Articles:
Behold A People
Bilaam was the most successful gentile, of that generation and possibly in history. He was the parallel of Avraham Avinu and Moshe Rabbeinu. He didnt represent a specific nation; he was at the apex of the non-Jewish world as a whole. He belonged to the world. Chazal...
The Red Heifer
This week's parsha discusses the mysterious law of "parah adumah", the red heifer, which is used for purification, but contaminates those who perform the purification. "Zos chukas haTorah", it says, "This is the law of the Torah" (Num. 19:2). The word "chukah" is used...
The Puzzle Factor
The Parsha starts with Hashem instructing Moshe to take a census of Bnei Yisrael. So on Rosh Chodesh Iyar, Moshe and the Nesi’im of each Shevet counted every male over the age of 20 according to their shevet. After the census was taken, Hashem further instructed Moshe...
Just One Droplet
The story of Lag B’Omer, Rebbi Akiva, the founding of the Oral Torah under Roman Persecution. The lesson of the rock.
The Baal Shem Tov’s Message
Shortly after moving to Israel I was given the opportunity to travel with a group to Mezibuz in the Ukraine. The purpose of the trip was to spend Shabbos in the city of the great Baal Shem Tov and to pray at his graveside. This was a spiritual trip and I was...
It Takes A Village
I once read an astounding study that affects us all. A certain philanthropist in Long Island is funding an academic study on the “fallout” from Judaism. Why are so many children falling through the cracks of the Jewish community? We all have our own ideas and theories...
Shining Our Souls
'What good is a lamp in the sunshine!' Our characters have been marked with Poland, Hungary, Germany, Spain, Amsterdam, Morocco and Turkey. All of our ancestors have traveled through the desert. Our character has been altered - how could it not be? In this week's...
Whatever You Do – Do It Like A Jew!
Having compassion on a poor man or woman is not just because he may be Elijah the Prophet. Judaism should be synonymous with integrity.
What is an “Ayin Hara”?
Parshas Shekalim. What is an Evil Eye? According to the Maharal it’s the power of prayer.
From Darkness to Great Light
Today is Purim Kattan. It’s not the real Purim, because Purim must fall on the last month of the year, yet it still a day of celebration and happiness. From a seasonal and holiday perspective, Nissan, the month of Pesach, is the first of all months, and Adar is the...
Traveling Light
As a Rabbi and a Jew we have moved many times. In our family, we have it down to a science. We spend about a week packing up our home and the second week unpacking. The first week we take everything apart and the second week we put everything back together again. To...
Do The Right Thing!
There is an interesting story told in the Book of Judges, Chapter 17. Someone by the name of Michiyahu founded an idolatrous cult. He had an idol and built a temple for this purpose. He sought someone with leadership qualities, charisma and spirituality to lead his...
Lets Have an Argument
The Talmud tells us that when two Torah scholars fight, although they may even appear to hate each other, at the end there will be love and peace between them. The reason is that their fighting is for the sake of Heaven. Let us pray that our intentions should always be for the sake of Heaven, so that true peace can prevail.
Quiet Time
In today's parsha we read how Moshe argued with G-d about his competence to carry G-d's message to Pharaoh to release the Jews. "The children of Israel did not listen to me," he says, "Why should Pharaoh?" (Exod. 6:12). This is a form of argument, widely used by the...
Do It Anyway
Here is one of the less discussed miracles that took place in Egypt. The pharaoh of Egypt had decreed that all the Jewish boy babies were to be drowned at birth. Yocheved, Moses' mother, hides her newborn Moses for 3 months and then places her baby in a caulked wicker...
The Secret to Forgiveness
I remember taking a walk with my wife in one of the towns along the Hudson. We stumbled upon an art gallery. From the window we could see an unusual amount of Judaica so we decided to walk in. In fact the proprietor was an Israeli woman, happy to see us she began...
Searching for Light
I was thinking about Chanuka, and a new idea occurred to me. Chanuka, the Festival of Lights, occurs at the darkest time of the year -- the time when you would least expect it. And this is an important characteristic of Judaism: that light, and holiness, occur where...
Why Would Great Men Want To Kill Their Brother?
If the sons of Yaakov were such great men why did they want to kill their brother? The sons of Yaakov were all great men. The Medrash draws a metaphor to a king who wanted to build a beautiful palace. He tried building it on one support pillar and it collapsed. On...