Food plays a major role in Judaism. Whether it is the foods that we are required to eat (e.g., matzah and marror on Passover), or foods that are customary to eat (e.g., latkes on Chanukah, cholent on Shabbos), in Judaism many a morsel has a meaning. But so does refraining from eating. One unique food prohibition is that of the sciatic …
Question: What do children look forward to most? A) School ; B) Playing at home; or C) A family vacation to Disney World? “Survey says”: C – by a landslide. Another question: During which of the above activities are children most likely to fight, “kvetch,” and complain? The surprising answer to this question is very …
The Irish-American writer John O’Hara opens his novel Appointment in Samarra with the following passage from British novelist Somerset Maugham: DEATH SPEAKS: There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was …
Over the years I have had the great merit to visit the Holy Land many times, experiencing the unique spiritual and physical beauty that the land has to offer. But one trip stands out in my mind. It was when I prayed at the location of the sacred “Seventh Step.” Early on a Friday morning in …
There is something special about the stars. Lightyears away, we gaze at them in wonder, and they captivate our imagination. In our colloquial speech, as well, a star denotes something or someone unique or special. Five-star, superstar, starstruck, starry-eyed, lucky star, wish upon a star, shining star – few words in our dictionary have such …
In the course of the next few weeks’ Torah portions we learn much about the life and times of our amazing patriarch, Avraham. An iconoclastic yet humble man, loved by G-d but incredibly challenged by Him, a man fiercely loyal to his family, a teacher of Godliness who had the audacity to debate with G-d, …
Parshas Lech Lecha – Great Vision, Minor Details Read More »
Noah was a very great man. Righteous and complete, he was head and shoulders above the rest of his generation. He also was an epic failure. As the Medrash notes, at the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Noah is called “a righteous man,” but the parsha ends off describing Noah lying on the ground, drunk and dissolute. This …
For the past thousands of years, at every traditional Jewish wedding, as the bride and groom stand under the Chupah, blissfully in love and staring adoringly at one another, the Rabbi (or other distinguished guest) recites seven special blessings in honor of the new couple. One of them goes as follows: “Bring great joy to …
‘Tis the season to be materialistic. You can’t get away from it. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Sensational Super Sale Sunday (okay, no such thing — I made it up). From two weeks before Thanksgiving until a week after New Year’s we are bombarded from every angle and venue with offers that we are told we …
I hate bar mitzvahs. There, I said it. I know it sounds like a strange thing for a Rabbi to say, but I can’t help it. Despite the many meaningful bar mitzvahs I have experienced in my wonderful community, I can’t shake my visceral dislike for the contemporary connotation of the term bar mitzvah and for the …