Articles:
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...
Our Very Own Esav
There were times that the Jews were attacked by an Esav who murdered and robbed. There were times when Jews had to resist the lure of pagan glamour. There were times when Esav came with scholarship and with ministerial robes and there were times that Esav spoke of love, caring and a yearning to show us a better way to heaven. All the Esav’s of history had one thing in common. They endeavored to stop the Jews from leading their own unique spiritual life and have them abandon their nationalistic aspirations. Somehow we have survived them all.
G-D’s Favorite People
In this week's parsha, we read how Isaac married Rebecca. "And Isaac entreated the L-rd opposite [`lenochach'] his wife, because she was barren; and the L-rd let Himself be entreated by him, and Rebecca his wife conceived" (Gen. 25:21). Rashi explains "lenochach" by...
The Heart of a Gadol
When I was a young Yeshiva bochur I was impressed with intelligence. I looked at the Gedolim and was in awe of their intellect. They seemed to know everything. Now, as I get older I’m less impressed with intellect and much more taken with their kindness. People tell...
Pro-Active Judaism
In order to succeed in our business or profession we must never allow ourselves to live by reacting. If we are reacting we are not in control. If we are reacting we are living for other peoples agendas. If we are reacting we are stressed out and we go to sleep every...
Relating to the World
Abraham did not travel alone. Apart from his many followers, he had three companions: Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. When God commanded Abram (henceforth Abraham) to circumcise himself and his male household, he asked advice from these three friends in turn, as to whether he...
Caught up in a Wave
In 1993 I traveled from Australia to Hong Kong. I was invited by the Hong Kong community to lead a Shabbaton. A wonderful Sephardic Jew by the name of David Darvish picked me up at the airport. As we drove from the airport through one of the most glamorous cities in...
The Last Shabbos
Why are there not lines outside shuls begging to get in? I remember so vividly, about 25 years ago, as a rabbi in Buffalo, NY, when a Buffalonian living in India came to see me. His name was Irving Goldstein, but he called himself by some Indian name. He was the...
If G-d Can Do It; You Can Do It!
G-d set you aside from all the nations of the world to be your G-d, so that you can walk in His ways. (Devorim 26;17) G-d chose us to be able to walk in His ways. In simpler terms we can act like G-d acts; we can be kind like G-d is kind; we can forgive like G-d...
Approaching The Finish Line
We’ve all been there. We are enjoying the first course at the wedding meal. There is light music in the background, pleasant conversation and a beautiful setting. Suddenly the band pumps up. With pomp and fanfare the music reaches a crescendo and a new beginning is...
The Right Choice
While going through the Parsha, the fourth part of Moshe Rabbeinu’s final Drasha to the Jewish People, I noticed what seemed to be a lack of connection between the 55 different mitzvos mentioned. However, I found a constant theme, a key word, which strings everything...