Parshas Vayishlach – The Sun Will Shine Again
Food plays a significant role in Judaism. Whether it is the foods that we are required to eat (e.g., matzah and maror on Passover), or foods that are customary to …
Bereishis
Parshas Vayeitzei – Simple Pleasures
What do children look forward to most? A) School, B) Playing at home, or C) A family vacation to Disney World? A quick survey shows the answer is undoubtedly C. …
Parshas Vayigash – Fate and Future
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 …
Parsha Chayei Sarah – The Seventh Step
Over the years, I have had the great merit of visiting the Holy Land many times, experiencing its unique spiritual and physical beauty. But one trip stands out in …
Parshas Lech Lecha – Stardust
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 …
Parshas Lech Lecha – Great Vision, Minor Details
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 …
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Parshas Noach – The Failed Great Man
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 …
Parshas Bereishis – After the Fall
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 …
Parshas Vayishlach – Material Mania!
‘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 …
Parshas Vayishlach – Bar Mitzvah Blues
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 …