Kind and Calculated
When three desert travelers are invited into Abraham's tent to join him for a meal, Abraham and Sarah treat them to a lavish feast. Butter and milk were laid out and meat, freshly slaughtered, was offered for these complete strangers. The Talmud even says a separate...
Can You Take a Visitor?
There are times, sometimes just moments, when we feel inspired and close to the Al-mighty. Maybe we're in the presence of a special person, in the final moments of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, or we witnessed the birth of a new baby. Those spiritual...
The Existence of Evil
What is the lesson of the Great Flood? We read this week that the world became so corrupt and evil that the only way forward was to start over. G-d sent the flood because "the earth had corrupted itself before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence." [6:11] Why...
Loving Confession
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is devoted to Teshuva, the process of returning to G-d. A special and repeated part of the Yom Kippur liturgy is the recitation of the Viduy prayer, admitting to and delineating our faults. "Ashamnu, we were guilty, Bagadnu, we...
Inspiring – and Inspired by – the Children
This week, we read about a Commandment to bring the entire nation of Israel together to hear the Torah. "Gather the nation together, the men, the women, the children, and the stranger who is within your gates..." [31:12] Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaryah asks, why bring the...
The Children Never Call
The congregation of Rabbi Aharon Karliner zt"l arrived at the haunting chant which begins the Rosh Hashanah morning service. The notes soared over the still congregants, the Rabbi in deep meditation. Then, they reached the crescendo with the first word of the service:...
