by Mordechai Dixler | Oct 24, 2019 | Lifeline
When I finish a book, I most often have little desire to read it again. I even feel somewhat relieved that I’ve made it through the few hundred pages, even if I enjoyed the journey. It is rare to find a book so rich with ideas or intriguing characters that I...
by Mordechai Dixler | Oct 10, 2019 | Lifeline
The Siddur describes the holiday of Sukkos as “Our time of happiness.” After the intense and cleansing High Holy Days, we can now rejoice with our Creator, celebrating our renewed relationship. Also, if we consider the agricultural cycle in Israel (or most...
by Mordechai Dixler | Oct 3, 2019 | Lifeline
We are now in the middle of the Ten Days of Repentance, culminating with the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah, which just passed, was the Day of Judgment for the new year. Many have asked a simple, yet compelling question: why shouldn’t we first have...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Sep 26, 2019 | Lifeline
Our reading this week contains an extraordinary passage, one which is very relevant for the upcoming High Holy Days. Moshe gathers the Nation of Israel together, and describes to them a truly unforgivable sin. It is so terrible that “Hashem will not be willing...
by Mordechai Dixler | Sep 20, 2019 | Lifeline
The first Mitzvah found in this week’s Torah portion is the obligation to bring the first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem. At the end of this passage, Moshe (Moses) says “Today, G-d, your Master, has commanded you to carry out these statutes and the...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Sep 12, 2019 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, tells us to what extent the Torah demands an elevated standard of conduct. He warns us that even if we follow the letter of the law, but try to push the envelope — doing what we can get away with rather...
