Articles:
Junk Food For The Soul
I don’t usually comment on world events but it’s difficult not to comment on the recent news from France, as some kind of response is needed .What is it that motivates someone to murder multiple strangers in cold blood? Who was Bilam? People often think of him as some...
The Logic Of The Heart
The Kotzker Rebbe is reported to have instructed his Gabbai to seek a Chazan with a good heart. A good heart, he said, is so much more powerful than a good voice. Chazal often ask why one particular portion of the Torah is placed next to another, albeit apparently...
The Spiritual Summit
The Spiritual Summit Moshe Rabeinu, into his eighties, has been through a lot in the last two years. He’s been G-d's messenger to bring the people out of Egypt, he performed miracles, he split the sea, he was the conduit for Torah descending from Heaven to Earth. By...
Choose To Be Happy
"In memory of my father in law Matisyahu ben Chaim Refael Poliakoff and his father Chaim Refael ben Menachem Mendel, whose Yohrtzeits we are commemorating this week. May Hashem give them a lichtigen Gan Eden." There are two stark admonishments in the Torah, in our...
Going Casual
The Torah tells us in stark terms what the outcome will be if we do not live up to specific expectations. The recurring theme is that we must not do what is described as ‘going with G-d ‘b’keri’ or indifference - casualness. “If you will be indifferent to Me; I too...
Join The Ahronian Movement
There is a Midrash that at Aharon HaKohen’s funeral procession he was accompanied by 80,000 young men. There was a curious fact about all of these young men - they were all called Aharon. They were, in fact referred to as the Aharonim. Why were there so many young men...
The Danger of Renaissance
Rav Yanai was a giant in his generation, the generation immediately following the leadership of Rebbe Yehudah Hanasi. After a long period of persecution by the Roman Empire and post the Hadrian Decrees, Rebbe Yehudah HaNasi ushered in a new generation of renaissance....
Can Jewish Leaders Work Together?
We are waiting for the Shechina to come down. It's not happening! What can we do? "And it came to pass on the eighth day of inauguration of the Mishkan" Six Parshios and at least 12 difficult tractates of the Talmud are dedicated to getting us ready for this great...
Choose to Shine
When Moshe came down from Mount Sinai, the second time, his face was shining. The Torah describes this as ‘karan ohr panev’. ‘ His face was radiating light’. Although Moshe himself was unaware of this , the shine was so striking that the Jewish people were afraid to...
Finding Our Purpose
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 to visit. They met his mother at the door crying. She pleaded with the Tzaddikim to “please pray for her son...
The Journey Is Coming To An End
I’m feeling okay about the nine days this year. Even Tisha B’Av! That may sound radical, so let’s explain why. The Talmud (Yoma 5) describes a scene toward the desecration and destruction of the Beis HaMikdash by the Babylonians. According to the Medrash in Eicha, a...
Making Friends out of Enemies
“If I could give only one bit of advice to my students, I would tell them that whenever they meet someone new, no matter who it is, they should try to find at least one thing that they like about that person.” (Rav Yisroel Salanter) Once you don't like someone, that...
Shabbos My Bride
Shabbos we can actually enjoy and experience the presence of His Shechina. We can experience a new level of light, of holiness, of spirituality and of peace. As Shabbos comes in we offer a special welcome to G-d in our lives.
The Prophet That Sees the Present
Miriam took her tambourine, took the women aside and led them in song. Today Moshe's sister is introduced to us by name. Until now we didn't know her name. She was called "Achos Moshe", Moses' sister. We also learn today about the new title she received: "Miriam the...
The Great Divide
I was once a proud member of the Boy Scouts of America, we had a pack of frum boys who met in a local shul. The troop was run by my father. Once he announced that we were going to learn about ‘the great divide’. I had no idea what he was talking about but guessed it...
The New Egypt
The Book of Shmos begins with a new reality for the Jewish People. A reality which introduces on the one hand the prosperity of the Jewish people and their assimilation into Egyptian culture, and at the same time a growing anti-semitism which ensued. This was a new...
Turning on G-d’s light
Our function in this world is to activate G-d's light. G-d said: "Light the Menorah and the world will see that it is not I that illuminate the world but you." (Medrash Shmos Rabba 36;2) When the world was created G-d said "Let there be light!" From the beginning of...
The Multi Colored Coat
This week's Torah portion describes the envy between Joseph and his brothers, “Sinat Chinam”, and to what extent that envy can damage even the greatest and holiest of families. The jealousy and hate that Joseph's brothers had toward him motivated them to plot Josephs...