Fundamentals

Adam's Sin / Garden of Eden Body & Soul Effort & Reward Free Will God Good & Evil Love & fear of God Man Man's responsibility Mitzvot & their effect Purpose of Creation Resurrection The world to come Torah Use of the world World of Souls

The basic principles upon which we use choice to build a relationship with God.

Was Cain a Hobbit?

Someone challenged “Each Step,” by demanding the Halachot that guide Rocinante, my Time Machine, on its travels. Yes, Discover Magazine has posted the Rules of Time Travel, but those are rules, not Halacha, or, they are Chukim similar to the laws of gravity, but certainly not...

Tags: Ada, cain, Eve, Halacha, Kayin, Sang-Hee Lee, Snake, Time Travel

Counting to Asarah BiTevet – Go To Your Room! Part One

I have the great pleasure of regularly studying with incredible people, one of whom suggested that we consider quarantine, and the Siege of Jerusalem/Tenth of Tevet as a “Go To Your Room For A Timeout!” I offer her insights below as an introduction to an important...

Countdown to Chanukah 5 – The Fiery Sword

“He drove the man out, and stationed east of the garden of Eden the cherubim and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life (Bereishit 3:24 - sefaria.org).” “He said: The LORD came from Sinai; He shone upon them from Seir;...

Tags: Cherubim, Keruvim

Journeys; The First Step

This is Simcha Weinberg for the BNN (Biblical New Network) Festival book review. (Dedicated in honor of MJ, AC) We have been on a journey since Rosh Hashana: We have discovered the “Meeting Place Between Knowledge and Imagination,” We have studied “Gaps In The Clouds,” Found “A Kedem Compass,” Uncovered,...

A Kedem Compass

It’s a challenge when even Amazon doesn’t carry one. I need a special compass each year to find a magical place called “Kedem” when positioning my Succah. A common Yom Kippur refrain, “Bring us back, O God, toward You, And let us come back; Renew our...

Tags: Bereishit, cain, Jonah, Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

A Different Definition of Noble

On the right-hand side of the Periodic Table is a set of elements known as the noble gases. “Noble” is an archaic, funny-sounding word, less chemistry than ethics or philosophy. And indeed, the term “noble gases” goes back to ancient Greece. There, in “The Symposium,”...

Tags: Genesis, Kohelet, Succot

It's Mine, Kind of…

“Accursed is the ground because of you; through suffering shall you eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.” (Genesis 3:17-18) The only part of the curse that...

Tags: Behar, Genesis, Sabbatical Year, Shemittah

Ever Since Adam and Cain Part Two

People have been having difficulty finding their place ever since Adam and Cain. Adam was sent out from the safe environment of the Garden into a strange world. God told Cain, “You shall become a vagrant and wanderer on earth.” (Genesis 4:12) Abraham wandered for many...

Tags: Abraham, Anger, Emor, Genesis, Jacob

An Invisible Barrier

I. The family had been close with their local Cohanim for many years. They gave their Terumah to these Cohanim. They would always travel to Jerusalem when these Cohanim were on duty in the Beit Hamikdash. They turned to these Cohanim for spiritual guidance and...

Tags: Death, Emor, Kohanim, man & God, Purity, Sin

Table Talk: Terumah

Making A Place For God “They shall make a Sanctuary for Me – so that I may dwell in them.” (Exodus 25:8) The verse does not say that God will dwell in “it” – the Sanctuary – but “in them”, in the heart of each and every person who makes room

Tags: Divrei HaYamim, Heaven & Earth, Ki Tisa, Man's Soul, Mishkan, Table Talk, Terumah

Bounce

[caption id="attachment_1924" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bouncing Water"][/caption] “God said to Moses, Behold! I shall rain down for you food from heaven; let the people go out and pick each day’s portion on its day, so that I can test them, whether they will follow My Teaching...

Tags: Bereishit, Beshalach

Master Gardeners

“Men can be provincial in time, as well as place,” Alfred North Whitehead once remarked. Provinciality is a characteristic of societies and individuals who fail to conduct periodic critiques of their beliefs and who assume, with some degree of smugness, that the knowledge they possess...

Tags: Vayechi

Teflon Coating

When I woke up this morning I found all the lights, inside and out, were on. The kids, who went to sleep after their parents, did not turn off any lights, did not put on the alarm, did not wash their dishes or even put...

Tags: Vayigash

Haftarah Vayeishev: Are We Listening?

Amos 2:6 - 3:8 It often seems as if Israel will never fully recover from the sin of the sale of Joseph. When we read the story of the Ten Martyrs

Tags: Amos, God & Israel, Haftarah, man & man, Shema, Tisha B'Av, Vayeishev, Yom Kippur

Clothes Part Two

Why did Joseph leave his clothes with Potiphar's wife? She could not claim rape, otherwise her clothes would have been torn, not his. She doesn't even claim rape, but "to make sport." In fact, if you study the verses carefully, her husband demands more information than...

Tags: Vayeishev

Clothes Part One

What is with all the clothes in the story of Joseph and Judah? Joseph has a coat of many colors. His clothes also are the theme of his confrontation with the wife of Potiphar: She grabbed him by his clothes in such a manner that he...

Tags: Vayeishev

The Phoenix of Our Desires

"But alas, what should I blame except my irrational desire? It lifts me so aloft, and flies so high in the sky that it reaches the sphere of fire which scorches its wings; then unable to bear me up, it drops me from the sky....

Tags: Genesis, Portion of the Week, Succot

Missing From Eden

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...

Tags: Bikkurim, Kabbalah

No Tree Chopping Permitted

The best I had done seem'd to me blank and suspicious; My great thoughts, as I supposed them, were they not in reality meager? Walt Whitman During Elul, I prepare for Rosh Hashana by focusing on how I have grown over the past year. I want to face...

Tags: Elul, Genesis, Rosh Hashana, Shofetim

Haunted By Trees

“You shall not plant for yourselves an idolatrous tree - any tree - near the Altar of God, your Lord, that you shall make for yourself.” (Deuteronomy 16:21) It was the custom of idolaters to landscape their temples in order to attract worshippers. (Rambam, Sefer...

Tags: Shofetim

A Walk In The Garden

I wish that I could have walked behind Elijah and Elisha as they headed to where Elijah would rise up to heaven in a storm. I can’t even imagine what the two giants, Rebbi and student, were discussing as they walked. I wish I could have...

Tags: Halacha, Kings, Lech Lecha, Music of Halacha, Torah

Eating

“These are the creatures that you may eat from among all the animals that are upon the earth.” (Leviticus 11:2) These words echo the first commandment given to Adam in the Garden. Although most will say that the first Mitzvah was to prohibit Adam from...

Tags: Achrei Mot, Eating, Enjoying Life, use of the world

Beginnings

“Adam – a man, who wants to bring an offering to draw closer to God,” Rashi wonders about the choice of the word, Adam rather than Ish. He explains that God is teaching us that “Just as Adam, the primal human being, did not bring...

Tags: Prayer, Vayikra

Tefillah Class 8/30/09

Ezekiel, Chapter 13: The word of God came to me, saying, 13:2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, Hear the word of God: 13:3 Thus says the Lord God,...

Tags: Amidah, Elul, man & God, Prayer, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur

Counting Toward Asarah BiTevet – Meet Your Soul

We have already studied Isaiah’s teaching, “Why, when we fasted, did You not see? When we starved our bodies, did You pay no heed?” Because on your fast day You see to your business And oppress all your laborers (58:3 - sefaria.org)!” Please see, “Fasting...

Tags: Clouds of Glory, Ibn Ezra, Pharaoh, Yesod Morah

Countdown To Chanukah 21 – Repairing Our Vision

“That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of God and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge (Bamidbar 15:39 - sefaria.org).” The Gra, in his commentary to Tikkunei Zohar (89b), writes...

Tags: Gra, Machazeh Einayim, Peleh Yoetz, Tzitzit

The Flow of Time

Older children, born when their parents were beginning their life and moving around from one job to another, often envy their younger siblings who arrived into a more stable and mature home. The younger siblings envy missing the adventures experienced when the family was still...

Nisan-Perfecting Our Speech-9

The Berditchever taught that a person who has an opportunity to gain profit by lying, but holds fast to the truth because he remembers the prohibition against falsehood, is rewarded not only for adhering to the prohibition,

Hello Old Friend!

“My old friend! How are you? Have a seat!” “Are you happy to see me?” “Definitely not! But our friendship is long, familiar and comfortable.” My friend was nonplussed. He certainly did not expect such a greeting. We both know that he only pretends to...

Tags: Elul, Repentance

Ki Teitzei: Apples On The Lilac Tree

Said the little boy to the little girl, “Pray, give me just one kiss.” The girl was so surprised, “You’re a stranger, sir,” said she. “I will give you just one kiss When apples grow on the lilac tree.” The boy felt very sad at heart, She was the only one; The girl...

Tags: Elul, Ki Teitzei, Spiritual Realm

In Mutual Respect – In Mutual Blessing

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign. ― Robert Louis Stevenson When I am a stranger to myself I will always be a stranger to everyone else. I will be a foreigner in my own life. ****** Jacob Meets Pharaoh The Text The Context: ‘As soon as Jacob...

Tags: Blessing, Jacob, Joseph, Paul Kalinithi, Pharaoh, Vayeishev, Vayigash, When Breath Becomes Air, Yaakov

Story Magic V – Mastering The Art of Insights

One of my favorite information emails - yes, I, too, am inundated, but one I find worthwhile for serious readers, is thinkr.org I decided to spend a few hours preparing for Chanukah with Gary Klein, author of, “Seeing What Others Don’t: The Remarkable Ways We Gain...

Tags: Gary Klein, Insights, Josef, Menorah, Vayeishev, Vayishlach, Yetzer Harah

Countdown To Chanukah 27 – A Good Eye

Countdown to Chanukah 27 - A Good Eye I find it fascinating that although we so honor the miracle of the Menorah oil of the Chanukah story, there is a natural miracle that parallels the oil described in a verse: “The generous man is blessed, For...

Amidah-Vaeira-Avot and Gevurot

“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as 'E-l Sha-ddai', but with My Name 'God' I did not make Myself known to them (Exodus 6:3).” The idea of this verse is that He appeared to the patriarchs by this Name,

Tags: Isaiah, Prayer, Psalms, World of Souls

Haftarah: Shelach: Partnership

Joshua 2:1-24: The last time that the Children of Israel were in Shittim they faced a spiritual disaster. (Numbers 25:1-9) Twenty four thousand men died in a plague when they were easily seduced by the Daughters of Moab

Tags: God & Israel, Haftarah, Joshua, Shelach

Haftarah: Behar-Bechukotai: Trust

Jeremiah 16:19 – 17:14: This week’s portion challenges us to rely on God. The laws of Shemittah – the Sabbatical Year – force us to rely that God will provide food for us despite - from our human perspective – or, because – from God’s

Tags: Bechukotai, Haftarah, Jeremiah

Apples and Oranges: The Comparison Game

“Why can’t you be like other kids who behave perfectly?” is a refrain I often hear parents complaining to their children. Yes, there were and are certainly moments when I wish my children were as “perfect” as other kids, but those moments are rare. I...

Tags: Abraham, Bible, Genesis, Kings, Noah, Portion of the Week, Prophets

The Day of 100+ Years…

Or, My Problem With ‘The Plan.’ For me, being a prison chaplain involved being deposed numerous times as many of my inmates fought for their religious rights. I spent hours sitting at a lawyer’s table being deposed, and even more hours sitting outside the office or a conference...

Mountain Fishing

J. Accused me of always bagging his books as soon as he had begun to read them. I said, "it's like fishing. I see you've got a bite. I want your line. I want to pull it in." Katherine Mansfield January 30, 1921 ‘Moses came and summoned...

Tags: Commitment, Evidence of Things Not Seen, Katherine Mansfield, Mountain climbing, Revelation, Sinai, W.H. Murray, Yitro

The Plan: Process Without Illness

The tricky part of illness is that, as you go through it, your values are constantly changing. You try to figure out what matters to you, and then you keep figuring it out. It felt like someone had taken away my credit card and I...

Tags: Beshalach, Yitro

In Prison

Having been homebound for so many years, I smoothly slid into quarantine. The relatively easy adjustment for me and the contrasting emotional turmoil experienced by others, and the strange and contradictory reactions of so many, reminded me of an essay written by Elizabeth Bishop in...

Tags: Elizabeth Bishop, Paul Valery, Quarantine, The Enormous Room

Story Magic VI – Spellbound

The First Edition of the London Review of Books, the beginning of a long relationship with superb writing of masters with whom I disagree on most important ideas, began with the following paragraph: “Borges has written (and it is certainly true of Borges) that the writer...

Tags: Jacob, Josef, Miketz, Reuben, Vayeishev, Yetzer Harah

The Straight Way Was Lost

I read each stage of this week’s parsha and I kept thinking of the opening line of Dante’s Divine Comedy: “In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself in a dark wood where the straight way was lost.” “Jacob took an...

Tags: Asarah BiTevet, Dante, Jacob, Joseph, Reuben, Tamar, Teshuvah, Vayeishev

Tolstoy and the Golden Calf Part Three

"Before Yeravam ben Nevat, the people of Israel nursed from a single calf. Thereafter, they nursed from three; the one of the Golden Calf and the two of Yeravam (Sanhedrin 102a)." How could the person about whom the Talmud says, “The Torah knowledge of Yeravam was...

Tags: Bible, Golden Calf, Ki Tisa, Kings, Yeravam ben Nevat

Tolstoy and the Golden Calf Part Two

I remember one day in the early spring when I was alone in the forest listening to the sounds of the woods. I listened and thought about the one thing that had constantly occupied me for the last three years. Again I was searching for...

Tags: God, Golden Calf, Ki Tisa, man & God

Tolstoy and the Golden Calf

This is what happened to me: in the course of a whole year, when almost every minute I was asking myself whether I should end it all with a rope or a bullet, my heart was tormented with an agonizing feeling. This feeling I can...

Tags: Daniel, Golden Calf, Ki Tisa

Tested by Spiders

I only notice them on Shabbat, up toward the ceiling; spiders. There’s nothing I can do about them because of Shabbat. I may not kill them, or even trap them to move them outside. I may not even plan to kill them after Shabbat, because...

Tags: Abraham, Akeidah, Shabbat, Vayeira

Reading the Text: Haftarah Zachor VII

Transcribed and prepared by Anna Beller: And Shmuel said to Shaul; even if you are small in your own eyes, you come from the smallest Binyamin, and Binyamin has history with Yehudah. Because the Gemara says then when the time came to cross the Red...

Tags: General Providence, Haftarah, Individual Providence, Prophecy, Purim, Samuel, Zachor

Reading the Text: Haftarah Zachor VI

Transcribed and prepared by Anna Beller: “Shmuel woke up order to greet Shaul early.” He was crying the whole night, so I don’t know how he woke up early, he must have fallen asleep. “And it was told to Shmuel saying, Shaul has come to...

Tags: General Providence, Haftarah, Individual Providence, Prophecy, Purim, Samuel, Zachor

The Music of Halacha; Prayer For An Apostate

In Turkey, where Jews generally enjoyed freedom of religion, a grave misfortune befell a Jewish family in the city of it is mere at the beginning of the 18th century. A member of this family left home with a small son, to forsake his

Tags: Ezekiel, Lech Lecha, Mishlei, Music of Halacha, Prayer, Repentance, Vaeira, Yoel

Where's Moshe?

[caption id="attachment_1972" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="Just Beyond Reach"][/caption] Image courtesy of http://debiperalta.artistwebsites.com/ In December 1974 the Austrian economist Friedrich August von Hayek received one of the first Nobel Prizes in economics. Hayek titled his speech “The Pretence of Knowledge.” Concluding his speech, he warned, “If man...

Tags: Mishpatim, Torah

Opportunities

How odd! They were slaves less than two months ago. The first law that is presented in this portion is about a slave. The Torah describes a slave who does not want to leave his master. His life as a slave is better than his...

Tags: Mishpatim

Pip Makes A Decision!

[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...

Tags: Shavuot, Yitro

Not Even Listening

[caption id="attachment_1745" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="I'm Mot Listening!"][/caption] It seems that this is a night for arguments. My wife and I had to go to the hospital and I wanted to go out and warm the car for her. She wanted to go out and warm...

Tags: Prophecy, Shema, Vayeira

Table Talk: Vayeishev

Free Choice vs. God's Providence

Does God determine our choices?

(37:24) "And they took him and they threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water

Tags: Comforting Mourners, Individual Providence, man & man, Samuel, Vayeishev

Table Talk: Vayishlach

I’d have killed him! Jacob wrestled an angel of God, whatever that means, and won. He surely could have killed, or at least, defeated Eliphaz whsent by Esau to murder Jacob. Why did he

Tags: Spiritual Realm, Vayishlach

Table Talk II: Vayishlach

“For I crossed the Jordan with only my staff.” The Midrash explains that Eliphaz was sent by Eisav to murder Yaakov, but Yaakov gave him all his money and said, “A destitute

Tags: Vayishlach

Taking A Walk

When my father zt”l would walk up from behind, gently grab my arm and say, “Let’s walk,” I always felt a special warmth and connection. Most of those walks did not have an agenda, and, in fact, were usually silent. We simply walked. They differed...

Tags: Abraham, Halacha, Lech Lecha

Table Talk: Noach

Natural or Miraculous: The deluge was certainly a great miracle; it was not a natural occurrence. Yet, God instructs Noah to construct an ark, so that he will have a practical

Tags: Adam's Sin/Garden of Eden, Noach, Spiritual Realm

Ready To Fight!

In the clearing stands a boxer And a fighter by his trade And he carries the reminders Of ev'ry glove that laid him down Or cut him till he cried out In his anger and his shame "I am leaving, I am leaving" But the fighter still remains From ‘The Boxer,’ by Simon...

Tags: Body & Soul, Shema

Haftarah Discussions: Vayeitzei

I. Contradictions: “My people is unsure about returning to Me; it is summoned to the Most High One, but it does not rise in unity.” (Hosea 11:7) Do not read “it is summoned to the Most

Tags: God, Haftarah, Hosheia, Love & Fear of God, Vayeitzei

The Music of Halacha: Shabbat 19: Shabbat Words

“A mensch tracht, und Gott lacht,” A person plans, and God laughs. I was planning to take a Pesach break from writing a Music of Halacha about Shabbat, but God had different plans. We have been focusing

Tags: Haggadah, Music of Halacha, Pesach, Shabbat

Countdown To Chanukah 10 – Celestial Light

Please allow me to continue to advocate for Psalm 43 (“Illuminating Path To Redemption”) to be added to the Chanukah liturgy: “Vindicate me, O God, champion my cause against faithless people; rescue me from the treacherous, dishonest man. 2 For You are my God, my stronghold; why have...

Tags: Habakuk, Menorah

Countdown or Countup (Can’t Decide) To Asarah b’Tevet 2 – God Prefers Joy

Why begin a 30 Day Countdown to a Fast Day, Asarah b’Tevet? Do we not live with expectation the, over the next thirty days, it (and the Eighth and the Ninth) will be transformed into a Festival: As Rav Ḥana bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida...

Tags: Asarah BiTevet, Kuzari

Shabbat Themes-Shabbat HaGadol-Accomplishment

All the early commentators ask, why did God not create the world at an earlier time? (Eitz Chaim, D'rush Egolim v'Yashar 1) Is not action always better than nothingness? And furthermore, why did God's will change

Tags: Isaiah, Kohelet, Malachi, Pesach, Shabbat HaGadol, Tetzaveh

Amidah-Vaeira-Each Patriarch

“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Exodus 6:3).” The reason God did not lump the patriarchs together but referred to each one by name is, that God's relationship with each of the patriarchs was based on

Tags: Amidah, Prayer, Vaeira

Amidah-Vaeira-See Our Suffering

“The Lord spoke to Moses and said to him, 'I am God.' I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as 'E-l Sha-ddai', but with My Name 'God' I did not make Myself known to them (Exodus 6:2-3).” God begins

Tags: Prayer, Redemption, Vaeira

Shema-Vaeira-Truth and Faith

We are required to believe completely in Divine Providence, which is the source of everything even though the human intellect cannot comprehend it. Only after believing completely is it possible to understand

Tags: Prayer, Psalms, Shema, Vaeira

Becoming Pointers

I was walking toward the synagogue I was privileged to lead when I saw a distraught woman storm out and walk directly toward the church a block or so away. I couldn’t catch up to her before she entered the church, so I waited outside...

Tags: Blessings, Garden of Eden, Tu B'Av

The Music of Halacha: The Great and the Many

The most powerful symphony of The Music of Halachah is when the law connects to prayer, philosophy and other laws; when all the instruments play in perfect harmony. This past Shabbat, I heard just such a symphony

Tags: Devarim, Music of Halacha, Shabbat, Shema, Tehillim, Tzitzit

Reading the Text: Haftarah Zachor V

Transcribed and prepared by Anna Beller: “The word of God came to Shmuel saying, I regret that I made Shaul the king, he turned away from Me, he did not keep My word.” Does it say what Shaul did? “And Shmuel was angry, and he cried out...

Tags: Free will, General Providence, Haftarah, Individual Providence, Purim, Samuel, Zachor

Responsibility

[caption id="attachment_1879" align="alignleft" width="290" caption="Responsibility"][/caption] I am reposting this blog on the first anniversary of the Haitian earthquake: It is far easier to work for the BNN, the Biblical News Network, and report on thousands of years and cities of Jewish history, than it is to...

Tags: Beshalach, Haftarah, Judges, Man's Responsibility, Purpose of Creation

The Host

[caption id="attachment_1895" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="The Perfect Host"][/caption] The 23rd Chapter of Proverbs begins; “When you sit down to dine with a ruler, know well what lies before you.” Rashi explains that you must know your host. If the host is generous; you may insult him by...

Tags: Beshalach, Haggadah, Individual Providence, Mishlei

Haftarah: Lech Lecha: Grow Wings and Fly

Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16:“Why do you say, ‘My way is hidden from God, and my cause has been passed over by the Lord?’” What an interesting way to begin the Haftarah for the portion

Tags: Haftarah, Isaiah, Lech Lecha, Man's Responsibility

The Hyrax and The S'chach: Perceptions Matter

Can you explain for me, please, how come that its written that ‘HASHAFAN KI MA’ALEI GEIRA’ - ‘And the Hyrax, for it brings up its cud, but its hoof is not split – it is unclean to you.’ (Leviticus 11:5) when it’s against nature. So...

Tags: man & God, Succot, Torah, use of the world

Royal Messages: The Hearts of Kings

“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...

Tags: Elul, Malchuyot, Midrash, Mishlei, Rosh Hashana

Talking To The Wall

“Rabbi, I usually feel when I pray that I am talking to the wall!” “Rabbi; when I read or hear people say to a child, ‘Your father is now in heaven,’ to console him, I shudder. I wonder how much we choose to believe simply to...

Tags: Man's Soul, Prayer, Questions

The Ongoing Revelation

Pinocchio-nosed frogs, gargoyle-faced geckos and the world's smallest wallaby are among the newly identified species discovered during an expedition to Indonesia's remote Foja Mountains and announced today. The newfound species they detailed include several new mammals, a reptile, an amphibian, at least 12 insects and...

Tags: Creation, Hallel, Revelation, Shavuot, Sinai

Mine!

Tags: Adam's Sin/Garden of Eden, Vayikra

Psalm 27: For What Do We Thirst?

“In Your behalf, my heart has said, ‘Seek My Presence’, Your Presence, God, do I seek.” (Verse 8) “My soul thirsts for the Lord, for the Living Power, when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:3) For what do you thirst? I do not...

Tags: Rosh Hashanah, Tehillim, Yom Kippur

Rainbows

I was asked to explain the following Halacha in light of this week’s portion, Noah: Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 229:1: One who sees a rainbow should say: “Who remembers the covenant, is trustworthy in His covenant, and fulfils His word.” It...

Tags: Blessings, Music of Halacha, Noach

Looking For Babel VII – In Mutual Respect

‘Then Judah went up to him and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant appeal to my lord, and do not be impatient with your servant, you who are the equal of Pharaoh.” (44:18 - sefaria.org)’ I read this confrontation between Judah and Joseph, and although...

Tags: 9/11, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Judah, Solomon, Tower of Babel, Vayigash, Vayishlach

Language That Can Stop Tower Building

How should a father explain the intended Tower of Babel to a four-year old child who is seeing the Empire State Building for the first time? The historical plaques explain the wondrous engineering history as a Modern Wonder of the World. It was fair to believe...

Tags: Babel, Bereishit, Power of Speech

Story Magic IV – Yetzer/Creativity

I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of...

Tags: Evil Inclination, Jacob, Josef, Miketz, Vayeishev, Vayeitzei, Vayishlach, Yetzer

Story Magic Part Three – Mapping Journeys

One of the innumerable reasons for revering Homer Simpson is that he once coined a memorably pithy definition of fiction. At the end of one episode of The Simpsons the family is shown mulling over the preceding plot-line in an endeavor to discern what lesson...

Tags: Angels, Eisav, Esau, Jacob, Laban, Lavan, Vayeitzei, Vayishlach

Counting To Asarah BiTevet – Go To Your Room! Part Two

In “Go To Your Room Part One,” we applied Isaiah’s instruction, “Go, my people, enter your chambers, And lock your doors behind you. Hide but a little Until the indignation passes (Isaiah 26:20 - sefaria.org),” to quarantine, the Clouds of Glory, and even the Garden...

Tags: Bavel, Chatam Sofer, Nebuchadnezzar

Countdown To Chanukah 12 – Threefold Boundary

Toward the conclusion of Parshat Vayeitzei we discover, according to the Megaleh Amukot, two allusions to the Chanukah story. We discussed one in “Countdown To Chanukah 13 - From Beginning To End.” I would like to attempt to delve into the depths of Rabbi Nathan...

Tags: Al Han, Jacob, Laban, Megaleh Amukot

Jacob’s Chanukah – First Steps On His Journey

Monasticism tells us something important about the structure of our humanity. Almost every single one of the major world traditions has developed some form of cenobitic life. Just as some people - at all times and in all cultures - have felt impelled to become...

Tags: Parsha, Toledot

Haftarah Ki Tisa Part Three

Why did Obadiah think that Ahab would kill him if Elijah disappeared? Would the King not trust his servant that Elijah had appeared only to disappear? After all, Elijah had been successfully hiding for almost 3 years.

Tags: Haftarah, Haftarot, Ki Tisa, Kings, Prophecy

Haftarah Ki Tisa Part Four

“Elijah said, 'As God, Master of Legions, lives, before Whom I have stood, today I will appear to him!” Why does Elijah refer to God in this statement as “Master of Legions?” Why does he insert the phrase, “before Whom I have stood?”

Tags: Haftarah, Haftarot, Ki Tisa, Kings, Prophecy

Ki Teitzei & Rembrandt

Years ago I read a book by Anthony Storr, “Churchill’s Blackdog and Kafka’s Mice,” an exploration of how mental illness plays a role in creativity and achievement. Dr. Storr describes how Churchill’s battle with depression empowered him to assume the role of prime minister in the...

Tags: Elul, Ki Teitzei

The Poisoned Letter

“Jezebel sent an emissary to Elijah saying, ‘Thus may the gods do to me and thus may they increase upon me, unless at this time tomorrow I shall set your soul as one of them’ (I Kings 19:2).” As my father zt”l read underlying message:...

Tags: Haftarah, Kings, Pinchas

Confronting Jezebel

“Then Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and all that he had slain - all the false prophets - with the sword (I Kings 19:1).” “Where’s Elijah?” was on the minds of all as Ahab returned home, none more than the king. Ahab...

Tags: Ahab, Bible, Elijah, Haftarah, Jezebel, Kings, Pinchas

Hesitation

“And the hand of God was upon Elijah, so he girded his loins and ran before Ahab until the approach to Jezreel (I Kings 18:46).” I am sure that Ahab, the king, was pleased and relieved that although the contest on Mount Carmel began as...

Tags: Ahab, Elijah, Haftarah, Kings, Pinchas

What Would Moshe Have Done? Part One

In the year 427 B.C.E., a ship sailed from Athens for the Greek island of Mytilene, a region that had revolted against Athenian rule and lost. They had colluded with Athens’s greatest rival, Sparta. The soldiers on the warship were instructed to kill every Mytilenian...

Tags: Chukat, Portion of the Week, Torah

In His Clutches

Teresa of Avila mentions in her dramatic autobiography that her prayers were continuously interrupted by the Devil and her serious thought was replaced by nonsense. (Me too) She also endowed Satan with bad temper and false humility. At one point Satan visited her, and Teresa...

Tags: Satan, Shelach, Tzitzit

Table Talk: Behar-Bechukotai

Dealing With Evil: Is it better to focus on destroying evil or on turning the evil into good? The verse in this week’s portion says, “I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land.” (Vayikra 26:6)

Tags: Bechukotai, Behar, Isaiah, Job, Judges, Table Talk, Tehillim, Torah

Ever Since Adam & Cain Part One

Ever since the time of Adam we have been struggling with the “Bread” issue. Adam originally could eat the “perfect food” of the trees of the Garden. However, once he sinned, his reality became, “By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread.” Adam...

Tags: Adam's Sin/Garden of Eden, Bo, Creativity, Emor, Genesis, Kayin, Man's Responsibility, Manna, Shabbat, use of the world

Reading the Text: Haftarah Zachor IV

Transcribed and prepared by Anna Beller: Listen to how Reb Tzadok reads this: Shaul understood, that this was not just a fight with the nation but a fight with the exile, so he said like this, “It’s not enough to destroy an external yetzer hara,...

Tags: Adam's Sin/Garden of Eden, General Providence, Haftarah, Individual Providence, Samuel, Zachor

Haftarah Ki Tisa Part Two

[caption id="attachment_4476" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Haftarah"][/caption] “Obadiah was on the road and behold! Elijah was opposite him; he recognized him and fell on his face and said, 'Is this you, my master Elijah?'” How strange! The verse already pointed out that Obadiah recognized Elijah, enough for...

Tags: Ahab, Bible, Elijah, Haftarah, Ki Tisa, Kings, Obadiah, Prophecy

Haftarah Ki Tisa Part One

I Kings 18:1-39: “It happened after many days that the word of God came, to Elijah, in the third year, saying,' Go, be seen by Ahab; I shall give the gift of rain upon the face of the land.''” God does not command Elijah to...

Tags: Ahab, Elijah, Haftarah, Ki Tisa, Kings, Obadiah, Prophecy

Evil Exposed At Its Highest

[caption id="attachment_1782" align="alignleft" width="230" caption="Brilliant Strategies"][/caption] We have left many questions unanswered in The Future, The Mouth, Back To The Garden and The Informant. A few people mentioned that they are frustrated when I leave unanswered questions, and end a post with To Be...

Tags: Battle Between Good & Evil, Evil, God & Israel, Haggadah, Pesach, Shemot, Strategies

Table Talk: Shemot

Names:This week’s portion, Shemot, (names) is also the beginning of Sefer Shemot, the Book of Names. The text begins with a list of names, but quickly switches to job descriptions,

Tags: Shemot

Job Descriptions

[caption id="attachment_1761" align="alignleft" width="239" caption="Job Descriptions"][/caption] The Sages teach us that the Egyptians gave everyone jobs at which they were not skilled in order to increase their frustration and prevent them from having any sense of accomplishment. How did the Sages know? The Foundation Stone™ did...

Tags: Haggadah, Pesach, Shemot

Haftarah Discussions: Shabbat Chanukah I

I. Measuring The Good That We Do: “And the Satan was standing on his right side to accuse him.” (Zechariah 3:1) “The heart of a wise person is to his right.” The Yetzer Tov, the Good

Tags: Chanukah, Haftarah, Torah, Zechariah

The Strategies of the Evil Inclination

Nimrod had a problem. He had planned to rid himself of the Abraham problem and his idea of One God. Abraham was thrown into a heated furnace and survived. No one could believe his or her eyes. They had witnessed a great miracle. Everyone was silent,...

Tags: Genesis, Lech Lecha

The Stealing Month

Both the father and his son were different: The father prayed for years to have a child. I knew from numerous conversations that, no matter how much he wanted a child, he was even more desperate for his wife to bear a child. I observed...

Tags: Elul, Prayer, Toledot

The Things We Carry

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...

Tags: Elul, Rosh Hashana

acnestis, foudroyantism, & yeuks

It is inevitable that my sesquipedalianism will win out when I intend to bloviate in preparation for the Shofar’s callithump of our seeming victory, albeit frangible, over the Yetzer Harah’s (Evil Inclination) chicanery through acnestis, yeuks, vellication, and obnubilation, and at times, foudroyant attacks. I suspect...

Tags: Rosh Hashanah, Shofar, Yom Kippur

Itching For A Good Fight

“There are evils…that men inflict upon one another, such as tyrannical domination of some of them over others.” (The Guide For The Perplexed 3:2) Maimonides rose to his position as leader of the Jewish community of Egypt by battling Yahya Abu Zikri, who called himself Sar...

Tags: Bible, Elul

The Desert With Poetry, Or, Life Without?

Having confessed his crime (writing love poems to the Prince’s mistress), the straight young knight from Venice stood all alone, above the royal palace court, to hear his fate: “You have a choice. So listen and decide. Either: retire to the desert, and take a vow to forfeit women, wine, and...

Tags: Nasso, Nazir, Poetry, Sotah

The Music of Halacha: Rambam on Intention

We began the Music of Halacha series on Shabbat by focusing on the intention of our actions. We find similar concepts in the laws of The Laws of Murderers and the Protection

Tags: Music of Halacha, Shabbat

Table Talk: Lech Lecha

Using Up Our Merit: Rashi teaches that Abraham was concerned after his miraculous victory over the Four Kings (The First Step) lest his victory was ‘paid for’ by his merit. Rav Yisroel Salanter

Tags: Lech Lecha, Man's Responsibility, Man's Soul

Tisha B'Av: Our Weapon in the Battle of Good vs Evil

My friend’s long-time, (and I would add; long-suffering,) secretary received a marriage proposal from a successful businessman. She was worried that, approaching her late thirties, she may never have another chance to have children, and upon my friend’s advice, accepted. My friend, L, and his...

Tags: Kinot, Lamentations, Tisha B'Av

The Plan: The Smile of Heaven

We wandered to the Pine Forest That skirts the Ocean’s foam, The lightest wind was in its nest, The tempest in its home. The whispering waves were half asleep, The clouds were gone to play, And on the bosom of the deep The smile of Heaven lay; It seemed as if the hour...

Tags: Beshalach, Elim, Marah, Song of the Sea

Countdown To Chanukah – The Extraordinary Ordinary

“I love that God hears my voice, my supplications (Psalm 116:1).” “How can I respond to God for all His empowering benefits toward me (Verse 12)?” John P. Weiss, introduced me to the thought of Jean Vanier’s “From Brokenness To Community”. Two of this philosopher/theologian’s teachings have made...

Tags: Jean Vanier, John P Weiss, Love

Countdown To Asarah BiTevet – Fasting From Negativity

The Tenth of Tevet is sad enough even before we tack on the eighth and ninth for other reasons. We also learned from the Kuzari that “God Prefers Joy.” I think we all agree that we have had more than enough sad days over the past nine...

Tags: Asarah BiTevet, charoset, Joy, Marror, Matzah, Rabbi Meir of Premishlan, Seder

Countdown or Countup (Can’t Decide) To Asarah b’Tevet 2 – God Prefers Joy

Tags: Asarah BiTevet, Kuzari

Gaps In The Clouds

[caption id="attachment_29927" align="alignleft" width="300"] John Ruskin's "Fragments of the Alps"[/caption] There are many spots among the inferior ridges of the Alps…, which, though commanding prospects of great nobleness, are themselves very nearly types of all that is most painful to the human mind. Vast wastes of...

Tags: Golden Calf, Shemot

A Formula For Happiness

I discovered a perfect formula to describe the segue from the intensity of Yom Kippur in David Hartley’s vest-pocket edition of his moral and religious philosophy in the formula W = F2 / L Where W is the love of the world, F is the fear of God And...

Prayer Skills-Vaeira-Joy and Fear

“The Lord spoke to Moses and said to him, 'I am God' (Exodus 6:2).” Why does the Torah not tell us what the Lord said when He spoke? Why he does God referred to Himself as God after He had already told Moses Who

Tags: Prayer, Vaeira

Shema-Pesach-With Love

The Tzanzer Rebbe once broke down in tears. “It is known that a man may study the Torah,” he said, “lead a holy life and pray regularly and still belong to the Other Side. Perhaps, for all my learning and prayer I still belong

Tags: Haggadah, Pesach, Shema

Countdown to Pesach-26-The Gerer Rebbe

The Gerer Rebbe said: We find that the division of the waters of the Red Sea accomplished the beneficent result of instilling into Israel the virtues of Awe of God and of true belief in Him. As it is said, “And the people were in awe

Tags: Beshalach, Haggadah, Pesach, Shema

Torah Study-Zachor-Nothing is Hidden

It is written, “I am God, I do not change (Malachi 3:6).” With regard to the wicked, however, God does change, but He conceals Himself with many covers. Such individuals are empty and desolate. With respect to such people,

Tags: Haftarah, Ki Tavoh, Malachi, Psalms, Samuel, Zachor

Shema-Terumah-All Our Hearts

The divine soul of man is transmitted and descends to this world to be clothed in a human body, through the mystery of speech. This is the supernal Breath, regarding which it is written, “And God breathed into man's nostrils,

Tags: Emor, Genesis, Ha'azinu, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Mishkan, Prayer, Psalms, Shema, Terumah, Vaetchanan

Shema-Shekalim-Divrei Shmuel

The 19th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shmuel Weinberg of Slonim, the Divrei Shmuel (1916 per Hamodia 2011[Yated 2008 says 1936]). Grandson of Rav Avraham of Slonim, the Yesod HaAvodah. He was succeeded

Tags: Shekalim, Shema, Vaetchanan

Shema-Vaeira-Reciprocal Love

There is yet another righteous way, available to all and easily accessible, to arouse and kindle the light of love for God that is implanted and concealed in our hearts, so that it can shine forth like a burning fire; intensely

Tags: God & Israel, Isaiah, Mishlei, Mitzvot & their effect, Shema, Vaeira

Taking It With You-Vaeira-Levels of Fear

The cry of the Children of Israel to God when they were in Egypt was because of the fear of physical destruction. This is fear of punishment, which is the lowest and least valuable type of fear. There are many types

Tags: Prayer, Vaeira

Parsha Mitzvot: Ki Tavo: Mitzvah 606 – Concept 272

“This very day, God, your Lord, commands you to perform these decrees and these statutes, and you shall observe and perform them with all your heart and all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 26:16) This is the meaning of the verse, “Let us come...

Tags: Ki Tavoh, Ki Teitzei, Mitzvot & their effect, Prayer

Joyous Trembling: Introduction

One of the important verses that is used to describe our service of God during the month of Elul and on Rosh Hashanah is, “Serve God with fear, and rejoice with trembling (Psalms 2:11).” We are encouraged to be happy on Rosh Hashanah despite the...

Tags: Rosh Hashana, Tehillim

Elul Hallel VI.II

“God is with me, I have no fear; what can people do to me?” (Psalms 118:6) The ‘people’ mentioned refer to the ‘man’ described in Daniel’s vision of the Four Beasts,when he says, “I was watching in night visions and behold! with the clouds of...

Tags: Elul, Hallel, Obadiah, Rosh Chodesh, Tehillim, Vayigash

Elul Hallel VI.I

“Give thanks to God Who is good, for His kindness is forever! Let Israel declare that His Kindness is forever! Let the House of Aaron declare that His kindness is forever! Let those who are in awe of God declare that His kindness if forever! “ (Psalms 118:1-4) Rav...

Tags: Elul, Hallel, Rosh Chodesh, Tehillim

Elul Hallel V

“For His kindness has overwhelmed us, and the truth of God is eternal, Halleluyah!” (Psalms 117:2) Rabbi Baruch Ber Leibovitz, Rosh Yeshiva of Kaminetz, shared the following story with my grandfather, Rav Ruderman zt”l, when my grandfather was a young teenager: The Vilna Gaon went...

Tags: Elul, Hallel, Rosh Chodesh, Tehillim

Elul Hallel IV

“I will raise the cup of salvations and the Name of God I will invoke.” (Psalms 116:13) The Talmud (Pesachim 119b) offers a remarkable explanation of this verse: R. ‘Avira lectured, Sometimes stating it in R. Ammi's, Sometimes in R. Assi's name: What is meant...

Tags: Elul, Hallel, Repentance, Rosh Chodesh, Tehillim

Elul Hallel III

“May God increase upon you, upon you and upon your children!” (Psalms 115:3) Rav Chaim Kanievsky (Ta’ama Dikra) points out that the increase mentioned cannot refer to children as the verse also says, “upon your children.” Therefore, the increase is in terms of what the...

Tags: Elul, God & Israel, Hallel, Rosh Chodesh, Tehillim

Elul Hallel II

“Who turns the rock into a pond of water, the flint into a flowing mountain.” (Psalms 114:8) The water that issued forth from the rock is far beyond the rules of nature. Generally, God desires to minimize the miraculous. It would have been sufficient for...

Tags: Elul, Hallel, Repentance, Rosh Chodesh, Tehillim

Feeling Vulnerable: Kavod haTorah II

I’m feeling vulnerable! Just when we thought the worst was over and moved everything back outside, the wind began to really blow! A huge tree just in front of our home blew down pulling the electrical cables with it, and put the entire neighborhood into...

Tags: Kavod Hatorah

Real Kavod haTorah

Irene was not my first hurricane. That was Agnes in 1971. One story went around the Jewish community about the Shamash of the synagogue in Wilkes-Barrie, PA, a Holocaust survivor, who, despite being a very old man, rather than evacuate as did everyone else, ran...

Tags: Kibud Av v'Eim

Elul Hallel I

“Moshivi akeret Habayiy, eim habanim semeicha, Halleluyah!” “He transforms the barren wife into a glad mother of children, Halleluyah!” (Psalms 113:9) Sitting, as in Yeshibah: The first meaning given to this term in our language was that of being seated. Thus, “Now Eli the priest sat...

Tags: Elul, Hallel, Repentance, Rosh Chodesh, Tehillim

Re’ei: Finding the Joy

“You shall eat there before God, your Lord, and you shall rejoice with your every undertaking, you and your households, as God, your Lord, has blessed you (Deuteronomy 12:7).”

The Mechanic & The Artist

My ten-year-old nephew was visiting from Argentina and gave a demonstration of his Tai Kwon Do forms. It was fantastic to watch him go through the complex movements, but something was missing from his performance; he was mechanistically perfect but there was no poetry in...

Tags: Eikev, Mezuzah, Shema

Haftarah Bamidbar: Experiencing God’s Love

Hosea 2:1-22 - In order for the prophet to properly serve in his role as teacher and rebuker, he first had to experience the depth of God’s love for Israel: Hosea had been quick in condemning Israel and saying to God,

Tags: Bamidbar, Haftarah, Hosheia

The Catastrophic Jew

I am still shaken by the Rebuke in last week’s portion. (Leviticus, Chapter 26) What does it take for us to face our Jewishness? In 1940 Simone Weil wrote to the French Minister of Education about the Vichy government’s legislation prohibiting the employment of Jews in...

Tags: Bamidbar, Bechukotai, God & Israel, Tochacha, Vayikra

Table Talk: Shemini

Before or After: “Just as God sat for the seven days of mourning, during the seven days of Creation, for the world that would be destroyed in the Flood, so too, Aaron and his sons sat Shiva

Tags: Mourning, Noah, Shemini, Table Talk

Six Constant Mitzvot: Orach LaTzaddik: Fear of Heaven

The 26th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Eliezer Lippa (ben Elimelech) of Chelminik, Poland (1813). The son of the Rebbe Reb Meilich, he wrote Orach Latzadik.

Playing With Fire

[caption id="attachment_4512" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Be Careful!"][/caption] I don't know how else to say it, he loves to play with fire. I've known him almost my entire life, and he has always enjoyed pushing things as close as possible to the edge. For example, he, a...

Tags: Shabbat, Vayakhel

Table Talk: Yitro

Were the Warnings Necessary? Moses was confused. God had already charged him to warn Israel to maintain the boundaries of Sinai and yet instructed Moses to repeat the warning. Shockingly,

Tags: man & God, Prayer, Prophecy, Shema, Yitro

Informers

[caption id="attachment_1778" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Informant"][/caption] "He went out the next day, and behold! Two Hebrew men were fighting. He said to the wicked one, 'Why would you strike your fellow?' He replied, "Who appointed you as a dignitary, a ruler, and a judge over...

Tags: Shemot

Haftarah Discussions: Vayishlach

Too Awed To Speak: Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vorki was once asked by a Chassid why he did not speak as often as other Chassidic Rebbes. He responded with his twist on a story

Tags: Chanukah, Haftarah, Obadiah, Prophecy, Spiritual Realm, Torah, Vayishlach

Sound Bites: Beautifying Our Speech

“Naftali is a hind let loose who delivers beautiful sayings.” (Genesis 49:21 Beautiful sayings is “Imrei Shafer”. We again find the word shofar associated with beauty. (See Soundbites 1 & 2) Naftali’s name is related to Tefillah – Prayer. The ‘beautiful sayings” refer to his ability...

Tags: Elul, Jewish Holydays, Rosh Hashana, Shofar, Speech, Vayechi

Going To War

I heard the following story about a soldier under his command, from a non-observant ranking IDF officer: The young man lives in a small Moshav in Israel. His family finished the Seder around 4AM, and he sat down to learn Gemara for a few minutes before...

Tags: Elul, Man's Responsibility, Rosh Hashana, Shofar, Shofetim

Shofetim: Asheira – Stirrings of Elul: Ceremonies

“I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.” (Song of Songs 6:4) At first glance it seemed that I was observing an actual Asheira – a tree dedicated as an idol – worshipper. Numerous colorful African scarves were wrapped around his head and...

Tags: Bible, Elul, Mitzvot & their effect, Portion of the Week, Rosh Hashana, Shofetim, Song of Songs

Sharing My Pie

“My dear one,” said the dying woman to her grieving grandson who refused to let go, “I am complete, my life has been full and whole. I know you must see me not being full of much life anymore, but I assure you, I have...

Tags: God, Love, Shema, Vaetchanan

Haftarah: Shemini: Courage

Samuel II 6:1 – 7:17: Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, died when, in their passion, they offered the incense on the altar. The day of great celebration was shattered, but God insisted that

Tags: Haftarah, Samuel, Shemini

Awe of God Toolbox: XV

The siddur is another tool for developing awe. Listen to this. This is what we say in the morning. This was always…especially when you’re depressed, this was a great way to start

Tags: Morning Blessings, Prayer

Awe of God Toolbox: XIV

Another tool is to practice awe on your parents (those of us who merit still having parents). For example, never sit down in your parents chair. Never argue with your parents.

Awe of God Toolbox: XIII

The Gemara says that a Talmid Chacham who does not allow a student to serve him prevents the student from developing Yira’at Shamayim. This idea is played out in a Gemara

Awe of God Toolbox: XII

The prayer Modeh Ani is a great tool to put in your toolbox. It says, thank you for restoring my soul. While I was sleeping You had my soul in your hands. Or, the prayer, Elohai

Tags: Amidah, Morning Blessings, Prayer

Awe of God Toolbox: X

The absolute best tool to develop Yira’at Shamayim is never to speak Lashon Hara. This is because the level of awareness that is demanded by not speaking it is so overwhelming, that

Tags: Lishon Harah

Awe of God Toolbox: IX

Look at the bracha before reciting the Sh’ma: “Enlighten our eyes in your Torah, attach our hearts to your commandments, unify our hearts to love and fear your Name, so that we won’t

Tags: Shema

Awe of God Toolbox: VIII

Every time you open a sefer to learn, if you appreciate that this is Truth, that this comes from God, that these words that have been learnt by generations, and that these words are described

Awe of God Toolbox: VII

Rambam says that Yir’ah will be a natural result of Ahava. That is, as you learn about God, you will want to learn more. As you learn more about God, you will realize how unbelievably

Awe of God Toolbox: VI

If you like verses, whether they are from davening, or from elsewhere in Tanach, if they really touch you, make them part of your vocabulary. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced

Awe of God Toolbox: V

My Uncle Noach zt”l always described this feeling with a story: You’re walking down a dark alley. All of a sudden this dog comes out from the shadows, growling and roaring. Which

Awe of God Toolbox IV

The last issue that we spoke of is that true awe is perceived to be degrading. At some point, a person will say, “Ahh! This person is so great, and I am a nothing.” This is because

Awe of God Toolbox III

The next issue is that you’re going to lose some autonomy. Let me ask you something. If you could feel free of your life patterns, that is patterns of behavior, is that losing autonomy?

Awe of God Toolbox II

The second issue is that many people fear that Yira’at Hashem will limit them. Have you ever heard of those stories when a mother sees her son, God forbid, hit by a truck, and she goes

Awe of God Toolbox: I

Awe or Yirah, related to the word, Yir’ah, meaning ‘to see.’ But first, you must realize that, even more than the previous four Mitzvot, there is an internal conflict within yourself to fight

Awe of God Toolbox: Introduction

The Foundation Stone honors the great victory won by the Jewish midwives in Egypt by virtue of their awe of God, one of the Six Constant Mitzvot by sharing some practical tools to

Haftarah: Toledot: Sure Is A Funny Way To Prove Your Love

Malachi 1:1-2:7 Is the choice of Jacob over Esau the best proof of God’s love for Israel? “I loved you,” said God, and you said, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau a brother of Jacob,

Tags: Ezra, Haftarah, Haggai, Malachi, Suffering, Toledot

Tefillah Class Notes: 9/6/09

1. There is a difference between ‘sacrificing” what I want in order to please someone else and loving someone so much that I desire whatever he or she wants. The former is the usual ingredient of compromise in a relationship: Compromise implying that each party...

Tags: Barriers to Growth, Bible, Elul, King David, Midrash, Rosh Hashana, Rosh Hashanah, Samuel

Elul: Running

Even when one is involved in matters of this world, if his sole desire is to cling to Hashem this yearning [not only leaves a profound impact on the individual] but also elevates the entire material world. The term ratzon, ordinarily translated as grace or will,...

Tags: Elul

Midrash Esther XVIII: Persia & Medea

Another comment on “The Army of Persia and Medea.” Sometimes the text of the Book of Esther mentions Persia before Medea, and sometimes, Medea before Persia. When the sovereignty was from Persia, Medea was secondary, and when the sovereignty was from Medea, Persia was secondary...

Tags: Achashveirosh, Amalek, Bible, Daniel, Esther, Micah, Midrash, Purim

Midrash Esther VIII: To Crush or Absorb

Another explanation of “A hundred, and Twenty, and seven provinces.” Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah debated. Rabbi Judah said: he's subdued seven which were as formidable as twenty, and twenty which were as formidable as a hundred. Rabbi Nehemiah said: he took troops from seven and...

Tags: Achashveirosh, Amalek, Bible, Daniel, Esther, Purim

So What-Vayechi-Morning Blessings-Tents of Jacob

“Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords are stolen weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger

Tags: Balak, Morning Blessings, Prayer, Vayechi

The Music of Halacha: Hachodesh: The Power of Chiddush

“Understand the years of generation after generation (Deuteronomy 32:7).” In each generation, and in each age, there comes from Heaven a new understanding of Torah that speaks to that generation. The righteous

Tags: Ha'azinu, Hachodesh, Mishlei, Music of Halacha, Nitzavim, Rosh Chodesh, Torah

The Music of Halacha: Shabbat: The Creativity of Restriction

Every time I walk into a store to begin my Pesach shopping, I feel a slight twang of nostalgia for the Pesach of my youth. Everything had to be prepared by hand, at home. There were very few Kosher for Passover products

Tags: Music of Halacha, Pesach, Shabbat

The Music of Halacha: A Lasting Impact – Part Three

We have studied Rashi’s and the Rambam’s approach to the idea of “Work that lasts,” in the context of the Shabbat laws. There is a third opinion, that of the Rosh (and, I believe, that of Tosafot, Shabbat 84b, s.v. ‘The way of weaving.’

Tags: Intimacy, Music of Halacha, Prayer, Shabbat

The Music of Halacha: A Lasting Impact: Part Two

“ In The Music of Halacha: A Lasting Impact: Part One,” we examined Rashi’s approach to the lasting impact of what we do as parents and in our Service of God. Let us turn to the Rambam, as explained by the Avnei Nezer:

Tags: Music of Halacha, Parents & Children, Shabbat

The Music of Halacha: A Lasting Impact: Part One

Parents often wonder how lasting an impact their loving care for their young children will have. They wonder whether their children will remember the special trips, the hugs, the time spent playing together, and the enormous effort

Tags: Mitzvot & their effect, Music of Halacha, Parents & Children, Shabbat

The Music of Halacha: Infinite Boundaries Part Two

We ended Part One with me standing in middle of the forest in Lake Tahoe, having mistakenly steeped out of the Techum Shabbat - Shabbat Boundary. I knew that there were Halachic ways to return to the cabin despite leaving the Techum.

Tags: Music of Halacha, Shabbat, Shatnez

Table Talk: Bereishit

The Rebellion of the Earth: God cursed the land after Adam’s sin because Adam’s body was formed from the earth. The earth already contained the seeds of rebellion. When God instructed the earth to produce

Tags: Adam's Sin/Garden of Eden, Genesis

Elul: Ask Your Local Cannibal

Sometimes we have to consult with the strangest people: Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish taught: If you sold your healthy body to the Luddites, who are cannibals, you could have gotten a great price, but now, that you have not cared for your health, you will...

Tags: Elul, Rosh Hashana, The world to come

Mishkan Shiloh: Awareness of God

The 13th of Kislev is the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yosef Shmuel Landau, author of Mishkan Shiloh. He died on November 22, 1836. If prophecy existed, it must be essential for life. Why do we

Tags: Suffering

The Meanings of Healing

We pray for people who are ill in every Amidah, and with countless prayers and psalms. What do we mean when we ask for healing? Do the different definitions change the focus of the prayer? For example: Isaiah 58:8: "Your healing will speedily sprout." This image...

Tags: Chesed, Isaiah, Kings, Refuah, Visiting the Ill

Seeing The Good

A little more than a week ago I prepared for Shabbat as the Turn Around Moment from three days in the Hebrew month of Tevet that have long been associated with tragedy (Preparing For the 8-9-Tenth of Tevet). This Shabbat entered and closed seven days of...

Tags: Adam, Aviva Weisbord, Hakarat Hatov

FedHeads

Our obsession with celebrities is not new. Long ago, Pharaoh understood the need to have the newly freed young man transformed into something bigger than life, before, he placed Joseph over Egypt: ‘And removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand;...

Tags: Abraham, Adam, David, Jacob, Joseph, Lech Lecha, Miketz, Moshe, Nimrod, Vayechi

A Dangerous Silence

"I turned silences and nights into words. What was unutterable, I wrote down. I made the whirling world stand still." Arthur Rimbaud I’ve been receiving unhappy comments about “A Painful Silence,” all day, even from the person who gave the idea to me: “This is not the silence to...

Tags: Francis Bacon, Jacob, Joseph and his Brothers, Questions, Rimbaud, Silence, Vayigash

Dreamers Ambitious & Autocratic

I’m back in Rocinante (My Time Machine) and my first stop is 19th century, Concord to pick up Henry David Thoreau. I assumed he was along to interview Joseph. After all, it was he who said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live...

Tags: Civil Disobedience, Dreams, Goethe, Henry David Thoreau, Josef, Miketz, Pharaoh, Sorrows of Young Werrther

Language That Can Stop Tower Building

Tags: Babel, Bereishit, Power of Speech

Counting To Asarah BiTevet – Fasting Training Exercises

We took a first look at Isaiah the Prophet (58:3) question, “Why, when we fasted, did You not see? When we starved our bodies, did You pay no heed?” Although it is rhetorical, a tool to have Hashem explain what is lacking from our fasting,...

Tags: Anger, frustration, Lishon Harah, Loshon Horah, Midot, Personal Characteristics, Yosher Divrei Emes

Hallel Lights – The Ever Increasing Joy of Becoming

(The night of the Plague of The Firstborn,) Pharaoh went out into the street and cried out, “In the past you were my slaves. Now you are free people; you exist only as servants of the Holy One Blessed is He. You must sing Hallel...

Hallel-Rosh Chodesh Shevat-Sixth Paragraph

Based on the Kavanot for Rosh Chodesh Shevat: Teshuva: We begin our Returning in Love by: “Give thanks to God Who is good, for His kindness is forever! Let Israel declare that His Kindness is forever! Let the House of Aaron declare that His kindness is forever! Let...

Tags: Hallel, Kavanot, Rosh Chodesh, Samuel, Shevat, Tehillim

Hallel-Rosh Chodesh Shevat-Fifth Paragraph

“All you nations; Praise God! Sing compliments, all you peoples! For His kindness overpowers us, and God’s Truth is forever. Hallelukah!” Based on Kavanot for Rosh Chodesh Shevat The Impact of Our Choices: Our expression of gratitude in the Amida in the 18th blessing – Modim – is immediately followed...

Tags: Hallel, Kavanot, Rosh Chodesh, Shevat, Tehillim

The Walk

Almost forty years before this week’s portion of Vayeilech, “And we (Moshe) walked,” God began revelation by saying, “Thus shalt you say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel,” understood as an instruction to teach each person in the manner...

Tags: Abraham, Bible, Halacha, Lech Lecha, Moshe, Rosh Hashana, Sinai, Vayeilech, Vayeira, Yitro

Festival Prayer-Simcha

The Chatam Sofer once observed that a student of his hardly smiled and never seemed to enjoy life. He ordered the student to stop reading moralistic works for a time. “If it makes you so miserable,” the Rabbi exclaimed,

Tags: Pesach

Countdown to Pesach 11-Apter Rav

The 5th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apt, the Ohev Yisrael (1755-1825). He learned under Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk and Rav Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov. In 1800 he accepted the post

Tags: Haggadah, Morning Blessings, Pesach

Fighting To Look Up

Dedicated to the memory of Raizel Devorah bat David Shaykin on her Yahrtzeit “It happened that when Moses raised his hand, Israel grew stronger, and when he lowered his hand, Amalek was stronger (Exodus 17:11).” “Was it Moses’ hands that won the battle or lost it?...

Tags: Amalek, Bishalach, Four Portions, man & man, Moshe, Purim, Zachor

Haftarah-Vayechi-Reading the Text

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, become a man, and observe what God your Lord requires: Walk in His ways,

Tags: Haftarah, Kings, Vayechi

Try It; You'll Like It!

A maitre d’ at a well-known kosher restaurant laughs about customers who come in for a ‘famous dish,’ but cooked according to their instructions. He points out that the dish will not be the famed food for which they came if cooked differently. “Are you...

Tags: Genesis, Re'ei, Shema

Re’ei: Seforno: Rejecting Mediocrity

“See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse (Deuteronomy 11:26).” We learn from this verse, when it says, “See,” that we should always focus our eyes, not on the mediocre or the neutral, as is the custom of so many

Tags: Ashrei, Prayer, Psalms

It's Comforting To Know

Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. Thomas Moore, “Come Ye, Disconsolate” It’s comforting to know that I have friends who are always there for me. It’s comforting to know that I can reconnect with them even after long periods of silence. It’s comforting to know that I have...

Tags: Consolation, Nechama

Balak and Balaam: As Others See Us

O would some Power the gift to give us To see ourselves as others see us! It would from many a blunder free us… Robert Burns: “To a Louse” Balak and Balaam offer us a wonderful opportunity: Balak hired Balaam to curse the Children of Israel. The king of...

Tags: Balak, Portion of the Week, Torah

The Manichaean Candidate

No, it is not a typo or spelling mistake. The Manichaeans, (the original faith embraced by Augustine), the Cathars (from where we derive “catharsis”) and the Bogomils (from where we derive “bugger”) were early dualist faiths. They believed that there were, in fact, two sources...

Tags: Balak, Jewish Philosophy, Jewish Thought, Micah, Portion of the Week

Levi & Korach: A Constant Awakening of Responsibility

The Tribe of Levi appears once again in this week’s portion, Korach, and their role expands even more. The tribe that warred against Shechem, plotted with Shimon against Joseph, stood fast against the psychological warfare of Pharaoh, and fought alongside Moshe after the sin of...

Tags: Ki Tisa, Korach, Vayeishev, Vayishlach

Where Do We Stand? Reflections on Korach

Thales is usually known as the 6th Century BCE philosopher who coined the phrase; “Know thyself.” He also famously predicted the solar eclipse of 585 BCE. He once asked to be taken outdoors by a Thracian girl so he could continue his brilliant study of the...

Tags: Jewish Thought, Korach, man & man, Portion of the Week, Torah

The Blame Game

Almost forty percent of the cases in the Central African Republic’s court system are witchcraft prosecutions. Most of the accused are Pygmies who are known for bewitching each other. Do you have an infected toe? You can accuse your neighbor of hexing you because he...

Tags: Parsha

To Grab or Grip

“In man the most precise function that the hand is capable of is to place the tip of the thumb in opposition to the tip of the index finger, so they make maximum contact. In this position small objects can be manipulated with an unlimited...

Where Everything is Moral

What a strange place to build a community! The theme of the fourth book of the Torah is found in its name, Bamidbar, “In The Desert.” Why the desert? Why is the desert so fundamental to all the stories and laws that develop through this...

Tags: Bamidbar

The Noise of Holiness

Gwen Harwood’s marvelous poem on death ends: [Death]’ll wear my face and yours. Not as we were, thank God. As we shall be When we let go of the world, late ripe fruit falling. What we are is beyond him utterly. As wonderful as her poem may be, I do...

Tags: Emor, Holiness, Kedoshim, Kedusha

Haftarah:Shabbat HaGadol: Empowerment

Malachi 3:4 -24: On this Shabbat, Shabbat Hagadol, a time transition and empowerment, we recall the final words of prophecy in the Bible, which contain the keys

Tags: Ezra, Haftarah, Haggai, Malachi, Pesach, Prophecy, Psalms, Redemption, Shabbat HaGadol, Zechariah

Table Talk: Ki Tisa

The Chess Master

One of the most famous stories about my Uncle Noach zt”l is his chess match against an international chess master. The latter had been studying in Aish HaTorah for a few weeks and was ready to leave.

Tags: Golden Calf, Table Talk

Table Talk: Mishpatim

Marital Obligations

“If he shall take another (wife) in addition to her, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital relationship.” (Exodus 21:10) We derive the Biblical obligations of husband towards his wife from this verse. Why would the Torah choose

Tags: God & Israel, Husband & Wife, Mishpatim

The Merit of The Righteous Women

How do the Sages know? The Talmud teaches that the Jews were saved from Egypt in the merit of the righteous women. How did they know? The first two heroes, or shall I say, heroines of the story are the two midwives, Shifra and Puah, who stand...

Tags: Haggadah, Pesach, Shemot

The Conversion

[caption id="attachment_1749" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Total Clarity"][/caption] “Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe by the river,” the Sages teach means that she went to the Mikva, Ritual Bath, in order to convert? Is that a legend? Or, did they read it in the story? How did...

Tags: Shemot

Haftarah: Vayechi: Be A Man

Kings 1, Chapter 2:1-12:

We can listen in to the final words of King David to his young son, Solomon, who will become

Tags: Haftarah, Kings, Man's Soul, Samuel, Vayechi

Table Talk – Vayeitzei

The Problems with Blessings: Leah’s children, Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Judah, Yissachar and Zebulon each received a blessing that came with baggage: Reuben’s birthright, as the First Born was forfeit to Joseph. Shimon’s

Tags: Blessings, man & man, Vayeitzei

The Meeting Point – Answers

We have some difficult questions about Isaac and Rebecca’s parenting skills. (See Parenting – The Questions) The even more difficult question is why Isaac intended, if he actually did, to bless Esau and not Jacob. Rebecca already knew that hers were children destined to shake the...

Tags: Toledot

Looking For Permanence

[/caption] My wife and I were driving my father zt”l to a wedding in Monsey. As usual, whenever we had an opportunity, we peppered him with questions on all sorts of issues. We knew that every response would be direct, honest and an expression of...

Tags: Eisav, Toledot

An Appreciation of Eliezer

There are unspoken words between Abraham and his servant Eliezer. Abraham sends Eliezer on the most important mission of his great career, to find the proper wife for Yitzchak and to ensure the future of the Jewish people. Eliezer, who has been a devoted servant...

Tags: Chayei Sarah

The First Step

He is literally flying. He experienced life without limitation. Abraham called on the deep wells of his courage to battle evil. He took, what most would have considered an unlikely guerrilla force and fought in open conflict with the mightiest army of his time. He...

Tags: Abraham, Genesis, Lech Lecha

Battles of Weapons and Faith

Abram was sitting and teaching in his Yeshiva. Suddenly, a giant appeared. When Abram and his students saw that Og looked filthy, tired and frightened, they realized that they did not need to fear him. But as soon as they heard his breathless report of...

Tags: Genesis, Lech Lecha

To Hear & To See

They listened and they watched for over a century, but they didn’t hear or see a thing. The farmer who, according to the Sages, invented the plow, changed careers, and gave up his work to become a carpenter in order to build a huge ark....

Tags: Abraham, Babel, Bible, Genesis, Noah, Portion of the Week

Gardeners or Warriors

Xenophon’s Anabasis tells the story of ten thousand Greek mercenaries who were hired under false pretences by a Persian prince, Cyrus the Younger, for an expedition into the hinterland of Asia Minor. Cyrus’ true aim was to oust his brother, Ataxerxes II. They were defeated...

Tags: Adam, Bible, Genesis, Succot

The Great Escape

He was 86 years old, driving carefully when a car full of teenagers swerved directly in front of him. He had to think quickly: Traffic in the opposite direction was heavy, so he swung the car sharply to the right onto the shoulder, thinking better...

Tags: Elul, Repentance, Shofetim

Shofetim: Chasers

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over...

Tags: Amidah, Justice, Prayer, Self-perfection, Shofetim

Shofetim: Marathon Man

Awhile he holds some false way, undebarr’d By thwarting signs, and braves The freshening wind and blackening waves. And then the tempest strikes him; and between The lightning bursts is seen Only a driving wreck, And the pale master on his spar-strew-deck With anguish’d face and flying hair Grasping the rudder hard, Still bent...

Tags: Bible, Jewish Law, Oral Law, Portion of the Week, Shofetim, Torah

Re'ei: The Most Hated Man In The Bible

A knight of the Templar who kills an evil man should not be condemned for killing the man but praised for killing the evil. St Bernard of Clairvaux, Liber Ad Milities Templi Who is the most hated person in the Bible? Pharaoh, Balaam, Korach, Goliath, Nebuchadnezzar and Haman...

Tags: Bible, Portion of the Week

There's Just Something Wrong! – Ir Hanidachat III

We have studied the practical lessons of the Mitzvot/Concepts of the Ir Hanidachat in ‘Beware of Universal Thought’ and ‘Beware Compelling Speakers.’ The latter essay reminded me of a selection from a poem by Goethe: Faust: Dearest, who is there that can say, “I believe in God”? You...

Beware Compelling Speakers – Ir Hanidachat II

In ‘Beware of Universal Thought’ we began to explore the practical lessons of the Mitzvot/Concepts of the Ir Hanidachat, The Wayward City. Two people who can convince every inhabitant of a city, without exception, must be extraordinary persuaders. My father zt”l loved to tell the story of...

Tags: Shemot, Speech

Beware of Universal Thought – Ir Hanidachat I

“If, in one of your cities that God, your Lord, gives you in which to dwell, you hear, saying, ‘Lawless men have emerged from your midst, and they have caused the dwellers of their city to go astray, saying, ‘Let us go and worship the...

Tags: Bishalach, Free will, Good & Evil, Torah

The Powerful and The Steady

Tens of trees in Fieldston were ripped from the ground in those recent winds. There are giant trees lying on the street with huge chunks of the street piled around them. All the people taking Pesach walks stopped to observe the damage to the neighborhood....

Tags: Oral Law, Pirkei Avot

Discoverers

“Kama Ma’alot Tovot Hamakom Aleinu!” This is usually translated as, “The Ominipresent has bestowed so may favors upon us!” However, a more accurate translation would be, “How many Higher Levels of Goodness does the Omnipresent possess over us?” I’ll readily admit that the usual translation,...

Tags: Dayeinu, Haggadah, Maggid, Pesach, Torah

Unmasked

What did Joseph feel at the moment that he revealed himself to his brothers? Was there a sense of relief? Was there anyone else in the world with whom he could be himself? Were there others who could understand Yosef as a human being, the...

Tags: man & man, Prayer, Vayigash

Looking For Permanence II

People often ask me about the Jewish problem with tattoos. I believe that it is an issue with the idea of permanence. (See Looking For Permanence) One of the Jewish inmates I served as a prison chaplain had a tattoo of a heart with a long...

Proud To Be A Duns (Dunce): Food For Thought

John, Doctor Subtilis, of the village of Duns in Berwickshire, Scotland, (1266-1308) developed the notion of “Haecceity” as a way of giving expression to the uniqueness or the indivisible “thisness” of a person. His followers were called “Dun’s Men” from where we get the notion...

Tags: Hashkafa, Jewish Mysticism, Jewish Philosophy, Jewish Thought, Kabbalah, Man's Soul

Haftarah: Noach: A Fragile Future

Isaiah 54 – 55:5: What was it like for Jerusalem in 1948 to watch as Jews streamed back to her from the four corners of the earth after an absence of 2,000 years? What

Tags: General Providence, Haftarah, Isaiah, Noach, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur

The Plan: A Banquet of Consequences

“Sooner or later we all sit down to a banquet of consequences.” (Robert Louis Stevenson) I find that phrase a perfect description of the Pesach Seder! Some of the “consequences” are more obvious than others: Searching for and then ridding our homes of Chametz is intended to identify...

Tags: Bo, Chametz, Consequences, Kadesh, Karpas, Koreich, Maggid, Maror, Matzah, Pesach Seder, Robert Louis Stevenson, Urchatz, Yachatz

Each Small Act

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do as follows: load up your beasts and go at once to the land of Canaan. Take your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt...

Tags: Jacob, Pharaoh, Vayigash

Looking For Babel Part Four – The Garden Path

I don’t recall my father zt”l ever demanding I obey him, or saying, “You must obey because I’m your father!” So, I was shocked, devastated, hurt and saddened today when I arrived at the BNN (Biblical News Network - I’m the [said modestly] star reporter [Naomi...

Tags: BNN, Colin Thubron, Honoring Parents, Rabbi Hershel Shachter, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Silk Road, Yehuda Halevi

Each Step

Immediately upon moving to New York City from Los Angeles I had to pay attention to all the issues of living in a new city and examine them through the eyes of Halacha. I would step out the door of the brownstone on 79th and usually...

Tags: Chesed, Halacha, Mechitza, Metzorah, pets, Tzedaka

Countdown to Chanukah 7 – Healing Light

“And the sun shone for him (Jacob), [Bereishit 32:32 - sefaria.org]” Rabbi Berachia said, “And for whom did the sun not shine? Therefore, the verse is teaching us that the sun healed Jacob from his wound from the wrestling match, but for all other people,...

Tags: Malachi, Midrash, Shabbat Candles

Counting Toward Asarah BiTevet – It Matters To God!

Even Isaiah the Prophet (58:3) asks, “Why, when we fasted, did You not see? When we starved our bodies, did You pay no heed?” Does our Fasting on Asarah BiTevet matter? Does it accomplish anything for Israel, for me, for Hashem? The Ramchal (Messilat Yesharim, Chapter 19)...

Tags: Asarah BiTevet, Messilat Yesharim, Ramchal, zohar

Offerings on Parsha Learning

A Gift From Beyond Offered by Hili, I Always Want, Mor: The sukkah is the mind space, the lulav directs the energy to each section, the etrog is the light, the energy as we move the lulav we are directing the energy toward each section of our...

Tags: Atzlus, Atzvut, Etrog, Kayin, Laziness, Lulav, sadness, Yaakov

Countdown To Chanukah 11 – Illuminating Path to Redemption

For some reason, no one consulted me about which Psalm to add to Chanukah prayers, but I have a few on my mind: This is one choice, Psalm 43: Vindicate me, O God, champion my cause against faithless people; rescue me from the treacherous, dishonest man. 2 For...

Tags: Aaron, Aharon, Malachi, Moses, Moshe

Countdown To Chanukah 19 – Fueled By Energized Mitzvot

“Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel ascended; and they saw the God of Israel: under His feet there was the likeness of a pavement of sapphire, like the very sky for purity (Exodus 24:8-9 - sefaria.org)” We saw in “Fueled By...

Tags: Sefat Emet, Shabbat Candles, zohar

Countdown To Chanukah 26 – Glowing With Gobbled Light

“The climate quickly changed to cold and the trees burst into color, the reds and yellows you can’t believe. It isn’t only color but a glowing, as though the leaves gobbled the light of the autumn sun and then released it slowly. There’s a quality...

Countdown To Chanukah 28 – Absorption and Expansion

He illuminates the earth [and provides light] for those who dwell on it, with compassion (Morning Prayers, Blessings of Shema - sefaria.org) The Abudirham connects this line of prayer to, “Dominion and dread are His; He imposes peace in His heights. Can His troops be numbered?...

Countdown To Chanukah 29 – My Angels of Light

“and pierces the windows of the firmament (Shabbat Morning, Blessings of Shema).” [sefaria.org] Rabbeinu Yehudah ben Yakar calls our attention to the following verse to explain the intention of the word pierces: אָ֣ז יִבָּקַ֤ע כַּשַּׁ֙חַר֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ֖ מְהֵרָ֣ה תִצְמָ֑ח וְהָלַ֤ךְ לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ צִדְקֶ֔ךָ כְּב֥וֹד יְהוָ֖ה יַאַסְפֶֽךָ׃ “Then shall your...

Journeys; The First Step

Nachamu-Nachamu – The Path Forward – Week 4 Part 3 Unedited

Nachamu Nachamu Haftaras Shofteem Week #4 Part 3 Hashem’s Nechama ● There always has to be beauty in what is spoken in the negative Toras Hamincha Rabeinu Yaakov Sakili ● Hashem gave us the three gifts to master who you are, “Mi At”, Mitzvot, Middot, Sechel, moist earth, earth and sun...

Countdown to Pesach 4-Four Cups

The Jews in the Kovno ghetto had no wine for the Pesach Seder. How could they carry out the mitzvah of drinking the Four Cups of Redemption? Rabbi Oshry replied, “Carry it out with four cups of sweet tea.”

Tags: Pesach, Torah

Morning Blessings-Mishpatim-Emerging From Smallness

It is written that before the Torah was given on Sinai, “They stood beneath the mountain (Exodus 19:17).” Our sages teach us that God tipped the mountain over them like a barrel and said, “If you accept the Torah, good; if not,

Tags: Individual Providence, Mishpatim, Morning Blessings, Prayer, Yitro

Amidah-Mishpatim-Da’at

“And these are the ordinances that you shall place before the (Exodus 21:1).” Some of the Torah's commandments are duties that a person's body has to perform. In order to perform these commandments one needs

Tags: Amidah, Mishpatim, Prayer

So What-Vayechi-Hamachazir Neshamot

“The time approached for Israel to die (Genesis 47:29).” The Ari haKadosh writes as follows: You know that the souls have been divided up into numerous “sparks” of sanctity.

Tags: Morning Blessings, Prayer, Vayechi

Parsha Mitzvot: Ki Tavo: Mitzvah 607 – Concept 269

“When you have finished tithing every tithe of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give to the Levite, to the proselyte, to the orphan, and to the widow, and they shall eat in your cities and be satisfied.

Tags: Individual Providence, Ki Tavoh, Ki Teitzei

Parsha Mitzvot: Ki Tavo: Mitzvah 609 – Concept 264

Tags: Individual Providence, Ki Tavoh, Ki Teitzei

Parsha Mitzvot: Ki Tavo: Mitzvah 610 – Concept 263

Tags: Genesis, Ki Tavoh, Ki Teitzei

Parsha Mitzvot: Ki Tavo: Mitzvah 611 – Concept 262

Tags: Ki Tavoh, Ki Teitzei, use of the world

Re'eih: Broken Rules I

At 5AM I was at the stop sign at the entrance to my neighborhood. I was on my way to my morning hike and I didn’t expect too much traffic, but this morning it was actually dangerous. A few cars refused to stop. Each time...

Tags: Bible, Charity-Tzeddaka, Halacha, man & man, Portion of the Week, Purpose of Creation

Cutting Up An Ox: The Artistry of Walking

Cook Ting is cutting an ox into pieces as Lord Wen-hui stands looking on. He carries out a virtuoso performance – as rhythmic and flowing as a dance. The lord, filled with awe and admiration, cannot suppress his delight. “Ah, your method is superb!” he...

Tags: Chukat, Halachah, Portion of the Week

The Futurist

The “Futurist,” Ray Kurzweil is a man who plans to live forever. He is a wildly successful inventor: In the ‘70s he developed the first computer capable of reading different fonts, and in the ‘80s he created one of the first speech-recognition programs. He now...

Tags: Torah

Table Talk: Nasso

Impressions: “The Cohen shall have the woman stand before God and unbraid the woman’s head.” (Numbers 5:18) The Cohen unbraids the woman’s hair in order to disgrace her in public so that she will repent

Tags: Man's Soul, Nasso, Spiritual Realm, Table Talk

Haftarah: Behar: Nurturing Hope

Jeremiah 32:6-17: Even before Jeremiah’s cousin came to him for financial help in redeeming his ancestral land that he had to sell, God told the prophet that he was coming. Jeremiah knew that this was more than following

Tags: Haftarah, Jeremiah

Sixth Sense

All the Mitzvot in the Torah were designed as an expression of the Ultimate Will and Infinite Wisdom. They are all beyond human ken and understanding. However, there is one category of laws called “Chok” which are blatantly beyond any human understanding. Parah Adumah is the paradigm...

Tags: Chukat, Parah, The Red Heifer

Haftarah: Ki Tisa Part Seven: Can I Really Make A Difference: Purim

[caption id="attachment_4476" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Haftarah"][/caption] “Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you dance between two opinions? If God is the Lord, follow Him! And if the Baal, follow it!” Why did Elijah focus only on Baal? After all he had insisted...

Tags: Ahab, Elijah, Haftarah, Jezebel, Ki Tisa, Kings, Prophecy

The Ceremony of Lighting

It will be a very long time before Moshe is actually told to teach the Mitzvah of the Menorah. Many commentaries read the opening of this portion as “When you will give over the Mitzvah of the Menorah, this is how you shall teach them...

Tags: Menorah, Mishkan, Shabbat, Terumah, Tetzaveh

Make It Mine

Rav was careful to fulfill the Biblical directive of “Dei Machsoro” – the community must provide for the specific needs of each poor person. That is until one day… One day, a poor person knocked on the great Rabbi’s door and asked for some food and...

Tags: Mishkan, Terumah

Haftarah: Mishpatim: Power!

Jeremiah 34:8-22, 33:25-26 - “And God spoke to Moses and Aaron and commanded them regarding the Children of Israel and regarding Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to take the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 6:13)

Tags: Haftarah, Jeremiah, Mishpatim

The Music of Halacha: Chinuch and Kavanah

As a general rule the age of Chinuch for any particular Mitzvah is the age at which the child is capable of performing the Mitzvah in the optimum manner. That principle is derived from the Mishnah (Succah 42a) declaring

Tags: Chinuch, Four Species, Kavanah, Music of Halacha, Succot

The Music of Halacha: A Meal To Remember

I had worked all summer as a camp counselor and learning rebbi, and received a huge pay check of $400 in the mail. My father zt”l handed the envelope to me and asked me if I was prepared to give my first real Tzedaka as it was from money earned.

Tags: Music of Halacha, Tzeddaka

The Music of Halacha: Tied Up In Knots III: Aegypt & The Blind Owl

I began John Crowley’s “Aegypt” with full awareness that, despite its limpid and musical prose, its sheer abundance requires hard work to figure out connections, and perceive patterns and symbolism. It is about the basic human search for the things we once possessed.

Tags: Music of Halacha, Prayer, Shabbat

Rock & Roll

They don’t trust each other so they place a huge stone over the well to make sure that no one takes more than his share of water. They wait until they all gather and then they roll the stone and uncover the well. What happens...

Tags: Vayeitzei

Successful Chesed

Eliezer rose to new heights when he accepted his mission. (See An Appreciation of Eliezer) He was lifted into a new reality and was able to travel long distances in just moments. He tasted his own experience of the Infinite, not as an observer of...

Tags: Chayei Sarah, Chesed

From Past to Future

[/caption]In 1509, Johannes Pfefferkorn, a Dominican monk who was also a converted rabbi, published Mirror of the Jews, an anti-Semitic book proposing that all works in Hebrew, including the Talmud, be burned. Johannes Reuchlin, a Bavarian humanist, dismayed by the possibility of such desecration, formally protested...

Tags: Noah, Tzitzit

Pillows and Tzitzit

How a pile of pillows taught me how to repair my Tzitzit: Debbie and I had to be in the airport at 6am, and we had worked until 2am, so we shoved the basics into our suitcases and rushed to the airport. I unpacked this morning...

Tags: Chesed, Elul, Kavanah, Tzitzit

Ki Teitzei: Constant Sanctification

“Who sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us...

Tags: Elul, Ki Teitzei, Love & Fear of God

Ki Teitzei: For The Birds

“Rabbi,” said the caller, “please let me know if you see a nest with a mother birds and her young birds or eggs. My wife wants more children and we were told by a Kabbalist to fulfill the Mitzvah of Sending The Mother Bird From...

Tags: Ki Teitzei

Beauty & Truth

[caption id="attachment_2932" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Truth - Beauty - Freedom - Love"][/caption] I died for beauty, but was scarce Adjusted in the tomb, When one who died for truth was lain In an adjoining room. He questioned softly why I failed? “For beauty,” I replied. “And I for truth, - the two...

Tags: Sefirot, Shofetim

Looking Forward To…

I have been looking forward to this Shabbat for a few weeks because two of my closest friends, I think of them as brother and sister, will be with us. I love looking forward to things! I usually wake up looking forward to something. In the...

Tags: Shema

Eikev: From Head To Heel (Text Version)

In response to the numerous requests for the written version: The opening verse in this week’s portion reads: “This shall be the reward when you hearken to these ordinances.” Rashi comments: If you hear even those commandments that people “tread on them with their heels, meaning,...

Tags: Eikev, Shema

Pythagoras, Cholent, and Tznius (Modesty)

Pythagorus had a lot of influence for a man who probably never existed. The Pythagoreans invented their founder, including the manner of his death. Pyhthagoras had a strong revulsion to beans. He would definitely never have eaten Shabbat afternoon Cholent, and not because of its...

Tags: Barriers to Growth, Dignity, Hashkafa, Holiness, Hypocrisy, Jewish Mysticism, Kabbalah, Modesty, Spiritual Growth, Tznius

Paying Attention

Someone asked me to help him find gluten free Matzah for Pesach. I told him where I bought mine and thought that the matter was settled. I bumped into him on Thursday night and he told me that he did not believe that the Matzah...

Tags: Kosher, Music of Halacha

Listening To The Matzah

I first hand out the portions of Matzah to everyone at the table and only then do I begin eating my own portion. We are all leaning to the left, crunching away at our Matzah. Inevitably someone at the table begins to giggle at all...

Tags: Haggadah, Matzah, Pesach

Countdown to Pesach 1: Which Matzah? Journey Bread

Mitzvah number 114 in the order of the Rambam's Mishna Torah, is that “You should eat Matzah on the night of the fifteenth.” This is an independent Mitzvah of eating Matzah.

Tags: Haggadah, Matzah, Pesach, Redemption, Self-perfection

The Hated Vegetable: Karpas

One of the very few things I liked about the first President Bush was that he openly hated broccolli, or brussel sprouts. It was not politically astute for him to admit to this one normal healthy attribute as it caused all sorts of problems for...

Tags: Haggadah, Karpas, Marror, Pesach, use of the world

Ahavat Olam

Someone asked me why we insert; "May You forever not remove Your love from us" in the blessing immediately preceding the evening Shema. The question implies the possibility that God would "remove His love from us". I answered that I believe this is not a request...

Tags: Shema

What's Your Purpose

Purpose driven action was introduced in the previous Music of Halacha essay. We posited that the laws of Shabbat define Action of Intention for everything we do, not only on Shabbat, but for the entire week. One of the three most important ingredients is purpose....

Tags: Halacha, Jewish Thought, Music of Halacha, Purpose of Creation, Shabbat

Repairs Required

“Busy remaking the world, man forgot to remake himself (Andrei Platonov, Nursery of the New Man).” My limited understanding of Platanov, based on “Soul and Other Stories,” is that he understood that the Soviet communists were convinced they could successfully remake the world. Their failure to remake...

Tags: Andrei Platonov, Joseph, Joseph and his Brothers, Vayechi

Countdown To Chanukah 2 – Strength From Hallel

“One can use songs and tunes to ease the burdens of work, even in service of God, just as we see physical laborers often sing to lighten their load (Tiferet Yisrael; Avot 1, Yachin 38). When the verse (Psalms 113 - First Paragraph of Hallel) describes,...

Tags: Joshua, Midrash, Pirkei Avot, Yalkut Shimoni

Countdown To Chanukah 3 – More To Give

Great art ‘offers us images by which to imagine our lives, and once the imagination has been awakened it is procreative: through it we can give more than we were given, say more than we had to say (Lewis Hyde, The Gift).’ Something awakens our imagination,...

Tags: Gratitude, Hoda'ah

Countdown To Chanukah 15 – Placement

Where was the best Davening (Prayer) of my life? In a life filled with miracles, where did I experience my favorite miracle? Hmmm. It’s too hard to answer either question, so, I’ll use the Jacob approach: “And Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran” (Genesis 28:10)....

Tags: Avraham, Isaac, Jacob, Menorah, Tower of Babel, Tree of Life

Countdown to Chanukah 17 – Steroids For The Soul

Dedicated to Partners In Prayer If one feels death approaching, he is instructed, 'Confess [your sins]!' And they say to him, 'Many confessed [their sins] and died not, and many who have not confessed, died; and as a reward, should you confess, perhaps you will live; and he...

Tags: Bikur Cholim, Confession, Vidui

Countdown To Chanukah 25 – Singing Hallel Celebrating God’s Invitation

“O my dove, in the cranny of the rocks, Hidden by the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet And your face is comely (Song of Songs 2:14 - sefaria.org).” Rabbi Eliyahu interpreted the verse as referencing...

Tags: Gratitude, Hoda'ah

A Kedem Compass

Tags: Bereishit, cain, Jonah, Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

Morning Blessings-Shabbat HaGadol-Fills The World

God's Essence and Being, which is called the Ein Sof, literally fills all the world, with respect to both space and time. Both the heavens above and the earth below are equally filled with the Light of the Infinite Being. It is literally

Tags: Malachi, Morning Blessings, Shabbat HaGadol

Taking it With You-Mishpatim-Motivation Above and Below

The main purpose of creation was that God wanted to do good to all His handiwork, and to satisfy the desires of each and every person. This was to take place in a specific manner. When the desire is “aroused from below,”

Tags: Mishpatim, Prayer

The Music of Halacha-Bishul-A Matter of Time

We began our discussion of the laws of cooking on Shabbat in, “Cooking With the Miraculous.” When we speak of the miraculous we are speaking of that which is otherworldly. When we speak of the otherworldly we not only speak of that which we cannot understand...

Tags: Adam, Challah, Creation, Genesis, Music of Halacha, Shabbat

Shabbat Mevarchim Rosh Chodesh Elul: Creation

“May it be Your Will, God, our Lord, and the Lord of our forefathers, that You inaugurate this month upon us for goodness and for blessing. May You give us long life - a life of peace, a life of goodness, a life of blessing,...

Tags: Elul, Rosh Chodesh, Rosh Hashanah, Shabbat

The Music of Halacha: Nissan Blessings

Blessed are You Hashem, our God, King of the universe, for nothing is lacking in His universe, and He created in it good creatures and good trees, to cause mankind pleasure with them.

Tags: Music of Halacha, Pesach

First Steps

[caption id="attachment_1891" align="alignleft" width="259" caption="First Steps"][/caption] Twenty-two years ago, Dr. Rosalind Neuman of St. Louis pointed out in a class on this week’s portion a remarkable transition from the beginning of the portion to its conclusion. The portion begins by describing how God did not want...

Tags: Beshalach, Pesach

The Music of Halacha – Chanukah: Unifying Creation

The previous Music of Halacha mentioned the debate between the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel regarding the number of candles we light each night of the

Tags: Chanukah, Music of Halacha

The Sweetest Strawberry: Zachreinu L'Chaim

A man traveling across a field encountered a hungry tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling,...

Tags: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur

Psalm 27: Clothed in Light

“God is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear.” (Psalm 27:1) The Midrash (See Psalm 27.2) continues: Rabbi Abin, the Levite said that the Holy One, Blessed is He, took the light, and covered Himself with it as though it were a garment, and...

Tags: Bible, Elul, Midrash, Rosh Hashana, Tehillim

The Music of Halacha: Defining Creativity

Most authorities agree that the defining quality of Melacha, the work that is prohibited on Shabbat, is creativity, an action similar to the creation of the world that ceased on Shabbat.

Tags: Music of Halacha, Shabbat

The Music of Halacha: A Well Constructed Life – Part Two

We have been focusing on the first mention of ‘Building’ in the Bible; the formation of Eve. The Sages take us back even earlier when they teach: The construction – Binyan – of

Tags: Adam's Sin/Garden of Eden, Music of Halacha, Psalms, Shabbat, use of the world

The Music of Halacha: A Well Constructed Life: Part One

We are studying the laws of building on Shabbat. We began by comparing these laws to the first mention of “Boneh” – building – in the Torah, which appears in the

Tags: Adam's Sin/Garden of Eden, Ezekiel, Heaven & Earth, Kings, Music of Halacha, Samuel, Shabbat, use of the world

The Music of Halacha: Shabbat 28: Speech! Speech!

“If you restrain your foot because it is Shabbat; refrain from accomplishing your own needs on My holy day; if you proclaim Shabbat a delight, and the holy day of God as honored, and you honor it by not engaging in your own

Tags: Body & Soul, Free will, Ki Tisa, Music of Halacha, Shabbat, Speech, Tehillim

The Music of Halacha: Shabbat 27: Speech Introduction

Body and Soul: A hotly debated question in the thirteenth century was whether it is a legitimate pursuit to search for reasons for the laws of the Torah. Maimonides and his followers believed that there is a lesson, capable

Tags: Body & Soul, Free will, Isaiah, Music of Halacha, Shabbat, Speech

The Music of Halacha: Shabbat 26: Fire!

It is not wise to use tea light candles for the Shabbat Candles on a plastic tablecloth, but we do not always act with great wisdom. We are so nervous about our candles that we were shocked when the fire