Grabbing Hands
Last November, the doors of an armored truck popped open as it was traveling on a San Diego freeway, dumping bags of cash onto the road. Traffic came to a halt as eager drivers abandoned their cars to scoop up the "free" money. Many handed in their windfalls as...
Making the Days Count
In this week's reading, we learn a Mitzvah pertaining to the current time period on the Jewish calendar: the Counting of the Omer. After bringing a special offering of an Omer (sheaf) of grain on the second day of the Passover holiday, the Torah commands, "And you...
Love Humans. Dogs Are Too Easy.
An old Jewish man was shipwrecked on a desert island, and rescued after many long years. His rescuers were surprised he was able to survive all alone for that long. "How did you manage?" they asked. "I lived on fish and berries", he explained, "and of course I always...
Lawfully Good
What does it mean to live life to its fullest? Do you imagine reading a storybook with your (grand)children, vacationing on the Mediterranean, or sky diving? It obviously depends upon whom you ask, but these answers share one thing in common - the freedom to choose....
In Every Generation, Including Today’s
"In every generation they stand against us to destroy us, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, saves us from their hands." These words from the Passover Haggadah are as true today as they were when written, well over a millennium ago. They are also why threats, terror and...
It’s That Time of Year Again!
As we mentioned last week, the spiritual disease called "Tzaraas" shows itself as a physical blemish on the body and one's clothing. The Torah reading this week describes how it might even afflict the walls of a house. The process for diagnosis and removal of this...
Little Prayers
The Torah portions this week and next are devoted mostly to the spiritual disease of Tzara'as. Tzara'as is a physical blemish found on the body, clothing, or the walls of the house, that is diagnosed by a member of the Jewish priestly class, a Kohein. It is said to...
Purim: A Celebration for Uncertain Times
Is it just me, or does the world seem to become more volatile every day? We used to say that last year, we could never imagine where we would be today. Now we say the same thing about last week. The renowned Rabbi Berel Wein, who I was privileged to have as a teacher...
What Ukrainian Victims Can Teach Us About Happiness
This week we welcome in the Jewish month of Adar—in actuality, Adar II, as a leap year on the Jewish calendar involves a full extra month, to keep the holidays in their seasons on the solar calendar while marking months by the cycle of the moon. The Talmud says, "When...
Driving Skills
The Mishkan (Tabernacle) was like a movable forerunner of the Holy Temple. As the Jewish People traveled through the desert for forty years, they assembled it at each of their encampments, and took it down when it was time to move on. But despite its portability, the...
Fit for an Audience with the King
After Moshe (Moses) witnessed the sin of the golden calf, and he delivered the justice and retribution due to those who sinned, he then went back and ascended Mount Sinai once again, to appeal to G-d for forgiveness on behalf of the Jewish nation. He said what appears...
Growth in Vestments
The first half of this week's Torah portion is devoted to the details of the vestments worn by the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) while serving in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the Desert, and eventually in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Each of the eight articles of clothing...
