Talent on Loan from G-d
This week's learning has been dedicated in loving memory of Chayim ben Yosef a"h, Herbert Schnider, and in honor of his wife, ylctv"a (may she live and be well) Miriam bas Moshe, Muriel Schnider, by Stuart, Elizabeth and their girls. In this week's reading, the Torah...
A Universal Message
The Jewish people have no monopoly on G-d and spirituality. In fact, Judaism's core desire is that the world perceive G-d's presence in their lives, and grow spiritually. What's curious then is the wording of what is arguably Judaism's most famous expression: "Shema...
Needless Love in Place of Hate
The Ninth of Av is nearly upon us -- the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the date when both Temples were destroyed and many other tragedies occurred. The Rabbis teach that while the First Temple was destroyed because of immorality, the Second Temple was destroyed...
If You Pick Up the Phone, It Stops Ringing
During the 3 weeks from 17 Tammuz leading up to Tisha B'Av, the 9th of Av, the Jewish people mourn the loss of the Holy Temple. The Talmud attributes this loss to the prevalence of Sinas Chinam, baseless hatred, among the Jewish people. While hatred towards others is...
Restoring the Peace
In this week's reading, Pinchas was rewarded for taking action on behalf of Israel. One of the Princes of the Jewish People had "disturbed the peace" between Israel and G-d, and Pinchas restored that peace. This week, our peace was again shattered, this time by a...
Monster in the Mirror
How many can look in the mirror and smile at themselves? Babies have no problem doing this. Is this what maturity brings? Rashi in his Torah commentary compares the process of the Red Heifer, used to cleanse one of the spiritual impurity of contact with a corpse, to a...
For the Sake of Heaven
Like every part of the Torah, the story of Korach, who led a Levite rebellion against the authority of Moshe and the Kohanim, is filled with multiple layers of meaning and message. One lesson that has always spoken to me is about the nature of arguments. In the...
Open Your Heart and Then Your Eyes
Rabbi Eliezer Silver zt"l was a leader and acitivist who saved thousands of Jewish lives during the Holocaust. After the liberation of the Nazi death camps, he tried to revive the spirit of Judaism among the survivors. One of his many activities was organizing prayer...
Shavuos — a Time to Deepen the Relationship
On Tuesday night, we will revisit the time when the entire nation heard the Voice of G-d, on the holiday of Shavuos. Our Sages teach that the Jewish holidays are not merely commemoration of past events, but a time on the calendar when the same spiritual energies come...
Congregation Flight 27
I had a unique experience this past Sunday night, one that was shared by thousands throughout the world. Early Monday morning (Israel time), El Al Flight 27 departed Ben Gurion airport destined for Newark, NJ. A technical problem was soon discovered -- according to...
Haste Makes Waste
"Hey, I sent you an e-mail about the proposal two hours ago. Have you had a chance to review it?" In today's world, people expect instant results, and that means doing things without thought or consideration. But as they say, "haste makes...
True Advantage
The Torah (Lev. 25:14) terms the laws of cheating in business, specifically overcharging and the like, Ona'ah. The Talmud calls this "Ona'as Mamon" - financial cheating. A few verses later (25:17) the Torah introduces the laws of "Ona'as Devarim," hurtful speech....
