The Festival Cycle

The Festival Cycle

by | May 1, 2007 | , ,

Holidays are those times in the year which draw our attention to a special message underlying them. They ask us to take to heart certain fundamental truths that they aim to impress upon us. Rising above the other days of the year, they call us out of our humdrum existence, to dedicate to them our minds and lives.
Our daily life is devoted to our ordinary pursuits and activities by means of which we strive to build our future. The holidays interrupt our labors, to revive those fundamental ideas upon which our life is based.

We Have Arrived in the Land

by | Apr 27, 2007 |

“Ki Savo – when you arrive in the Land”. We have arrived! God gave us a gift called Israel. He gave it to us once and because of our behavior He took it back. He gave it to us a second time and because of our mishigass He took it away. Now, He’s giving it to us for a third time! Once again – we have arrived!

Ki Savo 2004

by | Apr 27, 2007 |

As the argument continued Moshe smiled. “Today”, he said, “I see you really are a people!” (Rashi and Mosif Rashi)

Why did Moshe smile? Because today they owned the Torah they felt it was theirs. Each group felt that they deserved the Torah and couldn’t live without it. They loved the Torah and argued for it.

Re’eh 2003

by | Apr 27, 2007 | ,

As we welcome in the month of Elul and we begin our preparations for a New Year, we must keep in mind our G-d given challenge. ‘Leshichno Tidrishu’, always keep searching for Jerusalem, ‘Uvoso Shama!’ and you will get there. We are leaving tomorrow!

Eikev 2005

by | Apr 27, 2007 |

We speak of sensitivity as if it is some sort of disease. We often tell our spouses, our children or our employees to stop being so sensitive. We work on ourselves and exercise our emotions so that we should become less sensitive. We speak of sensitivity as if it is...

Eikev 2003

by | Apr 27, 2007 |

Sensitive people are able to feel what others cannot.

Space has its markers.

When we visit places that we had visited as a child the energy of that place is released and brings back all the memories that seemed to be stored up there waiting for you to return and enjoy them. Time also has its markers. Birthdays, anniversaries, yahrtzeits , all of these markers take us back on a journey as we remember a particular day in our lives, a certain day in history. This Shabbos is a special marker for me personally. Parshas Eikev was the Shabbos of my Aufruf. Many years later the week of Eikev was my first Shabbos in Australia. As time went on Parshas Eikev was also the very first time I spoke from the pulpit of Congregation Bais Torah which led to my succeeding Rabbi Berel Wein and continuing his legacy.

This week, with G-ds help, our family will be moving to Yerushalayim!

Talk to the Rock! G-d May Suprise You

Talk to the Rock! G-d May Suprise You

by | Apr 27, 2007 |

Moshe was grieving for his sister. In his frustration, He admonished the people, and called them "morim" which has the same letters as Miriam (MRYM), he said: Miriam is dead; how will I ever be able to get water from a rock without her? Miriam occupied a very special...

Are You Stuck?

Are You Stuck?

by | Apr 27, 2007 |

The greatest attribute of our people is that we are a stiff necked people. The greatest fault of our people is that we are a stiff necked people! There was a plague in the desert which was caused by the complaining and bickering of the Jewish people. They were...

Passover

by | Apr 1, 2007 |

Table of Contents Background The Month Of Nisan Maot Chittin A Pre-Passover Custom Passover Guideline for Passover Preparations The Passover Seder Background Our ancestors originally arrived to live in Egypt in order to escape the harsh famine in the land of Canaan....

Forgiveness Exercises

by | Nov 7, 2006 |

A. Make a list of the people you have hurt including your relatives. Next to each name indicate what you did and the effect it had. Write down why you feel badly about it. Try asking them or writing them a letter for forgiveness. If the person is no longer alive take...

Rise to the Call (2006)

by | Oct 31, 2006 | , ,

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 to...

What Is Your Purpose? (2004)

by | Oct 31, 2006 | ,

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 to...

What Can We Accomplish at the Seder

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

Maybe it was the Seder that shook up the Heavens and gave us the Modern State of Israel. "Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar Ben Azariah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarphon were conducting a Seder in Bnei Brak. They were discussing the Exodus all that night, until...

A Chassidic Seder

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

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 | ,

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 to...

Connecting with Jerusalem (2005)

Connecting with Jerusalem (2005)

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

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 |

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 to...

Jerusalem Needs A Hug (2004)

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

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 all over...

Darkness

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

Sometimes we are so preoccupied with our suffering that we don't realize we are causing pain to others. "What time can I daven in the morning? It seems to get light so late!" There are a number of answers to this question. If you are one of the 38% of those privileged...

The End of Days

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

I watch with awe how the recent painful evacuation from Gaza gave birth to a vivacious youth movement full of dynamic energy, unity and yiras shamayim that is changing the country. When the religionists of the world talk about the end of days - they refer to doomsday!...

Going It Alone (2005)

Going It Alone (2005)

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

Will he flourish in solitude or perish in loneliness? Language has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone, and the word solitude to express the glory of being alone. After many years of sidestepping, Yaakov was on his way to a reunion with his...

My Brother Esav

My Brother Esav

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

The very act of bowing before Hashem is to invite and make room for G-d in our lives Yaakov was about to encounter his enemy. He was also about to encounter his brother. His enemy had vowed to kill him. His brother was his twin who nursed with him from their holy...

The Straight Way (2003)

The Straight Way (2003)

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

If I wasn't afraid, if I wasn't lazy, if I wasn't concerned about kavod what would I do? Yaakov's name means crooked. The word "Akov" means insidious. Esav defined his brother Yaakov's essence according to his name. He is deviant, perverse, corrupt and crooked. "That...

Pesach – Unburdened (2004)

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

When we search for chometz we should concentrate on its symbolism of arrogance and take the opportunity to check every crack and crevice of our soul. We all remember the famous advertisement of the Boys Club of America. There was a boy with an ear to ear smile...

A Good Heart (2003)

A Good Heart (2003)

by | Oct 31, 2006 |

You can rely on a good heart. Avrohom Avinu had gone through so much and had achieved such great heights. At an age of almost one hundred years, his mind was in the Heavens. It was at this supremely spiritual stage of his life that he was faced with a very down...

The Journey Inward

by | Oct 30, 2006 |

When you journey inward you begin with the outside and you work your way in. Abraham was told to go on a journey to the unknown - "to the Land which I will show you." "Lech Lecho! - Go out from your country, from your birth place and from your father's house." The...

Chesed – Changing the World (2003)

by | Oct 30, 2006 |

For one hundred and twenty years Noach prophesied the end of the world - yet not even one single Baal Teshuvah! Noach spent 120 years building an ark, deliberately stretching it out so that people would ask questions, hear about the oncoming world crisis and repent....

Saving the World!

Saving the World!

by | Oct 30, 2006 |

It didn't even occur to Noach to pray! Until Abraham no one even thought of the idea. Last week I decided that I wanted to pray at the burial place of Rebbe Yehudah HaNasi. Rebbe Yehudah was the author of the Mishna and one of the greatest and bravest rabbinic leaders...

Why Did Cayin Kill Hevel?

by | Oct 30, 2006 |

Isn't it amazing that the first and most profound murder in world history was committed because someone wanted to get closer to G-d?! The two brothers were dividing up the world and the question of the Beit HaMikdash came up. Of course each one of the brothers...