Parshas Emor – Don’t Worry, Be Happy
What is the most difficult mitzvah in the Torah? Fasting on Yom Kippur? No Oreos for eight days on Passover? No texting for 25 hours on Shabbos? Surprisingly, some commentaries say that …
Parshas Vayikrah – Of Course Animal Sacrifice Seems Barbaric and Pagan, That’s Why We Pray for Its Return!
Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz recently penned an open “letter to Hashem (G-d)”, asking why we pray for a third Temple that will include animal sacrifice. I will be bold enough to assume …
Parshas Vayikra – The Little Aleph That Could
“What should a person do to live? He should kill himself! And what should a person do to die? He should enliven himself!” This enigmatic Talmudic passage begs for interpretation. …
Parshas Vayakhel-Pekuday- No Plain Jane
What makes YOU special? What are YOUR talents? What makes YOU unique? Do you dance? Sing? Read Morse Code? Play the ukulele? Ride a unicycle? Are you athletic? A tech …
Behind the Mask – A Purim Message
Where in the Torah is Haman, the wicked villain of the Purim story, mentioned? How about Esther, the heroine of the story? Although the Purim story took place many hundreds …
Parshas Terumah – Holy Homes
It is a fundamental principle of the Jewish faith that G-d’s constant presence fills all existence. Whether one prefers the terminology of the Kabbalists that there is “no space void of …
Parshas Terumah – Material Values
How can you know who someone really is? In what way can we get real insight into the strength of one’s character? Using a pithy alliteration, the Talmud gives us some advice …
Parshas Mishpatim – Small Gestures, Major Results
How much is a small gesture worth? Consider the following: Children are on the school bus on the way home from a grueling day at school. The bus driver barks …
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Parshas Yisro – TGIF
Do you ever feel like the world is moving at a frenetic pace and you can’t seem to catch up? That even though we have more “stuff” than ever before, …
Parshas Beshalach – Bittersweet
Life is full of bittersweet moments. A daughter‘s marriage brings nostalgic memories of your little girl, now all grown up and ready to start a life of her own. Having …