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...
Nachamu!
In many circles Shabbos Nachamu spells vacation. The great summer breather. The three weeks and the nine days are behind us and the High Holidays are not yet here. So, it’s party time. Concerts, barbecues, hiking and a lot of junk food in the Mountains. The Catskills...
All Alone Together
It's tough to be alone. Loneliness is possibly one of the most painful experiences in the human experience. I'm not sure if there is anyone alive that can take being completely alone. We always read Parshas Devarim on the Shabbos preceding Tisha B'Av. There is a...
Wandering
Why do we sing when we travel? While reading this week’s parsha the baal korei will burst into a delightful song. He will not be reading about the splitting of the sea or be announcing the Ten Commandments. Rather, he will be reciting the travelogue of the Jewish...
Be A Pinchas!
I have some very dangerous and risky advice that I give my children and anyone else willing to listen. Be a Pinchas! Don't settle for any injustice and don't get used to seeing wrong. I was marveling at the story of the great Talmudic sage, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi....