comes with an unusual introduction. “Speak to the Children of Israel, and say to them the festivals of G-d, which you shall declare, the Holy Convocation —...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Apr 12, 2013 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, we read about the punishment of tzara’as, which is often mistranslated as “leprosy” because it could appear as a white blemish on skin. it was a purely spiritual punishment, however, which only existed long before the...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 15, 2013 | Lifeline
Believe it or not, this week’s message was not inspired by the fact that the Catholic Church has chosen a new Pope; it just offers a convenient contrast. As you probably know, there is, in their beliefs, a doctrine of papal infallibility. When the Pope teaches...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 1, 2013 | Lifeline
When it came to constructing the Tabernacle, everyone was invited to contribute as much as he wanted. Since not everyone has the same financial portfolio, it’s obvious that some people ended up giving more than others. In fact, we are told that the leaders of...
