Finding our Moment – the Lesson of Pinchas
How to draw energy from deep within us to do what is right. The lesson of Pinchas is to be able to do what is right at that moment, no matter what everyone in the world thinks.
The Cow of Infinity
The Parah Adumah or Red Heifer is the classic example of a Mitzvah which is beyond our comprehension. As described in the Bamidbar (19:1-22), the cow had to be slaughtered outside the camp and its blood sprinkled in the direction of the holy of holies in the...
Greatness: A Jewish Definition
Determination and strong backbone can be the ingredients of true greatness or it can be the prelude to stupidity. I watched a documentary while on vacation. It made such an impression on me that I must share the inspiration. "Into Thin Air" is a gripping account of...
The Divine Mitigating Factor
According to the Wex Legal Dictionary the definition for Mitigating Factor is “any fact or circumstance that lessens the severity or culpability of a criminal act. Mitigating factors include an ability for the criminal to reform, mental retardation, an addiction to...
When Blessings Conflict
A dream is the first step of any new venture. We see a vision for our lives, our families, our community and the world we live in. We dream about how the world can be improved, and of the contribution that we can make. I personally dream of a life of Torah and a home...
The Cry of The Shofar
I recently came across the ‘tzavaa’, or the ethical will of Rav Menachem Mann Shach OBM, famed Rosh Yeshivah of Ponevez. This document was written when the Rav was over one hundred years old. The Rosh Yeshiva reflects on the whole of his long life and the possibility...
Defining Greatness – Emor
In Kedoshim, the portion of the Torah that teaches us how to be holy, we learned that being a holy person, is primarily focussed on interpersonal relationships. The classic themes of holiness refer to asceticism, a serious demeanor, and so on, may be part of the...
Be Holy! Kedoshim Tihiyu
The title of the Parsha is Kedoshim. This is a section about holiness. Moshe commanded the Jewish people to be holy, what are the parameters of holiness and explained that holiness is perhaps the underlying theme of being a Jew. “You should be holy; because I am...
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 the Hadrian Decrees, Rebbe Yehudah HaNasi ushered in a new generation of renaissance. He...