Bucking the Trend
This week, we read about the spies sent to look at the Land of Cana'an, who came back with a bad report -- the land is filled with giants, they said, and even if we were to somehow beat them, the land consumes its inhabitants! Only two of the spies came back ready to...
Meaning for Meat
Linus, of Peanuts comic strip fame, sits down for a bowl of cereal. After pouring the milk he runs off to find a book to enjoy with his cereal. First he looks for the sports section of the paper or the comics, but he can't find either. He nervously scans the...
A Moderate Life
Prior to Shavuos, our family went to a Sunday brunch celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of a cousin. At some point, I found myself in conversation with the uncle of the honoree, also a cousin and, of course, of my own generation. One of us got a text message, I believe,...
Running on Empty
The monumental day of Shavuos approaches, marking G-d's giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Torah is G-d's instructions for living, and we certainly recognize the benefit of having this Divine book -- but perhaps we don't recognize what a crucial difference Torah can...
Is it Time for More?
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with a visitor to our website, a woman in her mid-50s. Sarah* was baptized as a child and grew up "in the church," but always felt an affinity to the Jewish People. She even recalls mentioning to her parents that she wished...
Get Your Self Out of the Way!
As mentioned previously, the 50 days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuos are known as the time of "Counting the Omer." Today is the 33rd day of the count, the holiday of Lag B'Omer, which is notable for two reasons. Twenty-Four thousand students of Rabbi...