We Have Arrived in the Land
“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
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
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 2006
Reflections on the 2006 Israel – Lebanon War through the lens of the Parsha parshas Ekev.
Eikev 2005
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
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
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?
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...
Rise to the Call (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...