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...
The Thrill of Battle
Would you trust a child with matches? When my daughter was two years old, our apartment building had an electrical fire that ultimately destroyed the two apartments above us. After we evacuated, my wife and I sat with our children on a nearby hill, along with most of...
To Be Like Pinchas
The story of Pinchas is one of the most striking in the Torah, because of its apparent contradiction. Pinchas literally killed two people, one of whom was one of their leaders (Zimri, head of the tribe of Shimon). And how does G-d react? "Behold, I give him my...
