Am I a Good Friend?
Many of us could write up a list of rules for how we'd like to be treated by our friends. Most don't have a physical list to hand out to people (although it might reduce some painful guesswork if we did), but this is how the list might look: Be sincere -- no acting....
Guarding Your Tongue
In this week's reading, we read about the punishment of tzara'as, which is often mistranslated as "leprosy" because it could appear as a white blemish on skin. it was a purely spiritual punishment, however, which only existed long before the current exile. Our Sages...
Thank You Note
I would like to share with you a true story, which I think has a message for us as we prepare for Passover. There was a young family; father, mother, and one very young daughter. The father was a salesman, whose job required him to travel around the country. The...
Everyone Makes Mistakes
Believe it or not, this week's message was not inspired by the fact that the Catholic Church has chosen a new Pope; it just offers a convenient contrast. As you probably know, there is, in their beliefs, a doctrine of papal infallibility. When the Pope teaches the...
I Want You To Have This
The current foreclosure crisis is painful for all of us, but especially for those who have lost their homes. The feeling of failure and disappointment can be overwhelming. When a home is seized, it is the last resort -- even the lender will be happy to reverse it if...
My Contribution
When it came to constructing the Tabernacle, everyone was invited to contribute as much as he wanted. Since not everyone has the same financial portfolio, it's obvious that some people ended up giving more than others. In fact, we are told that the leaders of each...
