I hear echoes;: “And these are the laws that you shall place before them.” “This is the Torah that Moses placed before the Children of Israel.” Place before. It does not say to give, but to place something in front of them. Rashi explains that Moses was commanded to...
I recently took out a sefer – holy book - that I studied in the summer of 1980 in order to certify as a Shochet – a ritual slaughterer. I was surprised to find that it was a far more enjoyable study and challenge than...
[caption id="attachment_1948" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Just One"][/caption] We honor Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, with an extra portion in the Torah named for him, for his decision to join the Children of Israel and convert. It isn’t just ‘a’ portion; it is the portion of Revelation. All of...
[caption id="attachment_1945" align="alignleft" width="222" caption="A Mini Rocky"][/caption] After spending two years walking with Canadian crutches, and then a walker for a few years, I look at stairs and ramps with all sorts of mixed feelings. I used to look up at even just a few...
Isaiah 6:1-19: Fueled by success, seized by passion, confident that God blessed him, Uzziah, King of Judah, entered the Temple against the protests of the Kohanim to offer the Ketoret – Incense
[caption id="attachment_1939" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Time Bandits"][/caption] He shaved a nanosecond off one note and added it to the next. This underhanded form of theft, known as rubato, is one way that soloists personalize a piece of music. It is a liberty taken with the composer’s...
[caption id="attachment_1934" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Exactly What it Says"][/caption] There is a war between two clocks in my room. My alarm clock is connected to an atomic clock somewhere that constantly adjusts its time. It has the same time as my cell phone, which also claims...
Whenever I offer to join my wife and son as they cook, they both have a terrified look on their faces and urge me to use my time for more important things such as learning or taking Pip, our dog, for a walk. They...
[caption id="attachment_1931" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Pip's Choice"][/caption] Today is a great day in our family: Pip made a decision. We realized about three years ago that Pip freezes into inaction when confronted with a choice. We threw two balls at one time, and rather than choose which...
[caption id="attachment_1928" align="alignleft" width="239" caption="A Heavy Burden"][/caption] One of the most constant refrains I hear from people is, “I should…” or, “I should have…” All those “shoulds” are heavy burdens. “I should be more patient.” “I should be more of a Tzaddik.” “I should daven...
