Articles:
Fighting In Shul
Rav Moshe Feinstien ZT”l once commented that early on we used to see fierce arguments in Shul over who should get an Aliya and who shouldn’t. He observed that as the years went on things seemed to have become much more civilized and gentlemanly. “Please, you take the...
Bringing The Beauty Home
A Jewish man goes to war and there at war he encounters amongst the enemy a beautiful woman. The Torah says that he can take her home but he must cut off her hair and "do" her nails. It's interesting that the two ectodermic appendages, hair and nails are singled out...
Nearing The End
Here we are getting ready to usher in the last month of the year. There is a vast amount of discussion and literature on how to start off the year and very little about how to end it. Even the last month of the year Elul, has been marketed as the preparation for the...
The Eicha Revolution
The Kotzker Rebbe observed: “There is no place lonelier than a room full of people.” Walk into a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah. Everyone is eating, dancing and singing. Who would think that loneliness is even possible in this room? But if you are a stranger in that room,...
Make Things Happen!
Yaakov's son Reuven saw that his mother Leah was barren. It was harvest time and Reuven was walking through the fields. He stumbled upon some dudaim, a medical herb that he thought would improve the Shalom Bayis situation at home. He picked them and gave them to his...
You Never Lost It
What do you do if you are going crazy looking for something you misplaced and you just can't find it anywhere? Say the following: 'Rabbi Binyamin said: The whole world is blind until G-d opens our eyes and we see' (Breishis Rabba 52) Then make a pledge to the charity...
An Honest Mitzvah
Mitzvah, honesty, Amalek, Moses, Whenever we perform a mitzvah, we should ask ourselves whether our motive is perhaps to avoid doing some other less pleasant, but more important, mitzvah.
Hearts Of Darkness
Everyone has been asking: "Rabbi, what time can I daven in the morning? It seems to get light so late!" There are a number of answers to this question. One third of all adults in the USA own a smart phone. Within seconds you can get the exact moment of Alos HaShachar,...
Ruach
The hopeful and encouraging words of Moshe fell flat. "I have come to set you free! G-d has made me a messenger to facilitate the Geula!" But They did not listen to Moshe because of shortness of breath, kotzer ruach, and because of strenuous work. What is this "Kotzer...
Just Do It!
Shmuel Fixler A"H, a wonderful Jew who lived in Buffalo, NY, when I served as Rabbi there, once taught me a valuable lesson. Reb Shmuel was a Holocaust survivor. He had been through Hell, and the Nazis not only murdered most of his family, they also killed his...
A Little Eisavkeit
Lately, I’ve been intrigued by the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, Yaakov and Esav. The actual struggle between these two brothers became the prototype of the Jewish struggle with myriads of outside forces and enemies that wanted to destroy us....
Soul Sacrifice
We know about giving up some of our personal comfort to help someone else. We know about giving up some of our spirituality to save a life or to help another human being live healthier. We even know about giving up personal comfort to help someone spiritually. But how...
Thumbs Down
In Talmudic times the Sukos dancing at the Simchas Beis Hashoeva was reserved for the leaders of the generation. This was a Simcha the likes of which no other simcha can be compared. Raban Shimon ben Gamliel would dance in the middle. The Talmud reports that he would...
Where Did All The Leaders Go?
This week's parsha speaks of the different models of leadership; the king, the judge, the Kohein and the prophet. It's relatively easy to examine and criticize leaders but as the saying goes; the people get the leader they deserve. As we arrive at Chodesh Elul, and we...
Stumbling Upon Solutions
In Breishis we are told that Yaakov’s son Reuven saw that his mother Leah was barren. It was harvest time and Reuven was walking through the fields. He stumbled upon some “dudaim”, a medical herb that he thought would improve the Shalom Bayis situation at home. He...
Leaders: A Jewish Definition
A Jewish leader is the man or woman that has demonstrated that he can take the heat, even a beating, on behalf of the Jewish people. My son Yosef Moshe is named after Reb Yosef Moshe Haber who was referred to as the Parnes of Kalish. He was trusted by his community...
The Desert – A Blank Canvas
When important meetings, conventions or summits take place location is of the utmost importance. The greatest political minds come together to choose Oslo or Geneva. They search the globe for political neutrality, proper security and appropriate ambiance. The location...
Holy?!
I ask myself regularly if I really want to be holy. In the year 1930 the Chofetz Chaim traveled to Vilna. He went to speak in the oldest and most central Shul in Vilna. In honor of the Gadol HaDor all the candles were lit and the tall beams that held up the roof were...