The Flavor That’s Forever
Mayer Amschel Rothschild of Frankfurt, Germany was the Eighteenth Century founder of the famed Rothschild dynasty. A guest in his home once inquired, with much chutzpah, “How much are you worth?†In reply, Rothschild took out a ledger with the word ‘Charity’...
If You Had Everything, Where Would You Put It?
With but one exception, each Jewish holiday has its own specific Mitzvos. Passover has many: eating Matzah, the Seder, and discarding all leavened bread products. Succos has sitting in the Sukkah, Lulav and Esrog. Rosh Hashanah has the blowing of the Shofar, and Yom...
What Difference Does it Make?
Children intuitively feel their parents' love... even when their parents are upset. Children may not like the experience of being reprimanded, losing a privilege or being sent to their rooms, but they still know whether they are loved. This week we read the section of...
Live a Life of Liberty
Inscribed on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is a verse from this week’s Torah Portion, Lev. 25:10. "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all inhabitants thereof." This verse is about the Jubilee year, the 50th year on the Jewish calendar when indentured...
Save the Date!
Nearly half of this week’s Torah portion is devoted to the annual cycle of Jewish holidays. After beginning with Shabbos, which is also a holiday, the Torah continues with Passover, Shavuos, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos. In English, the word “holidayâ€...
Be a Kosher Critic
Among the numerous Commandments in this week’s Torah portion, 51 in all, is the Mitzvah of Tochacha – to correct others when we see they’ve done something wrong (Lev. 19:17). This is a challenging Mitzvah, because it can only be fulfilled with one who is...
Returning Home
With Passover behind us and the summer about to begin, this Shabbos we will find ourselves reading about Yom Kippur. Our reading this week begins with the special services performed by the High Priest in the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple, including that for Yom...
A Theme for the Seder
The Passover Seder is one of the most commonly-observed Jewish rituals today. People who neglect lighting candles in honor of Shabbos, or fasting for Yom Kippur, will gather around the table on Passover to retell the story of the Exodus. There is clearly something...
When It All Began
The Shabbos preceding Passover is traditionally known as Shabbos HaGadol -- the Great Shabbos. On the 14th of the Jewish month of Nissan, the Jews in Egypt offered and ate the Paschal Lamb at night, before leaving Egypt the following morning. In preparation for that...
A Chazzan in the Night
This week, besides the regular Torah portion, there is an additional reading called Parshas HaChodesh, which concerns the Commandment to establish Jewish months according to the cycles of the moon. This is the first Commandment given to the Nation of Israel. The...
Pain and Purpose
The Torah readings of the past two months described in great detail the construction and the sacrificial services in the Tabernacle, the House of G-d. This week's reading brings us to the culmination: it opens with the inaugural services, and G-d’s miraculous fire...
Do We Need a Queen Esther?
At a pivotal moment in the Purim story, Mordechai asks Queen Esther to appeal to King Achashverosh to annul Haman's genocidal decree. Esther hesitates, because to approach the King without being summoned was an offense punishable by death. Mordechai's response is...
