I’ve Got Something Special For You
"I have a great gift in my storehouse!" This is what G-d told the Jewish people when He gave them the Mitzvah of Shabbos, the Commandment to rest on Saturday, the seventh day of the week -- the same day G-d Himself chose as His own day of rest after the six days of...
Who’s Got the Lights?
A man helped his blind friend to find his way home, protecting him from stumbling along the road. When they eventually reached the blind man’s house, the sighted one asked as they walked through the door: “Can you please turn on the light for me?†As it was his...
Half Measures
The dimensions of the various components of the Mishkan (The Tabernacle) are specified in great detail in this week’s Torah portion. These measurements were certainly relevant at the time, required information for those tasked with its construction. The lessons of...
Good Judgment
Our reading begins, "And these are the judgments..." [Ex. 21:1] The laws in the Torah described as "judgments" are civil laws, which every society must have in order to avoid anarchy. Yet the Torah emphasizes that its civil laws are of Divine origin, like the laws...
Take the Next Step
What happens when you hear something that truly inspires you? What do you "take home" afterwards? I once heard that there are three possible reactions people might have. Some will simply shrug it off, thinking, "it really wasn't important to me, and won't affect me...
Grab the Opportunity
Rabbi Sholom Schwadron ztl, the famed Magid (storyteller and inspirational speaker) of Jerusalem, would tell the story of an Israeli soldier who was terribly anxious and fearful in the middle of a heavy battle. Bullets and explosives were landing all around him, and...



