by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Sep 17, 2020 | Lifeline
The verse says in Psalms [89:16], “Happy is the nation that knows the Teruah, the sound of the Shofar.” Rav Tzvi E. Hertzberg zt”l asks, “why is it such a great thing to know the sound of a Shofar — and how does blowing a Shofar make G-d less...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Sep 10, 2020 | Lifeline
An elderly man checked in to a small, quaint hotel, only to learn at the front desk that the single elevator was out of order. He asked a bellhop to bring his bags up to his room, implying that the tip would be worth the effort. It was ten minutes later before the...
by Mordechai Dixler | Sep 3, 2020 | Lifeline
When a farmer is hit by a drought, or a destructive flood, this causes collateral damage to the market that buys his produce, and that sells him supplies. A disruption in one area of the supply chain disrupts all the other links in the chain… or so we think. The...
by Mordechai Dixler | Aug 27, 2020 | Lifeline
If your neighbor’s car won’t start, there’s a special Mitzvah (commandment) to give him (or her) a boost, call a mechanic, or do whatever it takes to get the car working again. “Do not ignore your brother if you see that his ox or...
by Mordechai Dixler | Aug 20, 2020 | Lifeline
“Be pure with G-d (Lev. 18:13)” — this is a beautiful expression, as well as a verse in this week’s Torah portion. While it describes a lofty spiritual ideal, what does it mean in a practical sense? We’ve all met kind people. It’s...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Aug 13, 2020 | Lifeline
“If I were a rich man…” Would you like to become wealthy? The Torah offers a tried and tested, universally successful road to riches, and it is found in this week’s reading. The Children of Israel are commanded to tithe their produce:...
