A Chassidic Seder

by | Oct 31, 2006 | Pesach/Passover

Talk given in Baltimore, MD, 3/25/2006 in Congregation Bnei Torah Shaarei Zion While visiting London a few months ago, I heard the following story from a 19 year old Jewish girl. She was vacationing in a beach house in Thailand when the Tsunami hit. Within moments she...

Rise to the Call (2006)

by | Oct 31, 2006 | Vayakhel, Pekudei

Perhaps our minds are clouded by our idea of what we should become, and G-d’s idea just gets in the way. Whatever happened to Betzalel? The Talmud tells a story. Rabbi Tarphon was ill and his very important friends, Rabbi Akiva, Rabban Gamliel and others, came...
Connecting with Jerusalem (2005)

Connecting with Jerusalem (2005)

by | Oct 31, 2006 | Vayakhel

When in the synagogue we are the nerve endings of Yerushalayim. The book of Shmos tells a forty year story of the Jewish people. In this story, we grew from humble beginnings as slaves in Egypt to a Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation. The story culminates with the...

What Is Your Purpose? (2004)

by | Oct 31, 2006 | Terumah

Perhaps our minds are clouded by our idea of what we should become, and G-d’s idea just gets in the way. Whatever happened to Betzalel? The Talmud tells a story. Rabbi Tarphon was ill and his very important friends, Rabbi Akiva, Rabban Gamliel and others, came...

Jerusalem Needs A Hug (2004)

by | Oct 31, 2006 | Beshalach

Every stone in Yerushalayim wants to be hugged. The Eastern gates to the Courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash in Jerusalem were called “Shaarei Nikoner” or the gates of Nikoner. They were beautiful bronzed structures that greeted the guests as they arrived from...