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:...
Not Just “Going Through the Motions”
One of the Commandments that Moshe Rabbeinu addressed again in Deuteronomy is that of returning lost property. In this week's reading, the verse reads: "You shall not see the ox of your brother, or his sheep or goat, having wandered off, and ignore them; you shall...
One Thing
The sound of the Shofar can already be heard every morning in synagogues around the world. The Jewish month of Elul began this past Wednesday, a month of preparation for the holiest season of the year, the Yomim Noraim, the Days of Awe. Besides the sounding of the...
Let Us Say “Amen!”
Judaism gives us many opportunities to acknowledge the gifts the Al-mighty has given us. This is done primarily by reciting short prayers -- blessings -- throughout the day. We say on Sabbath mornings that "if our mouths were filled with song like the sea... we would...
The Best Consolation
This week is called "Shabbos Nachamu," the Sabbath of Consolation, as "Nachamu" is the first word (and second, as G-d tells His prophets to "console, console My nation") of the Haftorah. It is a prophecy that Jerusalem will one day be rebuilt -- that even the most...
