I was stopped in front of the hospital by a representative of the Kabbalah Center. She wanted me to sign up for "An Introduction to Kabbalah." "You look kind of religious; did you ever study Kabbalah?" "I know nothing about the Kabbalah you teach." "Well, aren't you...
I was exhausted yesterday morning even before I began my walk. I dragged my legs into the park and slowly began the first lap. I must have groaned aloud because my sneakers started yelling at me: “You’re complaining! We walk every inch with you. In...
[caption id="attachment_932" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Light Show"][/caption ]It was pitch black when I arrived in the park this morning for my daily walk. Each park bench was occupied by a homeless person. Skunks were rifling through the garbage cans. None of the usual walkers were crazy...
Continued from an unedited transcript: So we continue in verse 8, ‘and when Elisha the man of G-d heard that the King of Israel had torn his clothes,’ it doesn’t say when he heard that Naaman had come, ‘when he heard that the king had...
I look at this picture of boats stranded on the dry Aral Sea, Kazakhstan, and I immediately recall how I feel once the High Holidays are over. I begin my journey with the first sound of the Elul Shofar. My small boat takes off into...
Rav Kook describes the Patriarchs as being very present in Olam Hazeh – this world – yet always focused on the future. Each step they took in the present was focused on their ultimate future in the World to Come. Elul is a time of looking...
"Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took her drum in her hand and all the women went forth after her with drums and dances - mecholot." (Exodus 15:20) How did the women have musical instruments? Rashi explains that the women understood that if God...
“Rabbi, I am so depressed that I am going to commit suicide! What are you doing?” “I’m calling 911.” “Why?” “You said that you were suicidal.” “But you’re supposed to talk me out of it! You aren’t supposed to call 911.” “I can’t take the...
“I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.” (Song of Songs 6:4) I took the wrong iPod with me this morning on my hike. I turned it on expecting to hear my father zt”l delivering an advanced Talmud lecture, instead, the Beach Boys...
This Judgment Day, when we combat all those forces, which seek to harm Israel, is a good time to recall other battles against our enemies. Israel has always preferred not to rely on military might alone but rather to confront the foe fortified by the...
The Talmud teaches that removing obstacles is a form of Tikkun: Takanat HaShavim. Beit Hillel understood that if the Teshuva process demanded absolute adherence to the letter of the law, the law would be an obstacle to Teshuva: AND THAT IF A BEAM WRONGFULLY APPROPRIATED HAS...
Some birds, like grebes and eiders, have more hemoglobin in their blood, and the higher concentrations of oxygen allow them to remain underwater for extended periods. I watched an eider swimming deep under the surface, and I inhaled deeply and tried to hold my breath in concert,...
Two monks, as part of their vows, have promised never again to touch a woman. One day, while walking, they come to the edge of a river, where an astonishingly beautiful woman stands. Unable to cross unaided, she asks the monks for help. The first...
We have already mentioned our mission statement from Aleinu: “Litakkein olam b’malchut Sha-ddai,” - “To amend the world through God’s sovereignty,” to establish that an essential part of our Rosh Hashanah service, and therefore, also of our Elul preparations for Rosh Hashanah is “Tikkun Olam.”...
So Naaman brought to the king of Israel, the letter which said, ‘and now when this letter comes to you, behold I have sent my servant Naaman to you that you shall heal him from his tzoraas.’ Isn’t there something missing from that letter? The prophet. What...
“The honor of the Lord is a hidden thing, but the honor of kings may be searched out. The highest heavens, the deepest earth, and the heart of kings cannot be fathomed.” Proverbs 25:2-3 We can examine and even comprehend the glory of kings, but not...
Our study of Tikkun has taken us far beyond the usual idea of fixing. The Talmud offers numerous applications of Tikkun, each a practical tool to maximize our Elul work and preparations for Rosh Hashanah. We can find another form of Tikkun: “The Sages watched over...